Cooking For Engineers

[pear preserve lover]

Rachel1919,

After much research I have decided that my grandfather's pear tree probably was a Kieffer Pear tree. I emailed some pear growers from Louisiana and also found an article from LSU about pears that grow in Louisiana. From that I narrowed it down to three possibilities - Kieffer, Pineapple, or Orient. One of the growers I wrote told me that the Kieffer was the most common pear tree planted in the south. My husband remembers his grandfather having a pear tree in southern Georgia that sounds exactly the same. So my best guess is Kieffer. Maybe that is what yours are too. I am in SC now, but I am planning on ordering a Kieffer for my yard. Thanks for responding,

Shannon

[Hawaii girl]

The Harry and David's pears are, I agree, the most delicious and so juicy that they're best eaten over the kitchen sink so all the juice can just drip off your chin, like eating tree ripened mangoes in peak season. They're marketed under a different name, I think Royal Riviera or something like that, but are actually just superb Comice pears. I usually get some for the Holidays and go wild

Hawaii girl

[guest]

Looks to me like "korian Giant" also known as Olympic
I grow these. very good taste

[darly]

I have a large tree with what looks and tastes like pears. The pears are extremely small ( about an inch in diameter), sweet and resemble Bosc in color. I do not see any pictures that resemble them in size but they are the color of the Bosc pear and same shape. I used the "shaking" method to harvest and they taste so sweet. Have you heard of this variety and can you make preserves with them. I took one to the local co-op but they were no help so any information would help

[TriciaOK]

The small sweet pears are probably Seckle pears (also called "sugar pears" because of their sweetness). If you prune the tree the pears might grow a bit bigger, but they are typically pretty small.

[Jasminen]

Okay so I just ate a Chinese pear for the first time and immediately there was a familiar taste...I was trying to figure out what it was and finally I realized it tastes like egg-nog! Is there something used in egg-nog that comes from this pear? I'm really curious to know.

[TJCal]

In regards to Rachel 1919 photos they look like one of my varieties which are called the Cajun Pineapple Pear but bears a striking resemblance to Orient Pear. I have their pictures on my pear bulletin Board. Scroll all the way down to the end of the page to see the Cajun Pineapple.
T. J. Cal

http://www.tandeecal.com/page10.htm