I am thinking about planting 2-3 pear trees in my orchard with the intention of blending them in my apple cider. I am also planning to make straight pear cider.
I am talking about fresh pear cider and blends here and not hard cider or perry.
Are there any varieties that have been traditionally used for this? Any google searches only result in information about perry pears
Thanks
I’m not sure if you have juiced a pear yet but they put your juicer to the test. They are much thicker than apples and the resulting liquid is more of a slurry than juice. When making pear nectar some water is added for that reason. I’ve made lots of apple cider that I cut with pear juice by 20%. The thing is I have a lot more pears than apples and pears are typically sweeter. The resulting juice is excellent. Any pear will work good for this but the dripping juicy pears work the best. Drippin honey is an Asian pear that as the name implies literally drips while you eat it. People would consider it nearly criminal to use it in cider but it would work well. My advise is use your pears that literally drip juice that grow in excess. The juicy pears won’t gum up the juicer as bad. There are many juicy pears such as Kieffer, clapps favorite, nova etc. and you can read about a few of those descriptions here http://www.maplevalleyorchards.com/Pages/Pear_Tree_Descriptions.aspx?page= and here http://www.cumminsnursery.com/pear.htm and here https://www.rollingrivernursery.com/products/34/fruit-trees/pears-european-pyrus-communis and here http://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees.htm?cat=Pears.
Thanks for that information. I guess I should have included a little more info about what I plan to do. 1st I will be using a cider press so I think the problems associated with juicing them will be OK, although I am glad to hear further advise.
Also, I am in SE Michigan zone 6A
Thanks
You can grow most pears in that zone. Ideal climate and perfect soil for pears there. Same advise applies a cider press is less efficient but much faster than a juicer. Your idea should work great. Pear juice is very thick on it’s own so straining out pulp is something you will need to experiment with. We don’t process ours like that but we do make pear nectar. Something like drippin honey ran through cheese cloth may turn out ok for you through a regular cider press. I would not try it with Bartlett. The pear juice I extracted historically is about 1/3 as thick as applesauce. Its great for blending with apple juice.
I am wondering it the varieties you suggest can be used right off the tree, or if they need ripening off the tree?
Forgive me, I have been growing apples for years, but never grown pears.
Drippin honey can be used right off the tree but it is an Asian pear. Once you taste it not many will make it into cider.