A new red-blushed pear variety that can be eaten crunchy, soft or juicy could become a game changer for pear growers across Australia.
The Qtee pear is a cross between a Williams pear and Broket July and its unique flavour profile is expected to resonate with consumers.
First plantings of the Qtee pear that originates from Norway have gone in the ground in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.
Elisa King, general manager of Horticulture Brand Management Australia, said one of the major challenges in the industry was consumer confidence in the current varieties and their eating quality.
"Consumer research in Australia shows that the biggest barrier to purchase is that consumers actually don't know when they are ripe," Ms King said.
Adelaide Hills grower Tony Ceravolo is among the first who planted the variety and believed it was exciting to see some new varieties introduced.
"I think it's just something different. The blush on the pear is really appealing and it gives us a bit of a variance on the shelves," Mr Ceravolo said.
"As well we need a point of difference, it's all green pears.
"It's exciting for growers and consumers that these new varieties are appearing, and some of the old varieties will slowly fade away."
But while their family operation is also growing other varieties, he believed one of the main market challenges was consumers knowledge about pears.
"A pear is a beautiful fruit to eat when it is at its right ripeness, but I think people don't quite understand enough about pears.
"A pear needs to be a little bit more mature for them to eat really nice. A pear almost has to be a bit mellow to get the optimum flavour out of it."
Versatile fruit with distinctive flavour profile
While Mr Ceravolo has planted about 500 trees as a first trial on their site, Ms King said they were expecting to see 40,000 trees being cultivated in the next few years.
She believed the Qtee pear's unique sweet aromatic flavour and texture made it a versatile fruit that could be used in cooking, baking and preserving.
The variety has been grown in Europe since 2015 and since has expanded its reach to consumers across the world.
Ms King said, in Europe, a special machine tested the fruit's dry matter, which is what turns into brix, the sweetness of the fruit.
"Growers will actually know the exact moment that the pear should be picked for its optimum eating experience."
Mr Ceravolo said it was also an attractive variety for growers because it an early-ripening variety which was a "good keeping pear" that they could produce and offer for a few months.
"As far as consumers, they are always looking for something different, and I think it has got a lot of potential to be a good growth category."
