Medieval Fruit Varieties
Variety: Red Pear (1500)
Photo - USDA National Germplasm Repository
Available from:
Cummins Nursery
Notes:
A mid season perry pear with low acids and tannins. Origin: A very old English cultivar, grown in the West Midlands, particularly Herfordshire, since before 1600. Fruit: Small, globular to turbinate, 39-49 mm. long, 42-51 mm. diam.; stem short and stout, 14-19 mm., often swollen where attached to the fruit; small, narrow stem basin; slight calyx basin. Skin greenish-yellow, almost completely covered with red; slight russet at stem and calyx ends; lenticels numerous, large. Flesh yellow, firm, dry, with a small number of prominent stone cells around core. Ripens mid October in England s West Midlands, mid September in western Oregon. Tree: Mature tree is medium size, with few main leaders and wide crotch angles; very adaptable, growing well in diverse locations; very precocious, heavy producer but tends toward biennial bearing; late flowering; some fruit scab. Perry: Fruit milled up to 3 weeks after harvest; juice acidity 0.29, tannins 0.09, specific gravity 1.055; produces a low acid, low tannin vintage of average quality. - Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties