Fondante Thiriot

‘Fondante Thiriot’, historically known as ‘Fondante Thirriot’, is an old French variety originating from the Ardennes, raised in the 19th century by the Thirriot brothers, nurserymen near Charleville.

The medium to fairly large fruit is pear-shaped to turbinate and sometimes slightly irregular. Its slightly rough skin turns pale yellow to straw yellow when ripe. It is dotted with greyish brown and may develop a pink to red blush on the side exposed to the sun.

The white to creamy-white flesh is fine, melting and very juicy. Its flavour is richly sweet, pleasantly acidic and delightfully aromatic, making it an excellent dessert pear. It is also suitable for cooking, compotes and other home processing.

Harvest generally takes place during the second half of September. The fruit continues to ripen after picking and is mainly eaten in October and November. It should be monitored carefully, as its natural storage life is relatively short.

The tree is vigorous to very vigorous, fairly upright, highly fertile and regularly productive. It is particularly suitable for free-standing forms, half-standards and standard trees, preferably on a vigorous pear rootstock. The variety is hardy and well suited to temperate and cool regions. It is often described as only slightly susceptible to scab, although its behaviour may vary according to climate and growing conditions.