Perry - The Victorian Way

From 'The Dictionary of Daily Wants' - 1859

PERRY. - A beverage made from pears. The fruit used for this purpose should contain a large proportion of sugar, and be likewise astringent, or the liquor from it will be acetous when it ceases to be saccharine.

In the making of perry, the pears are pressed and ground in precisely the same manner as apples are in the making of cider. The method of fermenting perry is nearly the same as that for cider; but the former does not afford the same indications as the latter by which the proper period of racking off may be known. The thick scum that collects on the surface of cider rarely appears in the juice of the pear, and during the time of the suspension of its fermentation, the excessive brightness of the former liquor is seldom seen in the latter: but when the fruit has been regularly ripe, its produce will generally become moderately clear and quiet, in a few days after it is made, and it should then be drawn off from its grosser lees.

In the after-management of perry, the process is the same as that of cider; but it does not so well bear situations where it is much exposed to change of temperature. In the bottle it almost always retains its good qualities, and in that situation it is always advisable to put it, if it remain sound and perfect at the conclusion of the first succeeding summer.

Victorian Pear Recipes

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