Here are photos of several of my Asian pears picked on October 1, 2023.
I have two Asian pear trees. One is primarily Shinko with one limb grafted to the Jilin pear. The other is a multigrafted Pyrus betulifolia rootstock that regrew after fireblight killed the Asian pears grafted on it.
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Shin Li was one of my first Asian pears. I was inspired by the large boxes I’d buy in Chinatown grown in California. They keep all the way until spring in the fridge.
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Also picked on 10/1/2023:
Leopardo Morettini
Here is the note from Joseph Postman’s Curator’s Choice selections.
“Flavor is an important characteristic of any pear released in Italy, and this is no exception. Originated in Florence, by Alessandro Morettini. Released in 1967. Coscia x Decana d’Inverno (Doyenne d’Hiver).
Fruit: medium size, interesting net-like russet, fine, buttery texture, flavor similar to Beurré Superfin.”
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Love seeing the lovely ripe fruit and the great photo composition.
I a few years I’m hoping to do the same photo wise.
Still alive on 2 trees:
Korean Giant
Shinseiki
Raja
Hosui
20th Century
Yakumo
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Shen Li has been very productive.
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Today, 10/3/2023 I found the remaining Elliot pear on the ground. It was still attached yesterday. I had picked the others earlier and they are still refrigerated. I’m anxious to give it a good taste test this year.
Here is a link to GRIN narrative click on Passport:
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1578791
There is a Elliot thread here:
The original release note mentioned 50% russeted. As you can see it is close to 100%.
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Of the euro varieties you are growing what all does not need any refrigeration to ripen? Trying to make a list of those varieties, but so far it’s a short list.
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How do you like the flavor/texture of Raja? It’s the only Asian pear I grow that I don’t really enjoy eating. The texture is like wet cardboard and it’s watery and sour for me, but I have it growing near a wet area, so I’m wondering if the soil conditions are working against it.
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I’d like to hear the answer to this question as well.
I grafted a branch of Raja this spring. If it isn’t a winner taste-wise, I’ll limit it’s growth and use it to improve pollination for the others on the tree.
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Magness and Seckel from my 3rd leaf trees. Picked Sep 12, refrigerated for 2 weeks, and ripened on the counter for 1 week. 17.5 and 15.5 brix respectively, the Seckel could have stayed on the tree for another week. Both tasted great, but Seckel could have been better.
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That particular variety was grown by one of the CRFG chapter members who is also growing many pear varieties. He brought that to me as I was hosting a pear talk and tasting Sunday. That is the only photo of a pear I did not grow.
I think it is very good and tastes similar to Hosui. Texture is typical Asian - crunchy, juicy and sweet.
One variety that is thought to be very good in the Houston area is Tennosui. Several good growers in my area have fruited it for several years - it grows and fruits well but is inedible here. Climate and growing conditions are very critical for some varieties.
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I’m trying too. Of course, all of the early maturing varieties will ripen without refrigeration. Starting with Warren/Magness - they ripen without cooling but most agree they taste better if refrigerated for a week or more. Onward ripens ok but it gets core breakdown very easily.
Here is a list of which ones ripened without cooling for me this year starting with Bartlett season:
Rousselet of Stuttgart x Dr. Jules Guyot Hybrid V - ate firm
Beierschmitt
Orcas
Harrow Sweet
Potomac - Release notes state it does not need refrigeration
Gorham - refrigerated ones were a little better
Jana’s Pear (probably Warren)
Magness
Warren
Seckel
Duchesse Bronzee - not ripe yet
Duchesse d’ Angouleme - not ripe yet
Of course, many will soften without refrigeration but probaqbly will not be very good quality. I know people who do not refrigerate Comice and think they are good but probably don’t really enjoy the buttery texture of a perfectly ripened Comice (or Magness/Warren) pear. In the past, Doyenne Gris has ripened without refrigeration. I have not picked it yet. I have a small graft with a few fruit. My big tree was destroyed by fire blight last year.
I’m going to keep a few of the pears I picked recently as well as some of the later pears out to see if they will ripen. Actually, yesterday I picked a Belle Picard - a very late winter pear - and it tasted quite good and crunchy. It was better than what I remember about the “southern pears” I grew in MS. It’s about time to pick Belle and put it in a cool spot until Jan or Feb.
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Picked my superfin 9-8 and duchess d’anglome on 9-12. Took 3 each out six days ago. My first superfin was nice but had big spots of grit throughout I put that down to immature tree. Put me off. Second one was to ripe waited till skin was a nice yellow like a Bartlett. Had core breakdown. Third one was fabulous! No grit juicy and taste was awesome. Took some more out of fridge. Duchess first two was not anything to write home about third one was great and juicy. My Bosc were great as usual.
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Superfin is a tricky one. I don’t think I have mentioned this here. I fruited Beurre Superfin for about 12 years. Only one year was I realy successful picking and ripening it perfectly. That year it was the best pear at our annual apple/pear tasting. It can be outstanding. My tree became diseased and it took it out in 2021. I have grafted a limb on one of my topworked trees.
Duchesse d’ Angouleme will ripen without refrigeration and I’m going to do a taste comparison with the refrigerated ones. I never evaluated it before as one of my helpers always took the entire crop as payment for picking my huge multigrafted tree. It was his favorite. He never refrigerated it.
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Good job fruiting Magness in 3 years. What is the rootstock?
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Magness is on Quince, Seckel is on OhxF87. Each had a handful of flower clusters. I hand pollinated the earlier blooming ones with Bradford pears, but we had a rainy week that washed away all the Bradford pollens and could not pollinate the clusters that bloomed later. I ended up with 2 pears on each tree, after I thinned each cluster to a single fruit.
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I picked two varieties on October 3, 2023
Beurre Madame Henre Lamy
This is all I know - from GRIN
“Fruit the size of Clairgeau’s with the flavor of Marillat. Ripens late September and October”
My first fruit on this young tree. Beautiful. I’ll refrigerate it awhile and then taste.
Packham’s Triumph
Excerpts form GRIN: Originated in Molong, New South Wales, Australia, by Charles Henry Packham (1832-1909) Uvedale St. Germain x Williams Bon Chretien (Bartlett). Fruit: large; usually obtuse pyriform; surface slightly uneven; skin thin, lemon-yellow when ripe; flesh texture very fine, very juicy, melting, flavor particularly rich and pleasing; one of best varieties for cool storage, keeping 4 to 5 months in fine condition. Matures about 30 days after Bartlett. Good, consistent bearer; highly susceptible to fire blight; susceptible to stony-pit virus.
I grafted it on an Orcas tree in 2013. It has never had fireblight. I’m leaving a few on the shelf to see it they ripen to a good quality.
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Seckel is a good polinator for Magness/Warren. Next year hand polliante the Magness with Seckel and see how that works.
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Thanks for the confirmation of my choice of pollination partners. I originally thought that Seckel would be a good pollinator for both my Magness and my Warren, but later on I think I heard that Seckel is not a very good pollinator, so was contemplating adding another pear variety. I grafted Dana Hovey to my Seckel this year, and I hope it helps too. The question is: will I need another variety to pollinate the Seckel?
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I had a similar problem in a very different climate. It was super productive but it seems like I either picked them too early (didn’t ever ripen well) or too late (mealy). I got a few excellent ones over the years but at some point gave up and top worked it.
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