An alternate bearing crop, the Warren pear is today considered the single most delicious American pear. It is the venerable result of a marriage between the sweet and spicy and quite importantly, disease resistant American heirloom Seckel pear and the grande, sumptuous European Comice pear.

The Warren pear is the perfectly crafted composition of its parentage. Its appearance, though less than perfect (its skin slightly scarred by nature) is quintessential: bulbous, yet bell-shaped, sun-kissed with tones of earth, sun and clay and dotted with bronze freckles hinting at the fruit's ripeness. Each visual element is simply a precursor to the fruit's finest qualities. When ripe, the fruit is semi-firm to the touch and the flesh of the fruit is soft, but not too tender, succulent and juicy, aromatic and candy-sweet but not cloying with complex undertones of vanilla, honey and spice.

Serving Ideas

Aside from eating fresh out of hand, the Warren pear exceeds expectations on all levels. It will heighten a fresh salad, become an accoutrementing ingredient in a soup and the main attraction in a dessert. Warren pears can be poached, caramelized, made into a compote and even a syrup. Warren pears compliment flavors, rich, tart and sweet. These include salted and cured pork, blue cheeses, nutty cheeses, chiles, anise, ginger, dried fruits (such as cherries, cranberries and figs), chocolate, quince, caramel and honey.

Geography/History

Thomas Oscar Warren may have discovered the namesake pear, but its origins do not begin in the orchard in which the pear was discovered. Before the pear was found in an abandoned experimental orchard in Hattiesburg, Miss., circa 1976, the pear had been growing with uncommon and unlikely success in the heat of the deep South, surviving fire blight seemingly untended. Thus, with the abandoned orchard still producing fruit, Warren was in the right place at the right time, happening upon the prodigy child whose historical lineage would have to be revealed through dedicated research. Its myth and legend, still fresh but ripe with tales of a post office and a neighbor's yard, each eluding the fact that in the mid-20th Century, horticulturists had a long-term desire to create the perfect pear. The Warren pear was, in fact, no accident. Pears growing in the United States are inherently susceptible to fire blight. Only through hybridization could the perfect fruit, both disease resistant and delicious be created. Though a true hybrid success, the Warren pear may still be an unlikely supermarket pear, as growers generally only plant what they know and history is yet to be on the Warren pear's side.

Seasons/Availability

Warren pears are available from late summer until mid winter.