Crop: Bishop's Thumb

Had been picking an eating these without thinking, so I thought I'd weigh the last few and estimate the crop. We had at least a dozen on the half-grown arch in the front, so I think the crop was at least a Kg. I left some too long on the tree, which meant the odd one had gone brown from the core, but those that were just right had a magnificent 'fondante' quality, very sweet and soft. The flavour would have to be described as 'bittersweet', there is a hint of bitterness but it doesn't detract from the overall flavour. The texture is soft and rather coarse, the antithesis of a 'butter' pear but I find they make a nice contrast in a mixed pear platter.

Bishop's Thumb

Left these too long on the tree, they look wonderful but have dried up and turned a little spongy. This variety can be very juicy, and needs an abundance of sweet juice to offset it's astringency. There is a very tall full standard Bishop's Thumb near my printmaking studio, I sampled a couple of less ripe-looking windfalls last week which were much nicer, so I'm convinced they are the type that benefit from picking while still green and fairly hard.

Crop: Bishop's thumb

Blossom - Bishop's Thumb arch

Arch with Bishop's thumb (left) and Santa Claus (right), both flowering simultaneously. The petals have now fallen on both.

Pear blossom - Bishop's Thumb

Extension growth that will be tied in to make one half of an arch later on.

Flavour: Bishop's Thumb

I picked my first crop of these yesterday, and the result's are a little surprising. This pear has quite a distinct apple flavour. Sweet, juicy and a little granular, with the sort of 'pear drops' flavour usually described in apples, but rarely found in actual pears. Skin quite thin, a little tough, though with no bitterness. Flesh coarse, granular without being gritty. A pleasant surprise. Fruit ripened to yellow with an attractive red flush. Husband has peeled some of them without asking, so not as many to photograph.

Crop: Bishop's Thumb

A small crop of Bishop's Thumb on a maiden intended as one half of an arch in the front garden. Fruit is only slightly bigger than shown on photograph.

I'm not sure how closely my tree compares to Bunyard's Descripton:

BISHOP'S THUMB. Her. Pom. II., 42. F. Pousse 
de 1'Eveque. Dessert, October to November, variable 
2f by 5, long calebasse form, even. Skin, a little rough. 
Colour, pale yellow with bright scarlet flush. Flesh, 
palest yellow, fine grained, a little melting, slightly 
perfumed, very juicy. Eye, wide open almost on 
level. Stem, long and woody, continued, generally at 
angle the flesh growing higher up (the stem one side). 
Growth, vigorous, makes a good standard ; fertility 
good. Leaf, elliptical, nearly flat, finely serrate. Origin, 
this has been known in England for many years and is 
generally considered to be a native. First described 
by Diel in 1804. An old variety often found in orchards 
but of no special merit. The curious growth of flesh up 
one side of the stem is, I suppose, the origin of its name.