Many cultivars of European Pear thrive in our region. They can be harvested from July through November. Two varieties are needed for pollination. Trees are upright and can be maintained at 12-15 feet tall on semi-dwarfing rootstocks. Pear trees can live for more than 200 years.
We have more than 25 varieties of European Pears in our fruit garden. Most of our pear trees are on semi dwarfing OHxF rootstocks. They require two varieties that bloom at the same time for pollination. They are great eaten fresh, dried or used in cooking. We . also have varieties that make “perry” which is pear cider.
We have a collection of pears that includes the earliest pears that are ripe in July and August. These early varieties can be picked from the tree and immediately eaten. We also have “keeper” varieties that are picked while still hard in October and November and they can be stored for a long time and eaten in the winter and spring.
When to harvest a pear
To know when to pick pears, cup your hand under the fruit and lift up. If it breaks off from the stem it is ready to pick even if it is still hard. Early season pears can be picked and eaten off the tree or kept for a few days on the kitchen counter as they soften and are ready to eat. Pears are the most difficult fruit to ripen correctly and can easily get over ripe and rotting inside while they look fine on the outside. This is because pears ripen from the inside out. Late season pears are generally good keepers. They are picked in October and November while they are still hard and can be kept for months in a root cellar or other cool dry area and then ripened on the counter in the spring.
The more exact way to determine when to harvest each variety of pear is to use a pressure tester. The book Temperate Zone Pomology has a chart of the correct pressure to harvest each commercial variety of pear and it will explain how to correctly use the pressure tester. Experimentation will be needed to determine the correct pressure for other varieties. Once the pear reaches the correct pressure it is picked and kept refrigerated for a given number of weeks, before it is taken out and ripened for a few days on the counter. When the surface just starts to soften, it should be eaten. While many of our European Pears are located near our European Pear station sign, some are located in the eastern part of the garden. The description of each variety indicates where in the garden you will find each tree.
Click Here for a more detailed history of pears
Location of each of our pears with descriptions of each cultivar.
