Pound
One of the largest winter storage pears, each fruit weighing a pound or sometimes two.
Pound was a favorite for hundreds of years in America, England and France – where it is
called Belle Angevine. Pound possibly dates back to Roman times. We got our start from
a National Park orchard Sam Benowitz, while at Raintree Nursery helped to restore on
San Juan Island, WA, near English Camp, that was originally planted in 1870. The original pear trees are still thriving there. The green pear has firm flesh that turns yellow and is delicious when stored and cooked in the winter. Historically it was sometimes baked whole, wrapped in pastry crust. Reliably productive, it is a mid-season bloomer. Pick it while it is hard in late October or November. It is very late to mature, and never fully softens – a classic keeper cooking pear.
Suij
Pronounced “Sigh”, this is a pear that you pick while it’s rock hard in October or November and store it in a root cellar and eat fresh through March. This type of pear was popular for hundreds of years in Europe where people used it as a staple food through the winter but has gone out of fashion in the last 80 years. Suij is one of the best of this type. It makes a delicious and beautiful pink pear sauce. It is a cross of Comiceand the winter keeper St. Remy, and it both blooms and ripens late. We got it from the Bullock family who got it from Ed Suij on Orcas Island. An old Dutch variety that keeps until May. We got it from Ed Suij of Orcas Island.
Saint Remy
An old Belgian variety producing medium size winter keeper pears. They turn yellow
with russetting. They are sweet and juicy and are prized for storing and cooking.
Johantorp
A large, very late ripening and cold hardy pear widely grown in Sweden for winter storage. The Johantorp pear will hang on the tree late into the winter. In a mild winter we can enjoy them directly off the tree in late December.
