Gloucestershire pears
We grow two main varieties of pear in our Newent orchards, Conference and Comice (or to give the latter its full name Doyenne de Comice), along with some interesting specialist varieties such as Velveteen and Hortensia. Our Gloucestershire pears are picked when they are in the perfect condition: when they are mature and yet not fully ripe.
Conference are picked in early September and need to be kept cold for a couple of weeks for the flavour to develop. They are then sold from the end of September to Christmas. Comice is picked at the end of September, and again after a period of storage, are sold up to Christmas.
| Variety | First discovered or origin | Appearance | Date of harvesting | Best time for eating | Qualities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Doyenne de Comice Pear |
France 1849 |
Large, green with red flush, squat |
End of September |
October to Christmas |
Luscious sweet flesh, best eaten soft and sweet; good for poaching |
Conference Pear |
1885 Hertfordshir |
Green with some russet |
Early September |
October to Christmas |
Flesh creamy, best eaten firm to soft when sweet and juicy |
For more about Newent pears, Ledbury pears, English pears, tree ripe pears, find out
There can be a lot of discussion about how best to enjoy your pears. Some like them firm and crunchy but many like them soft and juicy. Keep some in your refrigerator or a cold place and a few in the fruit bowl. The warmth of the room will start to ripen the fruit. If you press the skin of the fruit with your thumb and you feel a little ‘give’; this is an indication the fruit is ready or near ready. The fruit should then be soft and juicy. Every few days bring more fruit out to start the ripening process so that you have a continuation of fruit ready to eat.
See our recipes page for caramelised pears, an easy but healthy sweet to make.
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