Perhaps more often called Baking Pears, these are sometimes considered suitable for making perry, largely because of their size and the fact that they are clearly not dessert fruit. They are in fact successors of the earliest cultivated pear introduced to this country (by the Romans) and were once very popular as a source of vitamins during winter months to compliment the salt meat diet of the early Middle Ages. The pears were not eaten raw, indeed the raw fruit was by many considered poisonous. They were baked or more often poached or stewed.
Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III, developed extensive orchards in the royal gardens, introducing the culinary pear – Cailhou. It was perhaps the marriage of Henry and Eleanor in 1236 that marked the commencement of the renaissance of the British orchard. The 13th and 14th centuries were a golden era for English gardening. As a part of this, the orchard was appreciated as a pleasance, an attractive area of shaded walks and arbours as well as a source of fruit. Pears were often planted as much for their show of blossom and decorative fruit as for consumption.
There are records of Martin Sec being supplied for the King’s table in 1292. By 1388 the Warden pear was introduced, allegedly by the monks at Warden Abbey in Bedfordshire. This hard, gritty pear was widely used for pies and was so popular that the literature of the time listed Wardens in their own right, alongside apples, pears and plums.
The pears could be baked for an hour or more by which time the flesh will have softened and may be scraped from the skin. More often they were poached, indeed a recipe exists from 1390 for poaching pears in red wine. The cooking of pears, either by poaching or baking seems to have lost favour in this country, but still popular in continental Europe. Many recipes exist or personal favourites developed – the essence is to cook the fruit slowly, partly or fully immersed in a variety of liquids with or without additional flavouring, either in oven or on hob. The results can be delicious, particularly if true culinary pears are used, rather than under ripe dessert fruit.
Pears suitable for poaching
Black Worcester: considered by some to be the original Warden Pear.
The fruit will turn greyish pink when cooked. Do not cook longer than an hour to retain its shape, or it will break down into a pulp.
Catillac: Probably not a warden pear but by the 19th century the commonest culinary pear in this country. When slow cooked for 1–2 hours it develops a gentle pink colour.
Geiser Wildeman: reputed to be the best tasting poached pear. Cooks to a light red-brown
Martin Sec: so named because their time of ripening coincided with the Festival of that Saint. One of the earliest varieties known to have been grown in England.
Cooks to a beautiful red colour, but do not cook for as long as most poaching pears,
Uvedale’s St Germain: one of the largest poaching pears, believed to have been raised by Dr. Uvedale of Eltham, Kent in 1690 – when cooked slowly for 1-2 hours slices turn a pale yellow tinged pink
Vicar of Winkfield: a true product of the Shadow Orchard, like so many perry varieties but French,found growing in a wood in Normandy.This pear is culinary, a poaching pear that turns pale lemon when cooked
Further detail can be found in
Margaret Roberts The Original Warden Pear 2017 – www.wardenvineyard.org.uk
Wade Muggleton The Worcester Black Pear 2018
Joan Morgan The Book of Pears 2015
Jan Veel Stewed Pears, Varieties and Recipes 2008 – https://www.vriendenvanhetoudefruit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/stoofperen.pdf