Ingeborg

Ask someone to draw a pear, and there is a pretty good chance the result will look something like Ingeborg.

This Norwegian-Swedish bred variety has Conference in its family tree and comes with exactly the classic pear shape you would expect a pear to have. Introduced into commercial production around the turn of the millennium, Ingeborg has since established itself as one of the two main varieties in Norwegian pear production.

Its flavour really comes into its own when the fruit is allowed enough time to ripen properly. Pears destined for packing, transport and supermarket distribution naturally need to be harvested earlier than those we can sell directly from the farm. Allow Ingeborg to remain on the tree a little longer and develop further, and it becomes an excellent pear with lovely flavour and texture.

At the same time, Ingeborg is an outstanding storage pear. Under the right temperature conditions, the fruit can be stored for several months – an important quality for a commercial variety that may reach consumers long after harvest has finished.

It does have its challenges. Ingeborg can be prone to biennial bearing, where a heavy crop one year may be followed by a considerably lighter one. It also appears to be more susceptible to damage from capsid bugs than several of our other pear varieties.

But as a classic Norwegian production pear, Ingeborg has certainly earned its place.

The classic pear shape – exactly how a pear is “supposed” to look
Large fruit
Excellent flavour when properly ripened
Outstanding storage qualities
Biennial bearing can be a challenge
More susceptible to capsid bug damage than several other varieties