Amiré Joannet
Pear
Amiré Joannet
Origin/History
An ancient pear variety originating in France, written of as early as 1660 by Claude Mollet (Hedrick). It bears the name Joannet because in some parts of France it ripens around St. John's Day, the 24th of June (Hedrick); Downing similarly notes the name derives from ripening about St. John's Day, though he places the French ripening at the beginning of July. Referenced in Duhamel, Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:125 (1768) and Hogg, Fruit Man. 478 (1884). Downing identifies it as opening the pear season together with the Little Muscat, to which he considers it superior.
Tree
Not described in sources.
Fruit
Size: Sources disagree. Hedrick describes the fruit as small; Downing as below the middle size; Thomas as medium.
Form: Downing and Hedrick both describe it as regularly pyriform. Hedrick adds that it is slightly obtuse. Thomas describes it as short pyriform. Downing notes it tapers to the stalk.
Stem: An inch and a half long, thickest at the point of junction with the fruit (Downing).
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx: Large, with reflexed segments, set even with the surface (Downing).
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: Very smooth (Downing, Hedrick). Color at an early stage is light green (Downing) or pale greenish-yellow (Hedrick). At maturity, Downing describes it as bright lemon-color; Hedrick describes it as deep waxen-yellow. The two sources partially disagree on blush: Downing states there is very rarely a faint blush; Hedrick describes the mature fruit as washed with pale rose. Thomas adds that the skin is crimson-dotted.
Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white (all three sources). Downing describes it as sugary, delicate, and juicy at first, but notes it soon becomes mealy. Hedrick describes it as semi-fine, tender, juicy, and sugary, impregnated with a perfume of musk, and quite agreeable. Thomas concurs that the fruit becomes mealy. Quality rated second by both Downing and Hedrick. Thomas characterizes it as worthless and superseded.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources.
Season
Ripens in late June to mid-July, with some variation by location. In France, ripening occurs around St. John's Day (June 24) in some regions (Hedrick). Downing places ripening at the beginning of July in France. Thomas gives the middle of July. Hedrick gives June and July as the range.
Storage and Uses
A very short-keeping fruit; Downing notes it lasts but a few days in perfection. It is one of the earliest pears, opening the season (Downing). Of second quality (Downing, Hedrick). Thomas considers it worthless and superseded by the time of his writing (1903).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Amire Joannet.
St. Jean. St. John's Pear. Amire Johannet. Joannette. Petit Johannet. Petit St. Jean.
This fruit is one of the earliest, ripening at the beginning of July — in France, whence it originally comes, about St. John's day, whence the name Joannet. It is a pleasant fruit, of second quality, and lasts but a few days in perfection. It opens the pear season, with the Little Muscat, to which it is superior.
Fruit below the middle size, regularly pyriform, tapering to the stalk, which is an inch and a half long, and thickest at the point of junction. Skin very smooth, at first light green, but becomes bright lemon-color at maturity — very rarely with a faint blush. Calyx large, with reflexed segments, even with the surface. Flesh white, sugary, delicate and juicy at first, but soon becomes mealy.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Amiré Joannet. 1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:125, 1768. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 478. 1884.
An ancient pear written of in 1660 by Claude Mollet. It bears the name of Joannet because in some parts of France it ripens about St. John's Day, the 24th of June. Fruit small, regularly pyriform, slightly obtuse, smooth, pale greenish-yellow changing to a deep waxen-yellow, washed with pale rose; flesh white, semi-fine, tender, juicy, sugary, impregnated with a perfume of musk, quite agreeable; second; June and July.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Amiré Joannet. Medium, short pyriform, greenish-yellow, crimson dotted; becoming mealy. Middle of July. Worthless and superseded.