this probably has been discussed but i’m trying to narrow down the top 5 that are the best… i understand its subjective.
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My vote would go to Bosc in terms of eating quality. But it has many faults like fire blight, slow to bear, and alternate bearing.
Forelle for eating quality but it to is susceptible to fireblight.
I’ve probably only eaten 7-8 varieties of pears, but Bosc is a consistent favorite of mine.
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You might find helpful the “Curator’s Choice” list from the maintainers of the USDA Pear tree collection
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The best Euro pear I have ever eaten was Abbe Fetel. The second is Anjou.
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I have never tried an Abbe Fetel but Anjou is the sweetest I have found,very melting and juicy also. I like them chilled. When I bite into a perfectly ripe green Anjou it just tastes perfect to me. I have not been able to taste a huge verity of pears but if I find one better than this I will really be hooked. I feel the same way about certain tree ripe peaches.
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I grew Anjou last year and thought they were decent. Maybe I didn’t let them sit in the fridge long enough.
The flesh was a little mealier than I’d prefer.
I bought mine so I have no idea when they were picked. I would let them sit on the counter until just almost ripe , then move them to the fridge to chill. I did eat one that was dry and mealy but it was only like that on one side. The other was sweet and juicy.
The best pear I grow is clapps favorite. Look at it wrong it will get fireblight. Pick it at the wrong time it will be brown in the center. Its easy to graft. Clapps is a melt in your mouth sugary, drippen , sweet buttery pear that tastes like a real pear and not a potato. Drippen Honey is an Asian pear and a little off topic. Its a little better than clapps on some years. They are both very difficult to beat. Drippen honey is more disease resistant.
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Comice has an incredible aroma around Christmas time that makes it a favorite, but it is blight prone.
If I lived in Oregon, my list would include Comice, Bosc, Bartlett, and D’Anjou. But I live in Maryland where the threat of fireblight is very real. The following pears (especially the first three) are absolutely delicious and have proven they are growable at local orchards without inordinate use of pesticides.
- Magness (right up there with the best of pears. eats good Oct thru Nov. Comice and Seckel cross and exhibits the better characteristics of both parents)
- Harvest Queen (really delicious early pear; also among the very best)
- Gorham (excellent pear much like its parent, Bartlett)
- Seckel (good when they size up and get a buttery texture)
- Harrow Delight (the earliest growable pear worth eating, in my experience so far)
I still have an eye out for more delicious disease-resistant pears and will be trialing:
Fondante de Moulins-Lille
Potomac
Tyson
Worden
Winter Nelis
… and maybe Elliot
I’ve only had one pear from my Harrow Sweet and I picked it too early. It was hard as a rock and never softened properly. Hopefully better luck next year.
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Gorham pear was the best I had this past year, great flavor and silky fine texture. Picked around the 1st week of October.
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For growing here in the northeast, Harrow Sweet by several lengths. I’ve grown about 20 varieties here. The difference between a difficult pear and an easy one is huge and there are many ways a pear can be difficult. It can be hard to grow because it’s a sponge for (either or all) fire blight, scab and pear psyla (as is Bosc), it can be unreliable at cropping or it can be difficult to time when to harvest.
Harrow Sweet is the only real high quality pear I’ve grown that passes on all counts. It has a long window to harvest because it doesn’t get grainy when it completely ripens on the tree- it just can’t be stored long when it is. Also, I’m not the least bit interested in summer pears because their is just too much luscious stone fruit at that time and HS doesn’t ripen till the end of Sept. here. Then it can be taken out of the fridge through Dec.
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Matt,
Many people say Ayers belongs in your top 5 as well for disease resistance and quality. Potomac is another that they say has both. I’ve heard excellent things about every pear on your list.
My 5 year old daughter has just this year come to love the taste of euro pears. In fact, she seems quite addicted to them. Every day it’s daddy, did you bring any pears home? I only have 2 varieties in my mini orchard, none of which are producing yet. (Anjou and seckel). I’ve been purchasing red/green anjou and Bosc at the local market and they have been quite good for store bought pears. I’ve got more Asians growing that Euros but I might have to think about adding a few euro varieties that are preferably disease resistance. I think Comice, Potomac, or maybe moonglow. If anyone has a couple twigs of scionwood for a good mid-atlantic euro pear I’ve be happy to purchase some. Don’t really have much to trade as this point.
Purely for eating qualities alone? Comice…all day long. Forelle is very good, but not so much better than many others…it is the prettiest though.
I realize though that there are so many I’ve never had, like the Belle Lucrative that Matt noted the other day. The very best pears I’ve ever had though were Bartletts in what was probably a superb season for them.
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Unfortunately for us speed, Comice is a total no-go, if it wasn’t I’d be growing them.
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Are they disease prone in our area? I see them listed as zones 5-9.
Mega disease prone. The outlook for them in our area is just far too bleak to make them a reasonable consideration imo.
I’m looking for something easy that eats as good, but was rejected from the commercial industry for one reason or another…size, attractiveness (or lack thereof), uniformity etc.
Matt mentioned Belle Lucrative and it’s description and heavy planting in home orchards years ago seems to indicate it may be a contender.