Which variety of pear tree to choose for pears ?

Pear trees bring a decorative touch to the orchard in the spring because of their abundant flowering. Their large bouquets of white flowers are a real delight and the promise of beautiful harvests spread out, from July until the heart of winter depending on the varieties grown. Between pears for the mouth to be tasted as is, those which excel in cooking and pears to be fermented allowing the production of Poiré or even an eau-de-vie, there are more than two thousand varieties. This means that the choice is vast. Here is a selection of pear trees that deserve their place in the garden and some details to know about their pears before making your choice.

Varieties of pears excellent for growing in the garden

Here is a small panel of varieties of pear trees whose pears have all the qualities to satisfy the most demanding palates of young and old. These young pear trees with bare roots or in containers for planting can be found without any difficulty.





















Variety

Fruit

Chair

Utilisation

Maturity
Harvest

Conservation

Cocomerina

Round / green

Blood pear, red flesh, juicy, very tasty

Jam, Compote,

in the oven,

September October

2 to 3 weeks maximum

Conference

Lying / yellow green

Juicy, moderately tart, sweet

Crue,

Cooked

Early September

4 to 5 months

Deanery of Comice

Large to very large / Greenish yellow, red patches in full sun

Melting, great finesse, melting, juicy, very sweet

Crue

Mi-septembre

4 to 5 months

Packham’s Triumph

Yellow with scorches

Fine, melting, reasonably sweet

October November

4 to 5 months

Dr Jules Guyot

Lemon yellow and green, slightly pink

Fine, juicy, sweet

Crue

July / August (early variety)

1 to 2 months

Louise Bonne d’Avranches (good fertility)

Brilliant light green washed with carmine, fading to yellow

Fragrant, juicy, sweet (becomes overripe at the end of the ripening period)

Crue

Cooked

September October

3 to 4 months (if picked very ripe)

General Leclerc

Trapus, roux bronze,

Juicy, fragrant, very pleasant in the mouth

Crue

October November

3 to 4 months

Duke of Bordeaux

Yellow, blushes with insolation

White, fine, melting, fragrant, sweet

Crue

Cooked

End of October

3 to 4 months

Good Christian Williams

Large fruit, golden yellow with red spots

Fine, melting, juicy, sweet, deliciously musky flavor

Crue

August September

3 months

Max red Bartlett (ou Williams Rouge)

Dark red

Melting, ultra fragrant, less musky but juicier and sweeter than the Williams from which it is a mutation

Crue

Mid August

3 to 4 months

Jeanne D’Arc

Light yellow, pink in insolation

White with a beautiful finesse, juicy, sweet, slightly acidulous, very fragrant

Crue

Cooked

November

1 to 2 months

Countess of Paris

Smooth, greenish yellow with brown dots

Juicy, very sweet, strong taste

Crue

Cooked

Until November

3 to 4 months

Alexandrine Douillard

Ribbed, elongated, yellow speckled with red

White, fine, melting, juicy, sweet, buttery flavor

Crue

Cooked

Mid-September / October

Very short, 10 to 15 days (becomes pasty)

Angelys

Brown, rough, thick skin

Fine, melting, very juicy, well-balanced flavor,

Crue

End of September / October

2 to 3 weeks

Buttered Hardy

Greenish yellow washed with fawn

Fondant, excellent taste quality

Crue

Cooked (sweet/salty)

October

1 month

Lady Thigh

Elongated shape / Yellow speckled with russet and washed with carmine

Slight astringency if insufficiently ripe/melting, juicy, sweet

To be eaten very ripe

July (early variety)

2 to 3 months (until October)

Passe-Crassane

Coppery green to mottled golden yellow

White, fine, very slightly grainy, melting, sweet, fragrant

Crue

September to March

3 months

The pear is a thirst quencher that we like to taste whatever the season. Rich in water, it has, among other things, a good vitamin C content. Note that the Williams pear tree (Bon Chrétien Williams) is the most cultivated. But the others produce pears that deserve a place of choice in the orchard.

You should also know that all pears, even those which are reputed to be delicious in fruit with a knife or in juice, can of course be cooked. They can therefore also be eaten cooked in different ways, to accompany savory dishes, but also in cakes, tarts, compotes, mousses, sorbets and others, thus satisfying all tastes. They can finally be distilled, but the result obtained, however delicious it may be, must be consumed in moderation…

Tips for Choosing Which Pear Trees to Grow

We choose a pear tree taking into account the specificities of its fruits, that is to say their taste quality and the particularity of their flesh which can be more or less melting or juicy, with a musky flavor or not, little or very sweet… But to hope for good harvests, at least two pear trees close to each other are necessary since the setting of fruit imposes a cross pollination between compatible pear trees. This is therefore a crucial point to consider when buying this type of fruit tree from a producer or garden centre. But there is not too much to worry about: many combinations are possible and allow qualitative pollination of pear trees. However, it is always useful to inquire with an adviser generally available to customers, regardless of the point of sale.

Store your pears in good conditions

Early varieties wilt quickly, so it is recommended to pick them before they are full. maturity. But whatever the variety grown, early or winter, it is very important to eat pears that have fallen from the tree very quickly because they spoil very quickly. They should therefore not be mixed with those intended for conservation en cave.

Guard pears must be stored in a dark, well-ventilated, non-humid and clean room. The same principle is applied as for apples: the fruits are placed delicately in wooden crates or shelves, in one layer, and care is taken that the pears do not touch each other. In this way, they can be stored without problem (for a few weeks or several months depending on the variety) and allow a consumption as needed of the family.

Finally, to avoid the risk of losing your stock of pears, every week or even more frequently it is very important check the condition of pears stored for long-term storage. Fruits that begin to spoil must be removed so that the others are preserved.

Leave a Comment