@mamuang
Magness is one of those fine quality pears that has to be picked just right. I suspect the rain and temperatures hit at the wrong times and that pear did not come off in time. Make a note of the date and try and pick one week earlier next year. We know pears don’t ripen at the same times or in the same order but you remember the appearance and get it a week sooner. That magness will taste exceptional. Today I ate an incredible good flavored Seckel which was really wonderful. I wish I took a picture because it was the last and very small so I was slightly ashamed of it. Once I tasted it I was shocked by the spicey and sweet flavor which Seckels don’t always have! Wish I could convey the taste of it better but since you grow harrow sweet you already know what I’m describing. The Seckel and harrow sweet are similar quality.
It’s such an awesome tasting pear. @mamuang
I see Clark’s replying right now.
The guy across the river from me keeps his Magness in cold storage for 3-weeks, minimum. He said he really doesn’t know how long they should be in cold-ripening-storage.
I was blown away with that variety last Fall, Mamuang.
Dax
Dax and @clarkinks,
Like I said I did not picked it. The squirrels knocked one off and ate the other one. Instead of eating Magness, I should learn how to eat squirrels!!!
@Barkslip
Dax,
Magness is a cross of Comice x Seckel and falls into the refrigeration category as it sounds like you are well aware of! @mamuang my magness took the year off and it’s on ohxf333! My backup grafts did not bloom either. @mamuang lol eating squirrel might be smart they are likely very high quality!
What do you DO with them all?
@ltilton
Lois,
I’m still figuring that out! Sell them, can them, freeze them, dry them, trade with them to get other produce with them, eat them etc… I’m glad they are all picked!
These are my harrow sweet!
All the duchess d’ Angoulme are now picked!
Clark,
You picked HS a month ahead of me !!!
@mamuang
Tip,
Yes the Harrow sweet were literally falling off in my hand. Duchess D’ Angoulme should not have ripened until October or November! The drought and heat forced them to ripen very very early! Two good sized Duchess pears this year = 1 pound but on a normal year those pears can be 1 pound or more each! It’s not common but I have personally saw a 2+ pound Duchess D’ Angoulme pear a friend grew. My friend passed away but this picture of him and his pear will live on for a long time!
I originally posted that picture in this thread
These are my Duchess pears on the scale this year 2018
Here’s one of my “I think it’s a Seckel” pear in its bag. Quite hard, altho the ground color seems to be turning from green to yellow.
I have yet to pick these at the right time.
Looks close to me. Let it get softer inside and it should be wonderful. Seckel are really good!
You have time.
Don’t want too much time
You are in zone 5b so you should have roughly 2 weeks to a month left. My pears ripen about 2 weeks to a month early usually. That is not always good either.
I know these don’t look like much but Korean Giant are exceptionally delicious this year! This was a bad drought year and yet the largest was my biggest pear this year at nearly 3/4 of a pound! Only half of these were ripe and the other half needed more time on the tree. These larger pears broke off easily when I tipped them up to check them.
While nice clean fruit is nice I will take taste over looks any day of the week. Those look good would you say there just as juicy this year despite drought? The picture to me anyways looks not as juicy as usual.
@fullplate
They are certainly sweet and juicy but firm like a good Asian pear should be. Probably not as juicy as normal. One of the better pears I have had this year. Highly recommend this pear! Many thanks to @mamuang for giving me my first one while I was waiting for my tree to produce! Feeling very blessed to have such a large bountiful harvest on such a dry year!
Continue to sort the improved kieffer harvest and try to keep up as they finish getting ripe. Been a good year and I’m glad the pears are mostly harvested accept the last couple of Korean Giant. Hoping I can move on to other things now!
Clark,
Finally, I have my own tree-ripened Drippin’s Honey. Unfortunately, we had too much rain this year ( opposite condition to yours).
Drippin’s Honey was not as sweet as Shinseiki. This year, I would rank Shinseiki ahead of DH. Most of my 20th Century got eaten by squirrels or some nocturnal animals everyday. I let them because I want them to leave my KG alone, Have not picked Hosui or Kosui yet. Squirrels picked a few of them already,
Drippin’ Honey is the green one. 20th Century, Nijiseiki is the pale yellow one.
A friend grew some chojuro that were incredible here! I should have posted pictures because they had a very nice flavor!
I grafted so many varieties on my A pear trees. I can’t remember them all!!! I also have a bunch of Euro pears on my A pear trees.
I saw a E pear on a KG while I was thinning the fruit. Unfortunately, I could not find a tag.
It is an unusual sight of an E pear hanging on the tree among KG.