Why Grow Perry Pears with Phil Kester

What are perry pears, and why are these unusual fruit trees worth preserving?

In this episode of the Orchard People podcast, Susan visits Gloucestershire, England, to discover the centuries-old tradition of perry making.

Her guide is Phil Kester of 99 Pines, a volunteer organization working to preserve rare perry pear varieties and the knowledge needed to harvest and process them.

Together with volunteer Mark Jordan, Susan explores historic pear orchards, helps harvest the fruit, and learns how traditional perry is made.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What makes perry pears different from ordinary eating pears.
• Why rare varieties like Gin pear, Hendre Huffcap, and Blakeney Red are worth preserving.
• How to recognize when perry pears are ready to harvest.
• How panking poles are used to collect ripe fruit.
• What scratting, maceration, pressing, and fermentation involve.
• Why making perry can be more challenging than making apple cider.
• How volunteers are keeping historic orchards and local traditions alive.

Along the way, Susan discovers that preserving fruit trees is about more than keeping rare varieties growing. It's also about sharing knowledge, building relationships, and creating opportunities for future generations to participate.

Episode/related resources:

99 Pines:https://www.nationalperrypearcentre.org.uk/99pines-perry/

Companion article: Why Grow Perry Pears? Discover the Fruit Behind Traditional Pear Ciderhttps://orchardpeople.com/why-grow-perry-pears

How to make apple cider:https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-make-apple-cider/

How to make hard cider:https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-make-hard-cider/

What is wassailing?https://orchardpeople.com/what-is-wassailing/

Perry pears for ciders with Barry Mastersonhttps://podcast.orchardpeople.com/episodes/making-perry-cider

About Orchard People

Orchard People shares practical fruit tree care advice, educational resources, and conversations with people who grow and care for trees.

Explore more articles, podcasts, videos, and books at https://orchardpeople.com/

• (00:00) - Welcome to Perry Country
• (00:44) - Meet Phil and 99 Pines
• (01:18) - Perry Pear History
• (02:53) - Why Perry Is Hard
• (03:55) - Volunteer Harvest Days
• (04:48) - The 99 Pines Legend
• (05:38) - How to Harvest Pears
• (06:52) - Rare Varieties and Names
• (07:47) - Mark on Ripeness
• (11:03) - Day Two New Orchard
• (12:08) - From Scrat to Ferment
• (13:14) - Bottling Charity and Why
• (14:48) - Final Reflections