Pear Clapp’s Favorite – AB

Description

Pear Clapp’s Favorite

The Clapp’s Favorite pear tree is an old American variety, created in 1860 by Thadeus Clapp in Massachusetts. This exceptional summer pear has quickly established itself as a reference in Europe thanks to its melting and juicy flesh, perfectly balanced between sweetness and acidity.

Appreciated by gourmets, this productive variety offers large fruit with a refined flavour. Its late flowering makes it ideal for regions with late spring frosts.

Characteristics of the fruit

The Clapp’s Favorite pear is distinguished by its elegant pear-shaped shape and generous size. Its smooth, thin skin has a yellowish-green colour that turns golden when ripe, with beautiful purple-red highlights on the sunny side.

The slightly pinkish white flesh offers a fine, melting texture, exceptionally juicy. Its delicate taste reveals a perfect balance between sugar and acidity, with subtle and fragrant aromas that make it a pear of choice for fresh tasting.

Tree Features

The Clapp’s Favorite pear tree has great vigour with a slightly weeping erect habit. It reaches 5 to 8 metres in height at maturity, with a spread of 4 to 6 metres. Its rapid growth and remarkable productivity make it a preferred choice for family orchards.

Very hardy (resistant to -20°C), this variety adapts well to temperate climates. Its late flowering (April-May) limits the risk of spring frost, guaranteeing regular fruiting.

Pollination and fruiting

⚠️ Warning: The Clapp’s Favorite pear tree is self-sterile and absolutely requires the presence of a compatible pollinator nearby (within a radius of 50 meters).

For optimal pollination, pair it with Williams Pear, Hardy Buttered Pear, Conference Pear or Doyenné du Comice Pear Tree. These strains share a compatible flowering period and guarantee excellent fruiting.

Harvesting and storage

🍐 The harvest takes place from the end of August to the beginning of September, depending on the region and climatic conditions. The fruits should be picked slightly before full ripeness to optimize their preservation.

Clapp’s Favorite pears are particularly sensitive to shocks and can be stored naturally for 1 to 2 weeks after harvest. To prolong shelf life, pick fruit that is still firm and place it in the refrigerator in the crisper drawer.

Cultivation and maintenance

🌱 The Clapp’s Favorite pear tree thrives in sunny exposures (southeast or southwest), in deep, well-drained soil rich in humus. It prefers cool clay-sandy soils but fears soils that are too calcareous or too wet.

Planting is carried out from November to March, except during the frost period. Dig a hole 80 cm on each side to the same depth and amend with compost or well-rotted manure.

Care instructions

• Size: Prune at the end of winter (February-March) to aerate the branches and promote fruiting
• Watering: Water regularly in the first year, then in the event of a prolonged drought
• Fertilization: Apply an organic fertilizer every spring around the base
• Protection: Watch for fire blight, the main enemy of pear trees

Culinary Uses

🍯 The Clapp’s Favorite pear excels in fresh tasting thanks to its melting and fragrant flesh. It also lends itself to many culinary preparations:

• Homemade compotes and jams
• Pies and pastries
• Sorbets and frozen desserts
• Side dishes

💡 Tasting advice: Eat pears at room temperature to fully appreciate their subtle aromas and melting texture.

Complementary varieties

To spread out your harvest season, complete your orchard with the Beurré Giffard pear tree (July) in the early stage, and the Doyenné du Comice pear tree (October) in the late season.

This exceptional variety will find its place perfectly in your garden, offering you summer pears incomparable in their taste quality and generosity.

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