Pome fruits are a type of fruit produced by members of the rose family. They consist of a thick, fleshy outer layer that we commonly eat and a central core that contains the seeds, which is surrounded by a papery or leathery membrane. Unlike many other fruits, most of the edible portion of a pome develops from the flower’s hypanthium rather than the ovary itself. Common examples of pome fruits include apples, pears, quinces, and medlars.
Apple
Apples are the most widely known and planted pome fruit. They are well-known for eating, juice-making, sauce-making, and cider-making. While the most common apple is the domesticated orchard apple, Malus domestica, there are many species of apple within the genus Malus. These are typically referred to as crab apples or wild apples.
There are over 7,500 different varieties of cultivated apples. Each apple tree grown from seed will produce a new variety, as most apples cannot self-pollinate. This means that introducing a new variety is as easy as planting an apple seed.
Apples used in cidermaking can be classified into four categories: sweet, sharp, bittersweet, and bittersharp. The “sharpness” refers to the level of acidity in the apples (an thus in the final drink), and the “bitterness” refers to the level of tannin, or bitterness. Different regions produce different types of apples, and the cider made in each region will reflect the types of apples grown.
Pear
Pears are the next most common pome fruit. They come from trees of the genus Pyrus. There are four main types of pears produced for eating: the European pear (Pyrus communis), the Chinese white pear (Pyrus × bretschneideri), the Chinese pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) and the Nashi pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). There are thousands of cultivars of these pears.
Fermented pear juice beverages can be called “perry” or “pear cider.” In some regions, pear and apple juice are traditionally mixed (e.g. for making Most in the Mostviertel).
Some pears, especially pears traditionally used in perry-making, have very high levels of tannins. Pears also have unfermentable sugars, including sorbitol, meaning that even fully fermented perries will have more sweetness compared to apple ciders.
Quince
Quince is best known for making jelly or paste, but can also make delicious juice and cider. It tends to have a very aromatic and floral aroma that can be very strong, and will survive through fermentation. It is often combined with apple to make cider, and its strong flavors can easily overpower the underlying apple flavor, even when included in relatively small amounts.
Medlar
about medlars
Serviceberry
Comes from the service tree (sorbus domestica)
Rowan / Mountain ash
Sorbus aucuparia