Straight from the Orchard: Pears and Asian Pears
Straight from the Orchard: Pears and Asian Pears
If apples are the bold ones in the orchard, pears are steady and slow. European pears don’t ripen on the tree. If you leave them too long, they turn mealy. They’re picked firm and need time on the counter to soften and sweeten. It’s a fruit that teaches patience.
Asian pears are the opposite. They’re ready right off the tree — crisp like an apple, juicy like a pear. Around here, they’re the first fruit folks grab and eat before they even get out of the orchard.
Both kinds have their place: one you wait for, one you eat right away.
A Little History
Pears have been around a long time — over 3,000 years. The ancient Greeks and Romans grew them and wrote about them, and in China, Asian pears were considered a symbol of justice and longevity. European settlers brought pears to North America in the 1600s, planting orchards in New England and along the West Coast. By the mid-1800s, California had become one of the biggest pear-growing regions in the country.
Asian pears came later. They were introduced here in the 1800s but didn’t catch on widely until the 20th century. Today they’re grown mostly in California and Oregon, and they’ve built a strong following because of their crisp texture and reliable sweetness.
Tips for Enjoying Pears
Ripening European pears: Keep them on the counter. To speed things up, put them in a paper bag with an apple or banana.
Checking ripeness: Test by pressing near the stem. If it gives a little, it’s ready.
Slowing it down: Once ripe, store in the fridge for a few more days.
Asian pears: Best eaten fresh and crisp. Store them in the fridge. Great for salads, with cheese, or just out of hand.
Juicing & Pear Cider
Asian pears are some of the best fruit for juicing. They press easily, and the juice comes out light, sweet, and refreshing. A glass of Asian pear juice is simple and clean — no extra sugar needed. Mix them with apples, and you get a cider that’s both crisp and smooth.
In Europe, pear cider (perry) has been made for centuries. Farmers often had presses in their barns, and harvest season meant neighbors coming together to press fruit into juice. Some was drunk fresh, and some was set aside to ferment into something fizzy for the winter months. It was both practical — nothing went to waste — and social. Pressing day was as much about community as it was about juice.
An Invitation to the Farm
That same tradition carries on here. The fruit is different, the faces are new, but the spirit is the same: people gathered around the press, sticky hands, laughing kids, and jugs filling up with the season’s sweetness.
The trees are loaded, and the press is set up. Come out to the farm, pick your pears, and juice them here.
Pressing hours are Fridays 4–7 PM and Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM–2 PM.
It’s simple: good fruit, your hands on the press, and fresh juice you made yourself. That’s fall on the farm.