North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] Conference pears set fruit without pollen

    Dang, this post reminds me of how LONG I've been in NAFEX.  This same sort of topic came up years ago in POMONA when there was a discussion of seedless apples.  There was even someone who was breeding them, but found just what you mentioned - the seeds are gone but the core remains.  Several triploid apples, like Gravenstein, will set seedless apples very frequently. 
    Nowdays there IS one way to use seedless apples or pears;  blend them in a high speed blender like Vita mix.  Nip out the calyx and stem and the whole fruit can be blended as the tough core material will be blended up with it.  With no seeds, you won't get any cyanide.
-Lon Rombough
>  I don't see anything desirable about seedless pears other
> than the ability to have a pear harvest even when spring conditions
> prevent pollination from occurring.  That often comes in handy here in
the wet Pacific Northwest.