North Star Orchard

Asian Pears and Pears

We currently grow 7 varieties of Asian pears and more than 20 varieties of European pears. The following alphabetized list includes details of those varieties that have borne fruit. Those without information are young trees, and we will update this list with information as it becomes available. Please note that many of our fruit varieties are grown in very limited quantities, and may not be available at all farmer's market or CSA pickup locations.

Please refrigerate our Asian pears, as they are ready-to-eat. Some varieties will keep up to 2 months in the refrigerator, but will lose quality if they are left at room temperature. Larger pears may be cut in half, and the unused portion wrapped in plastic wrap for later use - they will not brown like most cut apples or peaches!

Asian pears may be eaten peeled or unpeeled, and are a great addition to salads. They can be used in cooking in any way you would use apples or pears. Over the years, our customers have made them into pies, tarts, 'baked apples', poached pears, and more.

Asian pears tend to be more expensive than regular European pears because they are much more difficult to grow, requiring a lot more hand-labor and suffering from more horticultural issues (early bloom time, fireblight, etc.). The video here shows one of the most labor-intensive parts of growing high-quality Asian pears: fruit thinning.

European pears should be kept at room temperature until desired softness is achieved, which takes anywhere from 1 day to a week. Test ripeness daily by trying to slightly indent the fruit near the stem end with gentle pressure from your thumb. Feel for a bit of 'give'. To stagger ripening, so you don't have a bunch of pears ripening all at once, keep some pears refrigerated while others are on the counter ripening. When fully ripened, use the fruit promptly or refrigerate for a day or two. Refrigerating for longer than that tends to turn a fully ripened pear 'grainy'.

Asian Pears

Atago: Very large, reddish in color. Mildly sweet and crispy, with hints of walnut. Japanese variety. Late October.

Hosui: Medium sized, firm, sweet, melt in your mouth texture. These have quite a thin skin which is not bitter, unlike some other varieties, so you can just crunch right into them. Do have a napkin handy, however, and we recommend you do not drive while eating one of these. They are indeed super-juicy! Japanese variety. Late August.

Ichiban: Medium sized, rich flavor. Sweet, with hints of butterscotch or caramel, perhaps? Early August.

Niitaka: Super-large, sweet and juicy. Has a mild, somewhat nutty flavor and a pleasant crunch, which make them a great counterpoint to serve with curry or other spicy dishes, or on salads containing strongly-flavored greens or cheeses. They also stand up well to cooking. Both the texture and flavor are somewhat in-between that of Hosui and Olympic. If you get a super-sized pear, just use it over the course of a few meals or a couple of days; cut off what you will use and save the rest in the ‘fridge.Japanese variety. Stores nicely in the refrigerator until Christmas or a bit later. Late October.

Olympic: Often quite large with greenish skin. They are super-crisp, more in line with the crunch of an apple. Sugar-cube sweet through most of the flesh, with a somewhat tart bite towards the core. I like to cut them into large slices, so as to enjoy all the flavors and textures at once (plus they tend to be hard to take a bite out of because they are usually so big!). They are great to serve with meals or salads, especially because of that crunch, and are firm enough to stand up to cooking, such as in pies. Sometimes Olympic develop some discoloration in the center of the fruit, but this usually just indicates a particularly ripe and sweet individual, and is ok to eat. Some people find the skin too tough, but I love it, so try it peeled or unpeeled and decide for yourself. Remember, Asian pears don’t really turn brown when you cut them, so if you have a large pear, use part of it and store the rest in the ‘fridge for the next day. Korean variety. Early October.

Shinsui: Small, crisp, and super-sweet. Prepare yourself for a sugar rush! Japanese variety. Early August.

Yoinashi: Medium sized, crisp and sweet with hints of butterscotch. I prefer to eat these peeled, as I find the skin a bit bitter, but some folks like the skin, so experiment! Japanese variety; the name “Yoinashi” translated into English is along the lines of “Good Pear”. Mid-September.

European Pears

Ambrosia

Atlantic Queen

Aurora

Bella de Guigno

Blake's Pride: Sweet, with nice texture. Early September.

Crisp N' Sweet

Delight (Harrow Delight): Small fruit with luscious sweet flavor. An incomparable early pear! Only a few days on the counter, and they'll be melt-in-your-mouth soft and juicy, with a smooth buttery texture. Check for a bit of give up at the stem end to determine ripeness. Late July.

Delicious: Flavor similar to Bartlett, but not grainy at all. Early September.

Harrow Sweet: Very sweet, and very late...the last pears of the year.

Harvest Queen: very similar to Bartlett, but slightly smaller fruit.

Highland

Honeysweet

Magness: A cross of Seckel and Comice, combining the best of both parents. When fully ripened, this is one of the best flavored European pears. Generally, several days to almost a week on the counter are required for the proper softness to be attained (when you can dent the top with your thumb), so have patience, young Jedi. Late September.

Orcas

Potomac: Similar to D'Anjou. Very late season.

Seckel (sugar pear): Very small and very sweet. Can be eaten crunchy, or allowed to soften. Early September.

Superfine

Tyson

Ubileen

White Doyenne