Pierre Corneille

‘Pierre Corneille’ is a French variety raised in Rouen in the late 19th century by Arsène Sannier, from a cross between ‘Beurré Diel’ and ‘Doyenné du Comice’.

The pear is medium to large, depending on the crop load, with a short, rounded to pear-shaped form that may be slightly irregular. Its greenish-yellow skin turns golden yellow when ripe and becomes extensively mottled with tawny to copper-coloured russet, giving the fruit an attractive bronze appearance.

The creamy-white flesh is fine, tender, melting and exceptionally juicy. Its flavour is mild to richly sweet, slightly acidic and pleasantly aromatic, with a subtle muscat note. Its fairly robust skin and good firmness allow the fruit to withstand handling and transport well.

Harvest generally takes place around mid-September. The pears then continue to ripen after picking and are mainly eaten from October to December. They can be kept in cold storage for three to four months under suitable conditions.

The tree is vigorous, upright, quick to begin cropping and not particularly prone to biennial bearing. Its heavy and regular crops may require thinning to maintain fruit size. The variety has good compatibility with quince. It is reported to be self-fertile, although another compatible variety flowering at the same time will generally improve fruit set and cropping regularity.