Yesterday I ate my first ever Magness pear. It came off one of the few trees I still have growing in my small back yard in Dallas. The quality was good but not quite as awsome as I thought based on reports I have read about it. I think I may have picked it a little early and I didn’t refrigerate it before I let it soften. Also I know the first crop isn’t usually the best. Of interest the tree is on quince a and has grown really well as a dwarf and I think this rootstock has real potential for Texas growers with compatible cultivars.
How did you decide when to pick it?
My Magness is fruiting for the first time, as well, this year and I am interested in what others that grow it have found to be the best time to pick them.
OK for me in Texas I have found that Euro pears and hybrids have a huge window to pick them. They are ready to pick in August. I have harvested in early middle and late August and havent really noticed much appreciable diffrence in quality. I have even harvested in late July and into Sept. and still had good results. Of course I’m sure there are exeptions like Kieffer and a few Asian pears but mostly they ripen in August. At least in Texas. I do think that Euros are generally better if they are picked, then refrigerated for two weeks or so then taken out and left on the kitchen counter until soft. For some reason this process seems to sweeten them up. I didnt do that with this one since it was only one pear but if get bigger harvests in the future I will. Yes I am hoping to hear of other experiences with Magness too. By the way do know what pollinated your Magness?
Thanks for the information @wildscaper. Unfortunately, I do not know what pollinated the Magness–I have a half-dozen other European pears nearby.
How many years have you had the magness? Do you know what rootstock its on?
My Magness went in the ground in early 2013. It’s on OHxF 333 (from Trees of Antiquity).
Bhawkins. It has been in for four Seasons now and it is on quince a. It has a great shape. Years agowhen I still had all my trees in the Austin area I had Magness on quince ba29 c and that tree set a large crop in I think it’s fourth season but of course a huge hail storm destroyed the crop and the next year I moved. I am hoping this tree will set better crops as it matures.
My Magness is on the same rootstock and is also fruiting for the first time, but mine are far
from being ripe.
Ray rose do you grow Warren as well? I have always been curious about that one. If I am lucky enough to get a bigger crop in the future I will experiment with the picking time to get it just right.
Wildscaper,
Here in the Mid-Atlantic, Magness is usually picked in mid-late September. Our growing season is roughly four weeks behind yours. So you may have picked your Magness at the right time.
You really ought to consider putting them in the refrigerator for at least a few days, or even a few weeks. Then let them counter-ripen for a day or two. The flesh near the top side of the pear should yield to thumb pressure (like a peach) when ripe.
Here, Magness can be picked as early as September. But it does not attain its fabulous eating qualities until October, after some cool storage. The Magness here taste best in October and November. For a pear, they have a moderately thick skin that has a strangely pleasant, almost sugary, bite to it. It is the best tasting pear I’ve ever had. Inside, the flesh is luscious, buttery, sweet & juicy. True pear flavor, with an aromatic complexity that adds to the eating experience. They are similar to the Comice pear, but even better. Addictive to eat.
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I don’t grow Warren. It’s so similar to Magness, so to me it made no sense in getting
almost identical fruit. I try to get a lot of variety in my orchard. One pleasant surprise
that I’ve had this year and is fruiting for the first time is Plumblee (no, not the guy on Pawn
Stars) It’s an extremely good pear, and tastes as if it’s half Maxine and half Ayers. Very
productive pear and healthy tree on dwarfing rootstock. It’s shaped like the old Anjou’s you used to find
in the grocery store back in the 50’s.
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Thanks for the info. Yeah Matt I have always refrigerated the euro type pears in the past the only reason I didn’t this time was laziness based on only having the one pear. If I am lucky enough to get a bigger harvest I will give em the full treatment. Yes I know I was close on picking time though I think more like August 15 will be perfect. Rayrose Plumbee sure sounds interesting what is the dwarfing stock?
It’s semi-dwarfing OHxF97
I just ate my first Magness and I must say I was quite impressed. I picked it
this morning and left it in the refrigerator all day. It was delicious, firm, sweet,
and juicy. I have to agree with Matt, it was better than Comice, and almost as
good as Maxine.
You picked it today and ate it today as well? If so it will get much much better if you let them sit for awhile and soften up. Everyone has there own tastes I know but they usually get way better if the sit awhile off the tree.
Ray,
Glad you enjoyed it. Congrats!
I normally like my fruit cold, hard and crunchy. I picked two more this morning, and
I’ll let them stay in the fridge for week to see, if the flavor intensifies, but I would never let them go
back to room temperature, before I ate them. Just not my thing. I don’t like room temperature fruit.
That’s one thing I have noticed for sure everyone has different tastes when it comes to fruit. Do you like Asian pears? There is a variety that was developed in Houston called tennosui that is a hybrid. It is supposed to be a firm textured pear of high quality. I have it but I haven’t fruited it yet.
Rayrose,
Do you mean your Magness is on quince or OHXF333? I’d like to get a Warren pear this fall but am not sure which rootstock to get. The only rootstocks I can find with Warren on them are OHXF333 from nurseries out west and OHXF97 from Century Farm. I’ve heard that 333 does not work in the deep south and I’m worried that it will be too slow to bear on 97. We are in the same zone so I think your results would be applicable to my area.
It’s on semi-dwarfing OHxF97. It took mine 4 years to fruit, which is about average for a pear. I’ve never heard of 333, so I can’t comment on it.