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European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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Posted by
fruitmaven.WIz5 5 (
My Page) on
Mon, Sep 10, 12 at 19:32
| I planted many fruit trees and bushes this spring, and discovered this fall that my husband loves canned pears. "You planted a pear tree, right?" No, in fact, I did not plant a European pear tree. We were lucky enough to get some unknown variety of pears from a friend's 20' high, 30 year old tree. They were ok for this year. But as I'm planning ahead for spring, I'd like advice on people's favorite varieties, especially if you like to can the pears. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| Fruitmaven: I had 3 pear trees here in SE WI. One died (Honeysweet) this year. My bartlett is great for canning. Decent sized fruit and good flavor. This year no fruit due to frost (sad as now I will have to buy Del Monte canned pears). Pears do need cross pollination so you will need another variety too. Bartlett is fine here in SE WI but I will not
suggest it for the northern 2/3 of the state due to winter
temperatures. I have canned lots of different pears over the years (some free from whomever had a good crop). I like them all when canned. I think the big issue is to avoid small fruiting pears (seckel, honeysweet ect) as it would take more time peeling
and coring small fruit. Average sized pear varieties will
be faster to prepare for canning. My pollinator for my bartlett is an extremely awful red skinned pear. It works as a pollinator tree but the fruits
are terrible despite their extreme beauty. It was there when I took the orchard over so not sure what variety it is. When I leave it too long on the tree, the fruit is rotten around the core. If I pick it when a firm-ripe stage and refrigerate it, the fruit ripens well but is
juicy and flavorless. At least the pigs enjoy eating them so they are not wasted. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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We have Bradford pears as our street trees, and I've heard conflicting reports as to whether they'd pollinate European or Asian pear trees. I think it comes down to whether their bloom times overlap. It's impossible to tell without buying the trees and waiting to see when they bloom.
That is a good reminder about the size of the pears, we got tired of peeling the tiny free pears (our friends couldn't thin their tree, due to its size, and the drought made the pers rather small as well.). So, canning pears with the skin on works fairly well and still tastes good.
I think my plan is to buy two pear trees in the spring, and take out a crabapple or some arborvitae to make room in my yard! I'm almost certainly going to espalier them.
I'd love to hear other varietal recommendations! |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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We collected #2 bosc pears from the ground and what was left on the trees after the pickers went through. We set aside the really nice ones in the fridge, set out to ripen the small ones and made pear sauce out of the rest. We peel them with a potato peeler when ripe but firm and they turned out awesome! No sugar added when sauced, due to the ripeness factor.
I'd recommend Bosc if it wasn't so disease prone.
There are some that don't can well, but my experience is limited to bosc's and bartlets.
My 2 children, 9 and 6 can polish off a quart in one sitting! |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| I've heard that Kieffer is good for canning, since it's so firm. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| It's about the only thing Kieffer is good for. But even canned, it's still gritty. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| We had many wonderful canned pears from a tree of unknown variety at our former residence in Oshkosh, WI, so I planted a couple pear trees here at our present home in Hudson, WI, in 2006. One tree died, so I also planted a Luscious, Summersweet, and Flemish Beauty in 2008. Finally this year my Clapps Favorite Dwarf tree bore three pears, one of which I ate, and the other two the squirrels ate, so don't start smacking your lips too soon for home-grown pears! Your kids may be in college before you see any pears on your trees. I must add that store-bought fresh pears don't even begin to compare to home-grown ones dripping in sweet juice. Northwoodswis |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| Northwoodswis, I always love to read your posts since you've already tried a lot of interesting trees. I went to college in RF, so I know Hudson fairly well. Since my oldest just started kindergarten this year, I hope I'll get a few homegrown pears before he leaves for college! Did you plant dwarf trees, or are they standard size? I was looking at pears on OHxF333 or OHxF97. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| There have, for years(decades?), been rumors that many tons of Keiffer pears have left the country and returned in cans labeled "Bartlett"; Bartlett is presumed to be Keiffer's pollen parent, though I'm not certain anyone has done genetic testing to determine whether or not that is the case. While I'm not canning any, this year's favorite pear is Tsu Li - late ripening, with more of a traditional 'pear' shape than most Asians I've grown - a nice thin yellow peel, good flavor, and crisp, firm, non-gritty white flesh. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| I asked the fruit expert at Jungs (since I live very close to a Jungs store) and they like the Jungs Hardy Wisconsin pear. It's a medium size, but apparently stays firm for canning. They recommended Karl's Favorite or Clapp's Favorite if I wanted a larger pear, though they might be less firm canned. I'm a little surprised they didn't mention the Everbearing Colette. An excerpt from the description is, "No other pear surpasses it for canning.". It ripens over a long period, though, and is Bartlett-sized. Sounds tasty, anyway, "completely free of grit." |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| I've been looking into pears a lot lately and I just had to share...the top rated pears according to the NCGR: |
Here is a link that might be useful: PEAR accessions with code 8 ((1 = POOR, 9 = EXCELLENT)) for QUALITY
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| Being a rookie and of questionable intelligence(when it comes to gardening)...I planted two 3-n-1 pears:Bartlett, Moonglow, Keiffer...(from the local Home Depot)...my thoughts were that I may not pick the correct variety for the best results, but, I would probably be able to get some nice pears from one of the three varieties...my two cents.... |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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| Every good eating pear I know cans well if jarred firm-ripe and I don't think that should be your first consideration. I want a pear that ripens when you have the time and inclination for canning- for me that is later pears like Bosc, Dutchess and Harrow Sweet, all of which are also excellent eating pears that store pretty well. Bosc is a pain at some sites, though, for reasons already mentioned. Easy growing is also important and the first two mentioned are that as are Bartlett, Seckel and Aurora in my Z6 southeastern NY. You should be able to grow these varieties in Z5 so you don't have to stick with hardy varieties. |
RE: European pear tree, favorite for canning?
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Fruitmaven,
My first two pear trees that I planted were dwarves from Jungs. One of them (Colette's Everbearing) died, I think because my spouse got too close to it with brush killer liquid. The surviving Clapp's Favorite seems very tall for a dwarf, about 15 feet tall already, and is just bearing its first three pears this year. Then I read that dwarf trees aren't as drought resistant, so the next three varieties of pears I planted were standard size, since my orchard area is very sandy. I suppose when they ever start bearing I will wonder why I planted so many varieties. I have tried to stagger my harvest times, but one can only eat so many pears.
Northwoodswis |
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