The Greengrocer · No.124 · Pears

Pears Worth the Hunt

Grocery pear sections are basically Bartlett, Bosc, and maybe a d'Anjou — a rounding error of what the fruit can do. The great pears are the ones nobody ships at scale: the buttery Warren, the melting Comice, Taylor's Gold, and Asian varieties that eat like a cross between an apple and a melon. These growers still bother with them.

Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026

How this list works. Every maker here is small or independent, actually ships what it makes, and earns its spot on merit — nobody pays to be listed. These are fall and winter growers picking specialty varieties by hand — a couple are curator-shippers, and we say which so you know whose trees you're getting.
On each pick: $ typical price · our rating · ✈️ ships fast · 🚛 ground only · 🚜 local / limited
Rare Warren Pear Grower

Frog Hollow Farm

Brentwood, CA · organic, Warren + Asian
$$$★★★★★🚜 Local / limited

The same certified-organic Brentwood farm known for its peaches also grows the Warren pear — a buttery seckel-by-comice cross that almost nobody sells — plus Bosc, Taylor's Gold, and Asian Hosui and Shinko. Everything ships fresh in fall from trees the farm tends itself. If you only try one specialty pear, make it the Warren.

Why it isn't on AmazonThe Warren pear is grown at almost no commercial scale, so a grocery store will never carry it — this is one of the few farms shipping it fresh.

See it at Frog Hollow Farm →
Japanese Asian-Pear Specialist

Subarashii Kudamono

Kempton, PA · seven Asian varieties
$$★★★★★🚜 Local / limited

A Pennsylvania orchard built entirely around Japanese Asian pears, growing seven varieties that run from kiwi to melon to actual bubblegum notes — crisp and juicy, nothing like a soft European pear. All seven come off the one farm, shipped straight from the orchard. A genuinely different fruit than what 'pear' means at the store.

Why it isn't on AmazonNamed Japanese Asian-pear varieties aren't a supermarket category at all, and a single-farm lineup of seven distinct ones simply doesn't exist in retail.

See it at Subarashii Kudamono →
Southern Oregon Winter-Pear Orchard

Crockett Farms

Southern Oregon · Comice, d'Anjou, Starkrimson
$$★★★★🚜 Local / limited

A southern Oregon orchard shipping hand-picked Comice, d'Anjou and Red Starkrimson fresh to the door, with pre-orders opening in fall for the winter-pear window. Comice is the melting, sweet one gift boxes are built around — grown here rather than repacked. Oregon's pear country is where these varieties actually belong.

Why it isn't on AmazonA true tree-ripe Comice bruises easily and never reaches its best in a grocery display; hand-picked and shipped direct in season is how you get it right.

See it at Crockett Farms →
Curator-Shipper (Hood River Grown)

Tree-Ripe Fruit Co.

Oregon winter-pear box · grown by Kiyokawa Family Orchards
$$★★★★🚜 Local / limited

Family-run since 1990, their Oregon winter-pear box mixes Comice, Warren, Bosc, Taylor's Gold and Concorde — grown to order by the Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Hood River and shipped in October. Worth being clear: Tree-Ripe is the curator and shipper, not the grower, but the fruit is single-orchard from a respected Hood River family. A good way to get a five-variety mix in one box.

Why it isn't on AmazonA five-variety winter-pear assortment, including the hard-to-find Warren and Taylor's Gold, isn't something you can assemble at a store — it's a fall-only, order-ahead box. They can't ship to AK, AZ, CA or HI.

See it at Tree-Ripe Fruit Co. →
Open Spot

Make or grow exceptional pears?

This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real pears direct, it's earned, not sold.

Add your brand →
Straight Answers
Pears FAQ
How do I know when a pear is ripe?

Most European pears (Comice, Bartlett, Bosc) ripen from the inside out and are picked mature but firm, so they ripen off the tree. Check the neck near the stem — when it gives to gentle thumb pressure, it's ready. Asian pears are the exception: they ripen on the tree and arrive crisp and ready to eat straight away.

What makes a Warren or Comice pear special?

Both are 'buttery' pears — dense, melting, sweet flesh with almost no grit, a world away from a firm supermarket Bartlett. Comice is the classic gift-box pear; Warren is a rarer seckel-comice cross that's harder to find because it doesn't ship well at commercial scale. That fragility is exactly why you buy them direct.

How are Asian pears different from regular pears?

Asian pears (nashi) are round like apples, crisp and super-juicy, and eaten hard rather than soft. Flavors range from mild and melon-like to floral, depending on variety. They don't soften the way European pears do, so you eat them straight out of the box, chilled.

When can I order fresh pears?

Fall and early winter. Most of these growers ship from roughly September into December — pears are a late-season fruit, and winter varieties like Comice and Taylor's Gold peak after the first cold. Pre-orders often open ahead of harvest, so it's worth reserving a box in early fall.

Make or grow real pears and think you belong here? Tell us → — features are on merit, never for sale.

Some "see it at…" links are affiliate links — if you buy through one, 5best2buy may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never costs the maker anything, and it never decides who makes the list. The list is the list.
© 2026 5best2buy · Worth The Hunt · No.124