| Atago Unlike some Asian pears that like it hot, light tan Atago develops sweet, juicy flavor even in cooler summer weather. A substantial crop of high quality, delicious fruit ripens late in the season. Atago has been a star in the Mt. Vernon trials. Shows fireblight resistance in some growing areas |
| Chojuro Keeps for up to 20 weeks. A popular variety known for its butterscotch flavor. Green- to yellow-brown russeted skin surrounds crisp, juicy, flavorful white flesh. Similar to grocery store Asian pears, but homegrown tastes so much better! Pick when first yellow-brown in color (ripens after New Century variety). Originates from Japan in 1895. Ripens in late August. Pollinator required: Choose another pear variety, like New Century, Hosui, or Bartlett. |
| Concorde The elegantly shaped Concorde (pronounced KON-kord) is best identified by its exceptionally long neck that tapers to an almost pointed top, with a stem that is also long and oftentimes curved. It has a round bottom, and its yellow-green skin oftentimes features a golden russet on some or all of the pear. Much like the more common Bosc pear, the Concorde has a dense flesh that is sweet and juicy even when it is still firm. It doesn’t have to soften to be sweet! |
| Conference Named for the British National Pear Conference in 1885, Europeans still gather to praise it. This leading French commercial variety is very juicy, sweet and buttery. It is the most productive pear, hanging from the branch in huge banana-like clusters. Attractive, large yellow fruit matures in October with Highland. It keeps until January or longer. Texture is firm and excellent for canning. |
| Comice Comice (pronounced ko-MEESE) appear in all sizes, but their shape is unique among varieties; having a rotund body with a very short, well-defined neck. They are most often green in color, and sometimes have a red blush covering small to large areas of the skin surface. However, some newer strains are almost entirely red in color. The succulent Comice can grow to be very large, and the jumbo-sized beauties are often the ones that appear in gift boxes. |
| Hamese The first of the season! This refreshingly sweet, crisp Asian pear is one of the first to ripen each summer in mid-August. Crunchy, juicy and delicately flavored, Hamese is a great addition to salads, picnic baskets and lunch boxes – take the taste of summer to work with you. The productive trees give large crops of medium sized, yellow-skinned fruits of superior flavor. Thin fruits carefully to encourage larger fruit development. Needs pollinizer. |
| Highland Highland pear was selected from a progeny of 119 seedlings of a cross of Bartlett x Comice made in 1944 by Dr. George Oberle. The fruit is yellow with a slight russet and has an excellent texture. The flesh is smooth and rich with flavor. Trees are very hardy and productive. Harvest late into fall and ripen off the tree for great flavor enjoyed to early spring. The Highland pear tree name was selected following the tradition of naming pears after a location in New York. Cornell University’s Hudson Valley Lab is located in Highland, NY. |
| Ichiban Nashin The earliest-ripening Asian pear. Medium-sized fruit with a light golden brown russet skin. Crisp, crunchy flesh is sweet with especially fine flavor. Harvest mid to late July in Central CA. Keeps six weeks. Productive, moderately vigorous tree. 400 hours. |
| Mishirasu Enjoy big crops of orange/brown skinned, oval-shaped fruits that look like a chunky European pear. The huge fruit is very crisp and crunchy, with an excellent flavor. One of the latest to ripen here in the PNW. Stores for months in the fridge or cellar. |
| Orcas Horticulturalist Joe Long discovered this tree growing on his property on Orcas Island, WA and it has become a regional favorite. The fruit is large, flavorful, and yellow with a carmine blush when perfectly ripe. The texture is smooth, slick and features very few grit cells. Orcas’ scab resistance is legendary! The tree has a vigorous, spreading habit and bears prolifically every year. The pears are great for canning, drying or eating fresh; they mature in early September. Since the tree is a late bloomer (even though it’s an early ripener), it’s great to match as a pollinizer with a later-ripening keeper variety like Bosc or Seckel. |
| Red Clapps Also known as Kalle Red. Puts on quite a fragrant flower show in the spring. Large, fine-textured crimson skin, with creamy white flesh and ample juice. Excellent for eating out of hand, canning and preserves. Thin the fruit to about five inches apart for optimal results. Tolerates clay soil. Originated as a natural mutation of Clapp’s Favorite. Ripens in late August. |
| Taylor’s Gold Discovered by Michael King-Turner, the Taylor’s Gold made its first appearance in New Zealand in 1986. It is generally believed to be a natural mutation of the Comice pear, though some believe it may have been a cross between the Bosc and the Comice. Whatever the genetic origin, these juicy pears look like what you’d expect of a Bosc-Comice cross. They’re shorter and rounder in shape similar to the Comice, but with beautiful cinnamon russet coloring over their green skin like a Bosc. |
| Shinseiki Shinseiki Asian pear is translated “new century” was developed from two of the best Asian pears of our time in the 1940’s. The Shinseiki Asian pear is round, medium to large, yellow smooth-skinned fruit with little or no russet. Crisp, creamy white flesh; mild, sweet with a hint of spice. The Shinseiki pears taste best when tree ripened. Hangs on the tree in good condition for 4-6 weeks so often requires multiple harvests during the season. Moderate fireblight resistance. |
| Starkrimson Starkrimson (pronounced star-KRIM-son) pears are named for their brilliant crimson red color and feature a thick, stocky stem. The Starkrimson is a mild, sweet pear with a subtle floral aroma. It is very juicy when ripe and has a pleasant, smooth texture, making it perfect for snacking, salads, or any fresh use that shows off the brilliance of its skin. Just like Red Anjou and Red Bartlett, Starkrimson pears are often simply labeled as Red Pears in the grocery store. |
| Suij Pronounced “Sigh”, this is a pear that you pick while its 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 60 years. Suij is one of the best of this type. It makes a delicious and beautiful pink pear sauce. It is a cross of Comice and the winter keeper St. Remi, and both blooms and ripens late. |
