Bartlett Pear, Pyrus communis
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| Bartlett Pear, Pyrus communis; Hybrid Of Japanese Sand Pear And European Pear |
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| Fifty Year Old Pear Tree At Manistee Ranch Pyrus communis, Still Producing! | Bartlett Pear Largest Seller In USA Hybrid Of Pyrus communis And Pyrus serotina |
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Bartlett Pear
Cultivated for nearly four thousand years, pears have been known to man since ancient times. They originated in Asia and spread throughout Europe during the Roman Empire. Until the sixteenth century pears were tough and always eaten cooked, but in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, gardeners for European noblemen began to crossbreed varieties, competing with each other to get a pear with a soft, buttery flesh. Most of the pears we know today are derived from those cultivars. The famed Bartlett pear originated in Berkshire, England in the late 17th century, by a schoolmaster named John Stair. Stair sold a few of his pear tree cuttings to a Mr. Williams, who further refined it and renamed it after himself. The "Williams" pear, which is still used to make the legendary pear brandy "Poire William", crossed the Atlantic with the Quakers who adapted it to the table. The pleasing Quaker pear found fame and fortune in 1812, through the good offices of nurseryman Enoch Bartlett, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, who unaware of its true name, distributed it under his own name. Ever since, the pear has been known as the Bartlett- at least on this side of the Atlantic. The "Bartlett" went West next, in the covered wagons of the settlers and prospectors headed for the California Gold Rush. Thus, at the turn of the 20th century, it finally found the ideal climate in which to flourish. Bartlett and Red Bartlett: A bell-shaped pear known as Williams in Europe, the Bartlett is probably the most familiar pear to Americans. It has long been prized for canning. Regular Bartletts turn from green to yellow, with a pink blush. The Red Bartlett is a hardier variety that has a bright crimson skin. An unripe Red Bartlett is actually a darker red than a ripe one: as it ripens, it turns from a darker to a lighter, brighter red. The flesh of both is white
Bartlett pear trees are in production for an average of 50 to 75 years, although some trees still produce fruit after 100 years A Bartlett pear is best when picked with the internal pressure of the pear is between 18 psi.and 16 psi. When picked, the fruit is still green and relatively hard. A Bartlett pear ripens from the time picked in about 7 to 10 days when placed in a dry, shady area. As the pear ripens it will slowly turn to a soft yellow and yield to gentle pressure. Pears are normally picked green and shipped to the stores.
Height: 15-20ft with slightly less spread. |