Beurré Antoinette
PearBeurré Antoinette
Origin/History
A Belgian pear, originated in 1846 as a gain of Alexandra Bivort at Geest-Saint-Rémy, Belgium. Referenced in Annales de Pomologie Belge 7:61 (1859) and Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie 1:300 (1867).
Tree
Vigorous and productive. (Downing.) Further characteristics not described in sources.
Fruit
Size and Form: Medium, sometimes larger (Hedrick). The two sources give conflicting shape descriptions: Downing describes the fruit as roundish acute pyriform; Hedrick describes it as oblong-obtuse-pyriform.
Stem: Long, slender, inserted generally with a lip. (Downing.)
Cavity: Not described in sources.
Calyx: Open. (Downing.)
Basin: Not described in sources.
Skin: The two sources differ. Downing describes the skin as greenish yellow, slightly netted with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Hedrick describes it as golden-yellow, dotted and mottled with brown, stained with fawn around the stem, and often colored on the side exposed to the sun.
Flesh and Flavor: The sources differ on several points. Downing gives the flesh color as yellowish and describes it as juicy, buttery, sweet, pleasant, a little perfumed, and slightly vinous, rating the variety Good. Hedrick gives the flesh color as greenish-white, describes it as semi-fine and semi-melting, and notes it is gritty around the core; the juice is described as abundant, acid, sugary, and aromatic, with a quality rating of first.
Core/Seeds: Not described in sources. (See flesh notes above regarding grittiness around the core per Hedrick.)
Season
Downing gives September; Hedrick gives October.
Uses
Not described in sources.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in sources.
Other
Not described in sources.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Beurre Antoinette.
A Belgian Pear, originated in 1846. Tree vigorous and productive.
Fruit medium, roundish acute pyriform. Skin greenish yellow, slightly netted with russet, and thickly sprinkled with russet dots. Stalk long, slender, inserted generally with a lip. Calyx open. Flesh yellowish, juicy, buttery, sweet, pleasant, a little perfumed. Slightly vinous. Good. September.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Beurré Antoinette.
- Ann. Pom. Belge 7:61, fig. 1859. 2. Leroy Dict. Pom. 1:300, fig. 1867. A gain of Alexandra Bivort at Geest-Saint-Rémy, Bel., in 1846. Fruit medium, sometimes larger, oblong-obtuse-pyriform; golden-yellow, dotted and mottled with brown, stained with fawn around the stem and often colored on the side next the sun; flesh greenish-white, semi-fine, semi-melting, gritty around the core; juice abundant, acid, sugary, aromatic; first; Oct.