Pear ID

[timbernut]

Thanks Alec, I may offer to prune it for free as he's just down the road 200m and has a couple of acres of grazing I'd like to rent (sweetener!)

 

 

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[agg221]

Renovating old fruit trees can be very satisfying. Would also give you an opportunity to look around and see if there are any other interesting old trees in the orchard. Maybe a Biffin?

 

Alec

[timbernut]

Wassail a Biffin (the only one I know has a bridge[emoji15])?

Meant to ask d'ya think the other pear is the one the possible robin was grafted onto or two scions (?) onto another root stock?

 

 

 

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[agg221]

Wassail a Biffin (the only one I know has a bridge[emoji15])?

Meant to ask d'ya think the other pear is the one the possible robin was grafted onto or two scions (?) onto another root stock?

 

I didn't know that meaning of Biffin but am now enlightened through Google:001_smile:

 

The Biffin I'm talking about is somewhat different you may be relieved to hear. Norfolk Beefing is an old variety of apple which was fairly famous in the 19th century. It's a cooker with a plum coloured flush on one side of the fruit. You cook them in a very low heat oven to make a Biffin which is something like a baked apple with a leathery skin. Part way through the process you gently squash them, then do it again until they come out brown and fairly flat. You glaze them over with sugar and serve cold with whipped cream. The variety has a particularly good flavour for this, doesn't need too much sugar and has a tough enough skin to take the flattening.

 

Re. the pear - very unlikely to have been double worked originally - it has been known for a very long time that keeping trees in balance with different varieties on is extremely tricky so it tends to be a garden curiosity. In an orchard you would just plant one of each. Either the Robin-like or Conference-like fruit is probably the rootstock, the other being grafted on. You should be able to work out which is which from looking at the grafts.

 

Alec

[slack ma girdle]

I didn't know that meaning of Biffin but am now enlightened through Google:001_smile:

 

The Biffin I'm talking about is somewhat different you may be relieved to hear. Norfolk Beefing is an old variety of apple which was fairly famous in the 19th century. It's a cooker with a plum coloured flush on one side of the fruit. You cook them in a very low heat oven to make a Biffin which is something like a baked apple with a leathery skin. Part way through the process you gently squash them, then do it again until they come out brown and fairly flat. You glaze them over with sugar and serve cold with whipped cream. The variety has a particularly good flavour for this, doesn't need too much sugar and has a tough enough skin to take the flattening.

 

Re. the pear - very unlikely to have been double worked originally - it has been known for a very long time that keeping trees in balance with different varieties on is extremely tricky so it tends to be a garden curiosity. In an orchard you would just plant one of each. Either the Robin-like or Conference-like fruit is probably the rootstock, the other being grafted on. You should be able to work out which is which from looking at the grafts.

 

Alec

 

Yay, every day is a school day. Might try biffin a Mere de manage as they seem to have have a tough skin.

[agg221]

Yay, every day is a school day. Might try biffin a Mere de manage as they seem to have have a tough skin.

 

I got my hands on some Norfolk Beefings this year to try it. Oven was slightly too hot and they split before I got as far as squashing them, but the flavour was excellent and I will definitely do it again. Did you try the Mere de Menage?

 

Alec