Gritty Pears

[Lady Gardener]

I have an old pear tree in the garden. The pears are a good size & ripened nicely after picking but...

They are very gritty near the pips. The grittiness persists after cooking.

Is this down to variety, growing conditions or what?

[Granny]

I'm afraid I don't know the answer but I have a couple of very old pear trees, the fruits which are inedible because they are so grainy. Not even nice when cooked. I wondered if they were a 'perry' type of pear. I've got no idea of the varieties. They are large, mainly greenish with a large blush of red.
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Granny

[Essexboy]

I am not sure ladies, and someone out there may correct me, but I once heard/read somewhere that grittiness in pears has something to do with insects.I believe that it does not affect the edibility of the pears.