Winter Crasanne Pear
PearWinter Crasanne Pear
Origin / History
First fruited in 1830. Compared by contemporary observers to Monarch, Althorp Crasanne, and Eastnor Castle varieties, though notably heavier than all three.
Tree
The original tree exhibits enormously rapid growth. Other characteristics not described in source.
Fruit
Size & Form: Large, irregularly turbinate.
Cavity & Stem: Stalk thickened and slightly sunk at its insertion; eye very hollow.
Skin: Greenish yellow, intermixed with brown and patches of cinnamon russet.
Flesh & Flavor: Inclining to yellowish white, melting, quite buttery with very little grittiness even at the core. Rich and sugary. Quality very excellent; flavor carries a suggestion of the Chaumontel pear.
Core & Seeds: Very little grittiness even at the core.
Season
January.
Uses
Described as "a very valuable sort." Larger specimens considered significantly superior in merit to smaller fruit of the same variety—quality and palatability vary markedly by fruit size and growing season.
Other
The observer who recorded this description retained only smaller pears initially, finding their merits less pronounced than those of the large fruit. Upon multiple observations of large Winter Crasanne specimens, pronounced them excellent in seasons when smaller fruit proved worthless. Weight of fruit notably exceeds that of comparable contemporary varieties.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
View original book sources (1)
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)The Winter Crasanne Pear.
Fruit large, irregularly turbinate, with a very hollow eye. Stalk thickened, and a little sunk at its insertion. Skin greenish yellow, intermixed with brown and some patches of cinnamon russet. Flesh inclining to yellowish white, melting, quite buttery, with very little grittiness, even at the core, rich, sugary, and very excellent; it has a little of the Chaumontel flavour. This is without doubt a very valuable sort. Season, January.
Remarks.—This variety first fruited in 1830. I retained only the smaller pears, whose merits did not seem so great as are thus represented. The large fruit of the Crasanne Pear, from which this description was derived, I have several times observed to be excellent in seasons when the smaller fruit was worthless. I thought the variety inferior to Monarch, Althorp Crasanne, and Eastnor Castle, but its weight greatly exceeds them. The growth of the original tree is enormously rapid.