I picked more Shenandoah pears today and this one: Beurre Gris d’Hiver Nouveau
From GRIN, “Originated in Lucon, Vendee, France about 1830. Fruit medium or larger in size, roundish in form but halves unequal. Skin thick, wrinkled, grey-green in color, sometimes blushed. Flesh fairly fine, some grit in the center, buttery and very juicy. Sweet, aromatic, vinous flavor, good to very good in dessert quality. Fairly late keeper. Tree reasonably vigorous, moderate susceptibility to fire blight.”
I grafted this variety on my Honeysweet tree in 2014. It fruited in 2018 and has been through two bad blight years without infection.
I noticed a Beurre Clairgeau and Packham’s Triumph on the ground today so will check those tomorrow. They should be mature. The next 3 of 4 weeks will wind up the picking season. Now I have to find room in the refrigerator for samples of each variety so I can taste them all.
Corvallis has it as Beurre Gris d’Hiver Nouveau as does Joan Morgan in her book.
In the UK many fruit are grown against a south facing wall to increase heat - that is what Hogg mentioned. Morgan says it usually does well at the National Fruit Garden at Brogdale, Kent, UK in their orchard, not requiring a wall.
It, like so many of the mid season and late pears, needs to be picked in late September or October here and will be stored for several months before it will ripen satisfactorily. Morgan says pick mid Oct. and the season is early January. That means we are picking on schedule in late September and I plan to take it out of the refer about Christmas.
Though I wish my late ripening pears would hang on the tree into winter like some of the very late apples, none do so in Sebastopol. I have a couple that last into early November, but no later.
Here are three varieties I picked today. I checked Packham’s Triumph but none came of easily. I’ll give it a few more days. Beurre Clairgeau
Very nice looking pear that always sets a nice crop on the one limb that I have it grafted on. It certainly does not win taste tests but cooks well.
Vickar of Winkfield
Dates from 1760 in France. Very large fruit. It has not had fire blight since grafted in 2012. Always has a good fruit set. Not a very good dessert pear.
From GRIN:
“This is a cullinary pear of reasonable flavor when cooked. Good quality pear has the appearance of clear greenish yellow skin and possesses strong, musky aroma. Vicar of Winkfield is also an excellent keeper and is suited for cooking. Its season ranges from November to January. The trees are healthier and more vigorous than Bosc. Susceptible to fire blight.”
Fondante de Moulins Lille
This is another one limb graft that always has a very good fruit set. It has not had fireblight since grafted in 2014. Maturing on schedule this year.
“Obtained in 1858 by M. Grolez-Duriez, Rouchin-lez-Lille, France, from a seed of Napolean. Propagated in France since 1863. Resembles Buerre d’Anjou in form and appearance but it is a little smaller in size. Flesh white, fine, free of grit, melting, extremely juicy. Very sweet, slightly acidulous, rich venous flavor. Of outstanding dessert quality but may be a little too soft in texture to withstand commercial handling. Midseason. Tree fairly vigorous, annual bearer, good foliage. True-dwarf on quince. Moderately susceptible to blight. - H. Hartman, 1957”
Today I picked an Asian pear that is rather unusual. Jilin
GRIN Narrative:
“Fruit was purchased from a market in Antu, Jilin Province, China by Chad Finn in 1999. Finn described the fruit as “Green, oblong, irregular fruit, unlike any other Asian Pear I have seen in this market.” The seed was donated to NCGR in 1999 and assigned PI number 637991. Seeds were germinated in 2003 and five seedlings were added to the field germplasm collection in 2005. In 2013 all 5 seedling trees produced fruit and the fruit on the different trees ranged from small, almost wild-type P. pyrifolia on one tree, to intermediate between cultivated and wild-type, to this seedling which had very large, green, oblong fruit, free of disease symptoms or blemishes, and late ripening. Fruit was harvested in late October, and stored well for two months in common, refrigerated storage at 4 C. Ripe fruit was sweet, hard-crisp, and juicy and was well-received at fall fruit tasting events in Oregon and Washington in late 2013. The original seedling inventory number was CPYR 2709.001. – J. Postman, 04/2014”
I have a large limb grafted to this variety on my Shinko Asian pear tree. In 2022 I had to remove more that half of the growth due to fire blight. This year it only set 3 fruit and they are very large and a lot different form the previous fruit. Here is a photo from the 2020 harvest.
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.
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.
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.”
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
