Blakeney Red perry pear

Blakeney Red is a perry pear most likely originating from the village of Blakeney, in Norfolk county, England. It has been widely planted since at least the early 1800s, most commonly used for making perry - that is, hard cider made from pears. In addition, while I have not yet had the fortune of trying this variety myself, pear expert Joan Morgan writes that it is "almost edible as a fresh fruit and pleasant when cooked." In addition it even used to be used as a dye for clothing.

The fruits are small - approximately 5 cm tall and wide, with yellow skin and a beautiful red blush on the sun-exposed side. While I have not had my own trees ripen yet, I am told it ripens late September to mid-October in England, and late September in western Oregon.

If you're curious about perry, there are many people who have fallen in love with it (myself included), and it is possible to find some bottles here and there - my favourite by far is anything made by Guelph's own Revel Cider. I enjoyed reading this article from Cider Review, 

References:

Fruit and Nut Cultivars Database. 

Morgan, Joan. The Book of Pears: The Definitive History and Guide to Over 500 Varieties. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015.

Image credit: Joan Morgan 2023. Joan has published an incredible book on pears - The Book of Pears: The Definitive History and Guide to Over 500 Varieties - and an exceptional website about pears to accompany her book.