I got the impression from last year, my first, that the pears at the All About Fruit Show were all crunchy. I'm assuming that includes the ones that are normally eaten soft.
Is that recollection accurate? If so, what good does it do to taste the unripened fruit? Is there something that can be learned from them?
I must admit I wasn't paying too much attention because I was pretty overwhelmed by the time I was done tasting the millions of apple varieties.
This year I'll probably be psyching myself up to taste the quince. I should probably wait until I've tasted the more delicate fruits first for fear of paralyzing my taste buds.
The All About Fruit Show's tough... some things are gone, and other's aren't ripe by showtime. I've often mentioned the orchard of a past friend in Sherwood (Ore.), every time I'd walk that orchard I'd find a new favorite apple! Everything appears to peak. I've been amazed (if guility of not partisipating as I should in our Fall Event) by the quality and quanity of fruit on display, until I find they own a 'walk-in' cooler! That would answer the question of how they still have Gravenstiens in October!
Many of the 'best' pears are late, and still 'crunchy' at showtime. And, pears need cold storage to ripen to perfection. And keep in mind what's being described as 'a pear.' There are a multitude of Asian Pears that for years have been refered to as "Apple Pears" due to their crunchy texture - that never do soften... My pears all begin to fall when they're still crunchy, even the Bartletts. Some, like Bosc, I prefer crunchy! Others, like Comice, I can't get to soften before their cores rot ... so I eat them crunchy too (or grind them into juice!).
I'm as inspired lookeing at the fruit as I am tasting it -- as it often looks too good to eat! I think you'd do well to attend our excursions to the Pear Repository in Corvalious... but it was nearly the same situation on my visit; there fruit hung on the trees, each at a different stage of readyness -- but what can you tell from that? But way back our fall Fruit Show got me in loads of trouble! I'm still trying to dig, prune, and now type my way out!
And everyone's got to try a quince - followed quickly by an astrigent persimmon! ...then toutch your tounge to some fig leaf sap and nothing may ever taste the same 
Thanks Viron,
I think the Asian pears were generally grouped together, and most of them have that characteristic shape.
I'd like to get some pear varieties to graft to my sisters tree, and yes, eventually my apple tree. When it comes to European pears I greatly prefer the melting, juicy, sweet, fragrant type. From what I've read those will only ripen properly if picked while still firm, stored cold for a period of time, and then allowed to soften at room temperature.
I've read that if they are left on the tree long enough to soften they will rot from the inside out.
I've only tried one variety of quince, pineapple. And I liked it so much (cooked) that I got a quince rootstock from the HOS grafting class and collected some scionwood from the only tree whose fruits I'd tasted. It started slow but that tree seems to be happy with its 4" of growth 
I've tasted it fresh, juiced with sugar, sauced with sugar, in jelly I made, and in a quince butter. All of the cooked versions were quite good.
BTW, I didn't taste any fresh quince at the show, but I did taste a couple of cider apples that made pineapple quince taste bland. Not only astringent, but bitter bitter bitter, like grapefruit pith.
Idyllwild
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Marsha H
Viron
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