Asian Pears

Nashi is better appreciated as one parent, with the European pear, of the true Asian pears. These hybrids have inherited resistance to fireblight from nashi and are common in the southern states and the Midwest of America in the varieties Kieffer, Le Conte, and Pineapple, which are truly impervious, as both tree and fruit, in those climates. The hybrid Asian pears are in common use for home canning while immature, though if they are allowed to ripen on the tree in a long season, the fruits can develop a most extraordinary aroma and a near-melting texture approaching that of the true pear and become a legitimate contribution to the dessert repertoire of American fruits. Indeed, these hybrids are among the few truly American contributions to the tree fruits.