The earliest known reference to Taynton Squash is from 1679, in a book titled Pomona, or an Appendix Concerning Fruit Trees, in Relation to Cider, the Making, and Several Ways of Ordering it. Daniel Collwall writes the following: “About Taynton, Five Miles beyond Glocester, is a mixt sort of land, partly Clay, a Marle, and Crash, as they call it there, on all which sorts of land, there is much Fruit growing, both for the Table and for Cider: But it is Pears it most abounds in, of which the best sort, is that they name the Squosh-Pear, which makes the best Perry in those Parts.” (An Account of Perry and Cider Out of Glocestershire, by Daniel Collwall) We now know this ‘Squosh-Pear’ from Taynton as Taynton Squash. And you can buy your very own tree, grafted through the centuries from the original perry pears of Taynton, England. Like other pears classified as perry pears, Taynton Squash is not good for fresh eating. It’s for making into perry – that is, cider made from pears. Taynton Squash is an early season pear with medium acids and tannins. It has green-yellow skin with a brownish-red blush, and while I have not had my own trees ripen yet, I am told it ripens mid-late September in England, and mid-September in western Oregon. It can be pruned to keep relatively small, or allowed to grow into a large tree that rains down pears each autumn. If you want an in-depth read about this variety, you may like this article: The quest for Taynton Squash, and a single variety from Bartestree. References: Pomona, or an Appendix Concerning Fruit Trees, in Relation to Cider, the Making, and Several Ways of Ordering it. Fruit and Nut Cultivars Database. Image credit: Joan Morgan 2023. Joan has published an incredible book on pears - The Book of Pears: The Definitive History and Guide to Over 500 Varieties - and an exceptional website about pears to accompany her book.
