The European Wild Pear is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia. The European Pear is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Europe, North America and Australia are developed.
Origin
The European pear is thought to be decended from two species of wild pear, categorized as P. pyraster and P. caucasica, which are interfertile with the domesticated species. Archealogical evidence shows that pears were collected from the wild long before their introduction into cultivation. Reliable information on pear cultivation first appears in the works of the Greek and the Roman writers, Theophrastus, Cato the Elder and Pliny the Elder all present information about the cultivation and grafting of pears.
Cultivation
European Wild Pear trees are not quite as hardy as Apples, but nearly so. They do however require some winter chilling to produce fruit.
For the best and most consistent quality, European Wild Pears are picked when the fruit matures, but before they are ripe. Fruit allowed to ripen on the tree often drops before it can be picked and in any event will be hard to pick without bruising. They store (and ship) well in their mature but unripe state if kept cold and can be ripened later. Some varieties, such as 'Beurre d'Anjou', ripen only with exposure to cold.
Fermented pear juice is called perry. The place name Perry can indicate the historical presence of pear trees.
