Winter pear: the best varieties for the central zone and the Moscow region

Pear

The pear is a sweet and nutritious fruit. But while previously there were heat-loving, early, perishable varieties that rarely ripened in central Russia, fruit breeders were faced with the challenge of developing varieties that were resistant to cold and frost. Thus, mid-season varieties emerged, followed by winter varieties with long shelf life, preserving their sweetness and juiciness for months rather than days or weeks.

Features and differences of winter frost-resistant pear

The main characteristic of winter pear varieties is frost resistance. Depending on their shelf life, winter pears are divided into three types:

Early winter varieties retain their flavor and presentable shape until January. These include varieties with names like "Nart" (fast-growing, pyramidal); "Kure" (large-fruited, high-yielding); and "Elena" (with record-breaking large fruits and a regular fruiting season).
Mid-winter varieties – until February-March: vigorous ‘Saratovka’, which does not tolerate saline soils with long-standing groundwater, soils with a pebble layer ‘Olivier de Serre’, winter-hardy and early maturing ‘Kirghiz Winter’, medium-sized ‘Pass-Krassan’.
Late winter – until April-May. Best for transportation and sale. The dessert variety "Dekanka Winter" (also known as "Winter Duchess") bears giant fruits (up to 700 g). "Tikhonovka" is a medium-sized, small-fruited variety with yellowish flesh. "Izumrudnaya" is an early-bearing, scab-resistant, green-yellow variety (harvest in October and be ready to eat in just 15 days). "Artemovskaya Winter," a Ukrainian varietal resistant to powdery mildew, is sweet and juicy, and bulky – up to 160 to 360 g. "Izyuminka Kryma" is a high-yielding (yields 100 kg or more per year), with a sweet and sour taste, and a record-breaking weight – up to 400 g. It remains golden-yellow all seven months, both on the table and in photos.

Important!

Artemovskaya is only conditionally suitable for gardens in temperate climates (although if planted on a south-facing slope, well-fertilized with nitrogen, and treated with a salt-calcium solution in a timely manner, it will take root and produce a dessert harvest—almost half a ton of fruit per hectare). It prefers loam or sandy loam. It bears fruit only in the seventh year, but if quince is used as a rootstock, the waiting period is halved. It requires pollinators such as 'Striyskaya', 'Goverla', the 'Dekanka' variety, 'Busche', and 'Zinniya'.

Winter-ripening pear trees don't require as much insulation as their early-ripening counterparts (except those bred specifically for southern regions) and can withstand temperatures as low as -25°C. However, there are varieties that can withstand even more severe frosts—pear varieties better suited to the capricious weather of the Moscow region. These can withstand temperatures as low as -29-30°C:

'Concord' is a high-yielding variety with excellent resistance to fungal diseases. The fruits are sweet, elongated, and have a blush along the entire yellow side. They typically weigh 200 g, rarely 350 g. They keep well until February-March.

'Noyabrskaya' is a tall variety, reaching 5 meters. It bears fruit early, producing its first harvest in just 2-3 years. It is immune to scab and fire blight, and is resistant to fungal infections. Its spreading crown bears greenish, spotted fruits (up to 60 kg in weight) with a brownish-rusty belly of varying sizes: the smallest weigh up to 70 g, the largest up to 350 g. It is tasty and fragrant until March, and can be refrigerated until April-May.November Winter — self-sterile. It requires pollinators. The most suitable varieties for this role are 'Goverla,' 'Favorite Clappa,' 'Conference,' or 'Williams Summer.'

But there are also varieties that produce excellent fruit even at -38°C. These pear varieties are suitable for both central Russia and more northern regions:

Hera is a medium-sized tree with a neat, compact crown, capable of bearing fruit as early as its fourth year. Yields up to 40 kg. It is moderately disease-resistant. The yellow-green, rosy-sided fruits reach technical ripeness (the stage required for harvesting) and are medium-sized, weighing 250 g. They retain their firmness and vibrant flavor for up to 5 months, then begin to darken and rot.

Nika – maximum height 4 m. It bears fruit only in its fifth or sixth year. The red-sided fruits are small – 150-200 g, but there are plenty of them – up to 80 kg per season. They are buttery-sweet, with pleasantly fine-grained flesh, without astringency – and they keep for a full 3-4 months.

Varieties of productive champion pears

In addition to long-term storage, hobby gardeners and entrepreneurial farmers are interested in the seasonal productivity of fruit trees. High-yielding trees, capable of yielding 50 kg from young trees and 100-250 kg, or even 400 kg from mature pears, include:

'Cure' is a vigorous variety. It produces abundant fruit in its third year, yielding up to 50 kg. 300-400 kg of 250-gram fruits can be harvested from 25-year-old pears. The light green color changes to yellow with dark spots as it ripens in storage. By the second month, the sweet-tart flavor becomes stale, and the aroma dissipates. If moved from a cold to a warm environment, it will spoil completely within three days.

"Saratovka" is a 200-gram, golden-colored treat for those with a sweet tooth, retaining its vibrant flavor for up to six months. The standard yield is 100 kilograms. However, it does have a downside: despite its characteristic frost hardiness and resistance to powdery mildew, it is susceptible to drought.

"Lyra" – must be eaten before December. The record for regular fruiting is 70 kg. Consistently productive. Expressively juicy, aromatically rich, 200 g of pure sweetness;

Low-yielding in its seventh year—up to only 22 kg—and abundant after 15-20 years (up to 220 kg), the quince-flavored "Yakovleva's Favorite" is ideal for the Moscow region. It can remain on the branches even after the first November frosts without compromising its flavor or marketability. Transportable until spring, it requires the presence of pollinators (Summer Duchess is an ideal companion). It prefers loam and black soil.

'Michurin's Winter Bere' is self-fertile. It prefers sunny, well-ventilated locations. It does not tolerate stagnant water around the roots. It retains its rich, flavorful, and tart flavor until January-February. Its size is modest—up to 140 g (ideal for canning). A quarter of a hundredweight is a typical yield for a ten-year-old garden. It changes from a salad color when harvested to an almost canary-yellow color with lateral blushes during storage. It is an excellent choice for compotes, candied fruits, dried fruits, and jams.

'Chudesnitsa' is a pyramidal, 5-meter-tall variety with slender branches. Its color is similar to that of a gooseberry, but it lacks stripes, being speckled and slightly elongated. 60-80 kg per season is not the limit. It can be harvested right up until frost without compromising quality.

Long-storing, high-yielding leaders

The next important parameter in describing winter-hardy late-ripening varieties is the preservation of their marketable appearance and flavor. And here are some favorites:

'Belorusskaya Pozdnyaya' is an early-ripening variety with uniformly sized, broadly pear-shaped, rough fruits up to 120 cm long – delicious and sweet until February. It is prone to shrinking (especially in a bountiful year) and rapid crown thickening. Requires frequent pruning. trimmingsNot suited to clayey or sandy soils. Tolerates standing water. Ripens by the end of September. Tasty raw and baked, used for jam, puree, and preserves, even after 8 months;

'Pervomayskaya' is a mixed-fruiting variety. Compact. Medium-sized, weighing 140 to 220 g. Smooth skin with a waxy coating. Creamy, slightly granulated flesh resembles a peach. Suitable for the Central and Black Earth regions. Prefers slightly alkaline soil, pruning and fertilizing twice a year. Warm-water irrigation only. Resistant to root rot and fungal diseases, but bacterial blight requires preventative spraying with Bordeaux mixture. Ripens in September-October. The variety remains fresh for an average of 230 days.

"Winter Kubarevidnaya" is drought-resistant and tolerates temperature fluctuations critical for temperate climates. It produces a satisfying harvest only in the sixth or seventh year, but annually yields 70-100 kg of round, terracotta-shaped, rough-skinned fruit, weighing 200 grams. As it ripens, it turns yellow and develops subcutaneous spots. Harvesting maturity is late September-early October, and consumer maturity is December. Good consumer qualities persist even in March, with the fruit still intensely aromatic, juicy, and rich.

Proper storage means long-lasting flavor

Winter varieties are picked not when they become soft, but when they are still greenish-yellow and firm (the seed inside should be brownish). This occurs in September or early October. They are packaged, stored in a dry, well-ventilated area (perhaps in an insulated, well-ventilated attic of a barn or outdoor kitchen), and left undisturbed for about a month. During this time, they ripen, becoming juicy, aromatic, and soft. Only then can they be preserved, stored in a basement/cellar, or vegetable storage area.

Pears appreciate gentle picking: avoid any impacts that damage or bruise the skin. They are best picked after the dew has subsided (only dry ones!) – at the stage of technical ripeness (when they lose their green color and begin to yellow). Each fruit, including the stem (1), should be wrapped in stationery, writing, or brown kraft paper (newspaper is also acceptable), then laid out in two layers (a third layer is acceptable, but not recommended) stem-side up in boxes whose bottoms have been fumigated for disinfection and lined with thick paper or straw. Plastic containers can be used, but wooden containers with gaps between the planks are preferable.

The ripening room should be dark, dry, and well-ventilated (a natural, but not damp, draft is welcome). The temperature should not fall below 8°C or rise above 20°C (the standard is 14°C).

For three weeks to a month (rarely two), they are simply checked, not eaten. During this time, the flavor, juiciness, and aroma develop. If you need to shorten the time it takes to reach full ripeness, the pears can be placed in the same paper bag as slightly green bananas or ripe apples. This way, they'll be ready to eat within a week.

Afterwards, they are placed in a pantry (they don't necessarily need to be stripped of paper), a basement/cellar, or on a balcony (if it's insulated and the temperature there doesn't drop below freezing in winter) and covered with a thick canvas cloth. It's best to keep the boxes away from potatoes or cabbage and raise them about 20 centimeters above the ground, or place them on shelves.

A few more ways (after they have reached the desired condition):

Fill the container with dry river sand (sifted construction sand) or pine sawdust. Arrange the fruits, stems up, 2-3 cm apart. Sprinkle each layer with sand. Only the stems should be visible above the sand. Midwinter will delight you with the aroma of pears and pure flavor.
Dig a hole about 1.5 meters deep. Line the bottom with pine boards, pallets, or pine/fir/juniper branches. Place the pears in paper bags (like those for postal parcels) with small, but fairly frequent, holes. Cover with spruce branches and a board. Sprinkle with soil. The advantage is that they stay fresh until spring. The disadvantage is that the harvest is easily accessible to rodents; the pine needles, while providing protection, aren't 100% effective.
Clear one of the refrigerator shelves and place plastic bags (with vents) containing 500-700g pears on it. Keep the temperature as low as possible – 3-4°C. Avoid storing apples, carrots, and beets as neighbors. This method won't last long (two months maximum), but it's convenient, especially if you have a large family and don't have a cold pantry.

Benefits of fruits

Pears are capricious, but delicious. And very healthy. The vitamin and mineral complex is a delight, combined with a Klondike for the body:

Group B will not only boost your immunity, but will also boost your brain activity;
carotene – vision regulator;
rutin - promotes capillary and vascular strength;
iron – will balance hemoglobin levels;
a record content of beneficial potassium will free bones from brittleness, strengthen the heart muscle and restore water balance;
E - will smooth out roughness of the skin, smoothing it out and restoring its elastic smoothness;
magnesium, which removes accumulated toxins from the body after viral diseases.

For those who can't live without snacks but really want to maintain their figure, they will become their best friends – the minimum calories will maintain a healthy weight, and the organic acids and dietary fiber will stabilize the function of both the intestines and the liver.

The endorphins in its pulp can relieve prolonged depression, overcome stress, and improve mood. Glutathione deficiency reduces susceptibility to hemorrhoidal strokes.

Logical conclusion: balance of benefits and advantages

Winter hybrids of various pear varieties have advantages over their early-ripening counterparts: they offer higher yields, longer shelf life, and consistent flavor. They are transport-resistant and produce fruit reliably. The key is to choose the right variety, plant it correctly, and provide proper care. The tree's gratitude will be yours in no time.