Can’t wait to see pictures of the fruit! You likely already know I enjoy growing pears a lot. When you get ready to expand your pear orchard there are several other good ones. I think your wise to grow those resistant to Fireblight like what you did. Those will be heavy producers!
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That old fashioned kieffer from this post is most likely a Canadian pear that had been mislabeled by the Arbor day society or it was used as a rootstock for the old fashioned kieffer and their graft failed. The other Kieffer pear in this post is most likely an improved kieffer based on photos but its a little early on ripening times. What about the red blushing bartlett in the photos above? Well who knows it ripens pretty early for a bartlett. The biggest problem is most growers don’t grow pears to fruit like I do so you never really know what your going to get.
Just wondering when these are considered ripe? Fruitlets set late March. Aren’t these supposed to be Fall pears?
I’m not expecting them to be ready yet but they are changing color…
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When they start changing color it won’t be long before they are ready. Typically they start ripening about two to three weeks after my Orient in my location. This morning I picked about half of my Orient pears and the Kieffer’s are starting to change color but not as much as yours. I’m just guessing but I think they are getting close to ripening. If you have a few to test you might try what I did the first season and test one every few days. I love the taste of Kieffier and Orient but I never hear many people agree with my assessment.
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Are those Kieffer? They look like Orient to me. If it is Kieffer I would let them hang awhile. I would start picking them until September and I would let some hang longer than that. Orient should be ripe now through early August.
Drew
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I have had a Kieffer or two that were good after a long stint on the tree. I never did the whole wrap em in paper thing and store them though so maybe I was missing out. I liked to eat an Orient or two before my other pears ripened then I didn’t care for them much eaten fresh. Made good pear butter though! They just never compared at least to me to Moonglow or even Leconte. I did like Garber pear for something different and nooo one ever talks about that one.
Drew
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We had hard pears when I was young and we did wrap some of them and they did get soft. I actually prefer them still hard. I’ve got a small lower limb that has four on it that I have tied up and supported. I’ll have to try one of them first … I’ll just keep watching for a bit. This is the first fruit for this tree.
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Katy,
Improved kieffer will be ripe soon. The pears in your picture appear to be close so I would keep a close eye on them and tilt the stem up daily. When they break off in your hand when you tilt the stem up they are ready to pick but will need brought inside then to turn yellow before they can be eaten. See this thread that shows improved kieffer ripening in August and your climate is warmer Here comes the 2016 apple and Pear harvest!. A true kieffer ripens as mentioned in September in our climate typically.
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Came across this picture and description of what I assume is the old original Kieffer pear. After seeing it I was reminded of an old pear tree that was loaded with pears that looked just like it and I was told it was a Kieffer. It is also listed as a late ripening pear October. Well the pear I call Kieffer has never got this yellow nor has it ripened that late. I looked back at a previous pear Clark posted and to me they were similar looking. I like my Kieffer but it sure is looking like something else possibly a mutation.
http://www.centuryfarmorchards.com/descripts/osadescriptspears.html
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I had a small harvest of Kieffers on the tree I’m grafting over as a Frankenpear. They just turned yellow in storage, so I canned a few quarts today - the last time I’ll do that.
My hands are no longer up to digging out all those stony cores.
Hoping my new varieties finally fruit next year - it’s been long enough
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I just jarred 9 quarts of Keiffers… yeah removing the seeds was a little pain but they remain crunchy it seems forever in a little sugar syrup.
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I would prefer less crunchy pears
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I used to make pear butter out of mine. I had a full size tree in my yard when I bought the house. Those pears were huge and they were like rocks when they dropped down on me when I was mowing the grass under then when they were ripe, late in the season- about now actually. They made great pear butter. I had at least 6 bushel of pears every year without ever spraying the tree. They were all just about perfect fruit, no diseases or bugs bothering them. Well, except for those large back and white fruit hornets, they loved these pears.
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I have a kieffer my grandmother planted in 1947 that still produces more than the neighborhood can use. It was about 30 ft tall when I took it over and now it is about ten . I’m not climbing higher and if the fruit drops it bruises and doesn’t ripen well. I pick them green and store in an out building until they ripen to a rich yellow. They are not hard at that point. We cook with some, butter some, eat some fresh and juice the rest It is one tree I never have to spray. I don’t think they keep all that well in storage. Once they turn yellow they fall apart rapidly. I remember my grandmother canning them but truthfully, I prefer bartlett out of a can.
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tph1
You’d be surprised how many of those canned ‘Bartlett’ pears are actually Keiffers…
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I agree with Lucky Kiefer are a good canning pear. More times than not those canned pears are kieffer that come from the grocery store. The original kieffer is very good this time of year in late fall. I’m eating a big sack of them a friend brought me. Don’t expect them to taste like Harrow sweet or even duchess d’ angoulme. The kieffer lack those complexed type of flavors. Kieffer is a good old fashioned firm pear that grows well here in Kansas.
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Great looking pears. I had a Kieffer pear tree years ago and enjoyed them. I have ordered one for 2018.
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I planted a Kieffer last year and am excited about it. I’ve heard the Chojuro Pear is a pretty good and easy Pear to grow as well. Might have to get that one too.
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Anyone know a reputable mailorder source to buy a Kieffer this fall?
All my usual sources are either out of stock or don’t carry it. Thanks for any ideas.
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Grandpasorchard shows they have them. Also call Boyer Nursery. I am not sure if they ship out in the fall but they have it listed. I hope it helps.
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