Pear

The pear was one of the most highly prized of all the Pennsylvania Dutch orchard fruits. Three pears played a major role in our classic cookery: the Diller pear, developed about 1752; the butter pear (Doyenne blanc), one of the most popular, for making pear butter; and the Seckel pear. Diller pears were considered the best late-summer pears for Green Pear Pie. Of these three, only the Seckel pear is available in our farm markets today.

The Seckel pear is named for the Pennsylvania German wine merchant Lorenz Seckel (1747-1823), who discovered the original tree (a natural hybrid) on his farm near Philadelphia. The Seckel pear is similar to the German Rousselet pear, but far superior. It is used extensively in fall cookery, especially with venison, pheasant, and goose.