Angélys

Angélys is a lightly russeted pear with an attractive round to oval shape (ovate) and a medium to large fruit size. On average, the russet covers about 60% of the fruit and is bronze-coloured, often with a slight pink blush. The fruit can be eaten without peeling, but peeling the skin enhances the eating experience, particularly if the russet is extensive. When fully ripe, the creamy-white flesh is quite soft and very juicy and has a good sweetness with an interesting fragrant flavour. Angélys is an excellent alternative to Comice, though a good Comice has the edge on eating quality.

Angélys is best eaten when some softness is evident in the flesh.

Angélys is attractive to growers due to good production levels and the ability to withstand long-term storage.

Good Fruit Guide Rating: ****

Angélys is a sweet, firm pear that is best eaten once peeled.

Sweet, fragrant, russeted

Names: Angélys^TM; Angys; PLU 3317;

Origin: Angélys is the result of a cross between Doyenné d’hiver x Doyenné du Comice conducted at INRA, Angers, France. The first commercial plantings in France were in 1999. The variety was bred as a replacement for Passecrasanne, which was losing popularity with consumers.

The licence for Angélys is held by CEP Innovation. In France, the name has recently been changed to Angys.

Grown in: France, Italy, New Zealand

Harvest & Availability: Harvest in the Loire Valley is in late-September, but the fruit tends to be stored until January for marketing reasons. Availability in the UK is generally as follows:

• January:                       France
• February:                     France
• March:                          France
• April:
• May:
• June:                             New Zealand
• July:                              New Zealand
• August:                         New Zealand
• September:
• October:
• November:
• December:

Websites:

INRA – See page 4 for article on Angélys (in French).