Anybody grow Forelle Pears?

S[quote=“Seedy, post:20, topic:1716”]
I hope to get a scion next Winter
[/quote]

Grab me a stick or two if you get the chance! I love forelle

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Yeah, it would be fun to propagate this thing but this little orchard was truly abandoned by the guy who spent so much time setting it up years ago…and he still lived on the land. (Side note: you know that with a Forelle, various apples, peaches, Butternuts, etc., and even an Hican, this was a real gem, and a passion for him at one time.) Each weak spindly tree was discovered one at a time as they cut through the brambles and brush. All this to say that though the tree is still alive and flowering this year we can only hope that it gets vigorous enough to fruit well and provide healthy scions, and that I can talk my friend out of some…or at least one…ha ha.

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American Chestnuts are generally safe from blight in the West, as I understand it. My sister, who lives in Arcata, buys them at the farmers market and I spoke to the farmer when I was visiting and he has some very huge and old trees on his land.

Yah, I found there were quite a few in the city of Portland, along with other ‘heritage’ trees like big hickories. They are known by Parks and Rec. That is the case in W. Oregon in general…especially the Willamette Valley. I also found that chestnut trees and a number of other things can’t be shipped west over the Rockies…gotta keep the cooties out.

As was mentioned, UP Hedrick, in Pears of New York, thought it was not improbable that Vermont Beauty was identical to Forelle. Perhaps it’s only Forelle open pollinated. We got a Vermont Beauty tree from Fedco Trees, but it hasn’t fruited yet.

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Lodidian,
It’s been determined that Vermont Beauty is not the same variety as Forelle. Here is a description from U.S. National Plant Germplasm System https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?1436213. Many proclaimed experts have reported that they thought it’s the same pear which has been confusing to all of us through the years who grow pears . ARS grin grew it out at the Southern Oregon Branch Experiment station and determined it is different from forrelle. Vermont Beauty is a very rare pear. I’m always finding that I still have a lot to learn about pears because I follow what experts say and frequently even the experts disagree. Researching pears is a lot of fun to me but not many people are interested in them. Glad to hear someone is growing an excellent pear like what you have.

Re. Patty’s Great Book of Pears’ statement " Its eating quality is only fair. The flesh is smooth, dry and rather low in acid and sugar."

That’s my experience exactly. I bought Forelle from Costco based on the praises I read here. I put some in the fridge and others on the counter. I waited until it’s soft to my touch and ate them. They were so dry. I could not finish them. No one in my family wanted to eat them after the first bite.

Then, when we were in Germany this summer. I bought more Forelle pears thinking buying local could improve the quality. I was wrong. I re-read the statement Patty posted. That’s my experience exactly. The pear was beautiful but the flesh was bland and so dry I had hard time swallowing it. I am not kidding. My husband had the same experience.

I know taste is subjective. I gave it a chance twice. That’ it for me. I’d not eaten this pear again.

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Thanks. I have made inquiries about Vermont Beauty before and never received a definitive answer .

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mamuang - I am dealing with those Costco Forelle pears right now. I totally agree. I decided I couldn’t eat them fresh, so I peeled them and threw them in a pot with about 1/4 c. of sugar, threw in some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Then I threw them in the blender. Now they are back in the pot reducing to something like “pear butter”.

They are greatly improved by this treatment, but I’d prefer a nice succulent Comice or Bartlett pear.

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Levers,

I have never cooked any fruit (never have enough to cook with) so I did not think about cooking those Forelle pear. I put the rest in the compost pile instead.

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As much as I loved them last summer I’ve not had any luck with them this year. My wife bought some last week and they weren’t very good. The ones she bought were kind of dry too. They were nothing like the juicy fragrant pears I had last year. I’m not sure why. Last year they were dynamite. So far this year a dud.

Speedster,
Pears in general are like that where they are fantastic one year and blan the next. I never remove a pear tree until it’s fruited 3 or more years because by then you typically know what you have. Some of my best pears tasted terrible in their early fruiting years, heavy rain years etc. . It’s also about location and Kansas soil raises some really delicious pears! I’ve heard that locations in other places sometimes get to much rain or not high enough heat and those things all affect the flavor a great deal. A forelle pear raised in the wrong location would likely taste like a cantaloupe given to much water.

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I think that’s probably a fair judgement for most pome and stone fruits in general, and probably even all fruit trees for that matter. Citrus are also like that - I give them at least 5 years of fruiting to mature into their fullest flavor. My Seckel pear is in it’s 3rd year of fruiting, and although I just had a handful of pears (I got to eat ALL of them, all 12!!), it was by far the best year. Absolutely delicious, just a wonderful pear, and great that you can eat it right off the tree. Getting better at judging ripeness as well. For me, that is end of September/beginning of October.

Patty S.

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Forelle is more known for looks than taste. It does look beautiful.

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I have not had tree-ripened forelle pears.

But the Costco- bought and the farmers’ market bought, from two continents gave the same results. That’s it for me.

This year I ordered scion wood for forelle and will be grafting it shortly. I will keep you updated on how it does. I will be extremely careful how I raise it.

Speedster,
I know you said its the best Euro you’ve eaten which is true some years but remember what the USDA ars grin says which is that it is variable "In English-speaking countries this variety is often referred to as the ‘Trout Pear’ and in Germany it is recognized under the name of Forellenbirne. Origin uncertain. some authorities believe that it originated in Saxony early in the eighteenth century. From Germany it was taken to Flanders and from there to England. It was received by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1823 and Leroy (1867) gives 1830 as the probably date of its introduction into France.
Fruit medium in size oblong-obovate-pyriform with neck varying considerably in length. Skin smooth, deep yellow in color, usually prominently blushed, distinctive ‘trout’ spots, red or green in color,very attractive. Flesh unusually white, fine but slightly granular at center, sometimes buttery but often quite firm, moderaely juicy. Sweet, aromatic flavor but quite variable in dessert quality. Often fails to ripen after cold storage. Midseason. Tree moderately vigorous, upright and stiff, apple-like foliage, reasonably productive. Very susceptible to fire blight. The original tree at the Southern Oregon Branch Station succumbed to blight. – H. Hartman 1959.

Origin probably northern Saxony, Germany and known since 1670. Introduced to Flanders and from Flanders to England. In England, it was first fruited by Thomas Andrew Knight, President of the Horticultural Society of London, who sent cions to the Honorable John Lowell, President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The cultivar became common in the eastern United States during the first half of the 18th Century. The tree grows best in warm soils and fails to grow in heavy clays and cold climates. ‘Forelle’ means ‘Trout’ in German.

Known in Sweden as ‘Helmershus Roda’."

I pefer asian pears to american or euro pears too. i bought american red pears a fews week ago from imported fruits shop and they seems a little bitter taste when i ate them. I’m disappointed :frowning:
This is american red pear as i bought


Source: http://sieuthiquasach.net/

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Not all American pears have that bitter after taste in the peel. If you peel the pear they will not have that flavor. Many people cannot recognize the bitter taste.

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I’m glad you mentioned that, Clark. I must be one of those people. I cannot say I’ve ever tasted a bitter European pear. Wonder if this is genetic, like how some folks taste soap when they eat Cilantro:

Patty S.

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