Course:FNH200/Projects/2026/Perry

Introduction

History and traditional growing region

Perry, known as poiré in France, is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting pear juice (essentially cider's pear-based cousin). The pears used are not the ones found in grocery stores. Perry pears are high in astringent tannins and acidity, which makes them excellent for fermentation but essentially inedible raw, and they are thought to descend from hybrids of the cultivated pear Pyrus communis subsp. communis and the now-rare wild Pyrus communis subsp. pyraster.

Perry Pear Family

The drink has a long history: Pliny the Elder mentions a pear that yields a drink in his Natural History of 77 AD. In Britain, perry-making dates to sometime after the Norman Conquest and was well established in the west of England by the 1500s, centred on the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. These counties are widely recognised as the birthplace of the perry pear, and their orchards reached their peak in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, when perry was made on almost every farm and estate. Only three regions still produce it in any real quantity today: the Three Counties, the Domfrontais in Normandy, and the Mostviertel in Austria.

Perry pears

Endangerment

Perry is considered endangered because almost nothing about it suits large-scale production. Perry pear orchards take at least 25 years before they bear fruit, and many varieties were only ever grown in a single village or on a few neighbouring farms, so the fruit is slow to establish and difficult to source anywhere else.

Production started falling once mechanized farming spread in the late 19th century, and the losses since have been dramatic: more than 80% of the traditional orchards in the Three Counties have disappeared since the 1950s, and France's Domfrontais went from roughly 1.5 million trees to about 100,000 by 1999.

Disease adds to the pressure, since fire blight can wipe out an entire orchard in one season. Europe has responded with legal protection: the Three Counties hold Protected Geographical Indications, and Poiré Domfront is the only protected designation of origin for a perry anywhere in the world. Canada offers no equivalent, and perry falls outside the compositional standard for cider entirely.

Perry pears and juice composition

Varieties

Perry pears differ from dessert pears in that they are small, hard, and high in acid and tannin, which makes them unsuitable for fresh eating but well suited to fermentation. Cider makers traditionally classify perry pear varieties along a spectrum from "sweet" (low acid, low tannin) to "bittersharp" (high acid, high tannin) and most quality perry is made by blending varieties from different points on this spectrum rather than using a single type. Blakeney Red, one of the more widely grown English varieties, is reliable-cropping and balanced enough to make a decent single-variety perry, while sharper varieties are usually blended with sweeter pears to soften their astringency. Because many traditional perry pear varieties were historically grown in only one village or on a handful of neighbouring farms, hundreds of distinct local varieties have been documented in England alone, and many of these remain rare or unavailable outside their original growing region.

Juice composition

Pear juice differs chemically from apple juice in ways that directly affect fermentation and flavour. Pears contain notably higher levels of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that yeast cannot ferment, so it remains in the finished beverage and gives perry a natural residual sweetness even when fermented fully dry. Fructose is the dominant sugar in pear juice, making up roughly 7% of the juice by weight, with smaller amounts of glucose and sucrose. Perry juice is naturally acidic, generally falling between pH 3.6 and 3.8, and unlike apple juice, where malic acid dominates, many pear varieties also contain substantial citric acid. This is significant for stability during fermentation, since citric acid can convert to acetic acid if the process is not well controlled (see Acetification, above). Perry pears are also comparatively high in tannins and phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid and related hydroxycinnamic acids, which contribute the bitterness and astringency that distinguish perry from cider made with dessert-style fruit.

Production

Pear Selection and Juice Extraction

Perry production begins with selecting and harvesting ripe pears. The pears are then placed in cold storage to ripen for a couple of weeks to a month. Selecting the best ripeness conditions on the pear is critical during juice extraction. When the pear is pressed unripe, the fruit juice flavor will become diluted. Moreover, if high-tannin varieties are used, the difficulty of filtering out suspended solids from the liquid to achieve a clear juice will become significantly harder. On the other hand, if an overripe pear is pressed, pressing becomes difficult because the pulp turns mucilaginous and tannin levels may drop excessively, and decaying fruit introduces harmful microorganisms that spoil the flavor.

Therefore, once optimal ripeness is reached, processing begins with sanitation and fruit preparation. All extraction and fermentation equipment including cider presses, fermenters, tubing and bottles are cleaned and sanitized in hot water and sanitizing solutions to prevent microbial spoilage. The pears are then washed to remove surface dirt, cut into smaller pieces to eliminate rotten parts, crushing them into a pulp manually or mechanically, and slowly pressing the pulp in a cider press to collect clean juice for fermentation in a sanitized container.

Primary Fermentation and Yeast Strains

After the pear juice has been extracted and transferred into a sanitized fermentation container, it is inoculated with a suitable yeast strain. During primary fermentation, natural or added strains of yeast convert the sugars in pear juice into ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide. Different yeast strains can produce differences in the chemical composition and sensory characteristics of the perry. Common commercial starter yeasts include Saccharomyces bayanus, also known as Champagne Yeast, and Saccharomyces uvarum which are used for their reliable fermentation performance. The use of other strains is also being studied, and Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, either individually or in mixed cultures, were found to successfully ferment pear juice and produce perries that were positively accepted by consumers in a preference test.

Fermentation progress can be monitored by measuring specific gravity of the perry as the yeast consumes the available sugars. Once the specific gravity remains stable over repeated measurements, primary fermentation can be considered complete.

Racking and Secondary (Bottle) Fermentation

After primary fermentation is complete, the perry is racked into a sanitized vessel using a siphon to separate the liquid from the sediment settled at the bottom of the initial vessel. Fine sediment may remain, causing the perry to appear hazy, and additional racking can be performed to further clarify the beverage.

The perry is then ready for bottling, where secondary fermentation can produce natural carbonation. A measured amount of priming sugar is added to the fermented perry before it is transferred into a sanitized bottle. The remaining yeast ferments the additional sugar and produces carbon dioxide, creating carbonation. Pear juice also naturally contains sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that is not fermented by many conventional yeasts and can remain and give a sweeter taste to the finished perry.

Common Defects and Spoilage

Acetification

When exposed to oxygen, acetic acid bacteria convert ethanol to acetic acid during fermentation. This is a risk in perry production because pears contain both citric and malic acid, and citric acid can convert into acetic acid if production isn't tightly controlled, which can ruin an entire batch. Acetic acid produces a sharp, vinegary aroma and flavor.

Cider Sickness

It is a bacterial spoilage caused by Zymomonas bacteria and can occur in perries that are low in acidity and still contain fermentable sugars. The bacteria ferment residual sugars and produce excessive carbon dioxide, acetaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide. This leads to cloudiness or a milky appearance, an overpressure with gas bubbles in bottles, reduces sweetness and gives off strong aromas like rotten lemon. . Temperatures below 50°F and lowering pH by adding malic acid can inhibit further growth of bacteria.

Packaging and Storage

Containers and Closures

Perry packaged in Glass Bottle

As perry is a liquid and alcoholic item, packaging material must be able to contain the liquid and preserve quality. Therefore, it is crucial that perry be packaged in a well sealed container. If not sealed properly, the product could be damaged by outside moisture or toxins. Packaging that serves as a light barrier is not necessary, though it may help preserve quality.

Perry for sale is generally packaged in glass bottles, though some brands offering canned or bag-in-box packaged products. Glass bottles offer several advantages for packaging perry as they are recyclable, protect the beverage from outside moisture and air, and make the product aesthetically pleasing. Glass is also BPA free, unlike plastic, making it a good option to protect food safety. For perry packaged in cans and bag-in-box, there is the added advantage that the packaging serves as a light barrier.

Microbial Stabilization

Microorganisms are stabilized in perry through its acids, alcohol content, and storage techniques. As a fermented product, perry relies on yeast then lactic acid bacteria for alcohol conversion. As covered in Lesson 9, fermentation itself is the product of microorganisms. The fermentation of perry produces acids and alcohols. Alcohol suppresses spoilage-causing microorganisms and aids in the preservation of food. However, in the case of perry, while the alcohol content and acidity have an antimicrobial effect that works as a preservative, perry's alcohol content is not sufficient to fully prevent microbial growth. Therefore, perry must be stored properly and consumed within its intended shelf-life to prevent spoilage-causing microorganism growth and ensure safe consumption.

Storage Condition and Shelf Life

Perry must be properly sealed to maintain carbonation and prevent oxidation. Unopened perry should be refrigerated to be stored at 4-7°C. Perry has a delicate flavour profile, meaning it is more susceptible to flavour changes caused by temperature irregularities, making stable refrigeration crucial. As noted in Lesson 7, refrigeration limits the growth of microorganisms in food; however, psychrotrophs continue to live and multiply at refrigerated temperatures. Therefore, since perry does not have enough alcohol to fully prevent microbial growth, refrigeration is required.

In general, perry can be stored for 6 months to a year with proper refrigeration and storage. Once opened, perry bottles should be consumed within 2-3 days. It is important to note, however, that these guidelines may vary depending on the producer.

Food and Safety Regulations

Labelling requirements

Perry and other alcoholic drinks sold in Canada must comply with all labeling requirements under the Food and Drugs Act and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

For perry specifically, includes (but not limited to) the following:

1. List of ingredients
   • Unlike some other alcoholic drinks, perry is not exempt from listing ingredients.
2. Alcohol by volume declaration
   • "All alcoholic beverages containing 1.1% or more alcohol by volume must declare the percentage by volume of alcohol contained in the product"

Canadian Food Compositional Standards

The Canadian Food Compositional Standards (CFCS) is part of the Food and Drug Regulations and all foods classified within it are subject to the Food and Drugs Act. Per the CFCS, all ciders must be an apple juice product. As a result, traditional perry which contains only pear juice is not considered a cider and rather an unstandardized alcoholic beverage.

Note, there are some pear cider beverages available in Canada. These are apple juice ciders with pear flavour added and not the same as perry.

One Relevant Exam Question

Perry is made by fermenting pear juice, and yeast converts fermentable sugars into ethanol and CO₂. Despite this, perry almost always retains a noticeable natural sweetness even when fermentation runs to completion ("fermented dry"). What compound is responsible for this residual sweetness, and why doesn't fermentation remove it?

a) Fructose — yeast prefers glucose and leaves fructose behind

b) Sorbitol — a sugar alcohol that yeast cannot ferment

c) Citric acid — masks dryness by lowering perceived acidity

d) Malic acid — converts to sugar during aging

Correct answer: b) Sorbitol — a sugar alcohol that yeast cannot ferment

Explanation: Our group believe this is a good question because it sets up paradox how fermentation convert sugars to ethanol and the sweeteners should not remain. It also aligns with the course material taught in FNH 200 on the topic of fermentation.