Hi
My neighbor has some Callery Pear trees cut down and so I’m wondering if it would be any good for use in a brick pizza oven? Any experience with using this wood in your oven? So far I’ve only used oak, ash, and a little apple wood.
Thanks.
Greg
Hi Greg,
So, here’s where the Web is definitely your friend. We don’t have these in my area (that I know of).
Callery Pear is an umbrella term for a number of ornamental trees, such as Bradford Pear. The skinny on it is that it’s good for burning, similar to apple, pear, and other fruitwoods, but the downside is that the smoke doesn’t impart much aroma or flavor like fruitwoods or the hardwoods you have been burning.
Here’s more details (this site is more about smoking than it is all-out flame cooking):
I’d take it, and of course you’ll need to split it and let it season to get the moisture content way down.
Hope this helps!
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Hi Matt!
I actually did a few searches before posting this question. Most things that I found suggest that this type of wood is good for burning, just as the article that you linked does. I found at least one that suggested the smoke from pear will make foods taste bitter so I thought I would ask here just in case anyone may have actually used pear firewood.
Given the high cost of firewood in my area ($280 to $300 per cord delivered), I am going to go for it. 
Thanks very much for helping (as always).
Greg
What I should have said above is that the Web is my friend on stuff like this. 
The only reference I found was someone who didn’t like the scent of the flowers or vegetation so they made the leap that the wood must smell bad when it’s burned.
Since the general rules for wood are (1) no resin-laden woods like pine; (2) hardwoods burn longer; (3) all wood needs to be clean and seasoned…I think you’re justified in looking beyond oak and ash. I’ve started keeping an eye on the various arborists visiting my neighbors. Some haul the wood away to be used in a firewood supply business, and others mostly chip and get rid of the rest as best they can. Those are the ones I like to talk with.
I once bought a cord of wood from an ad, for fireplace use. What was delivered was not split well, probably short of a cord, and covered with vines that turned out to be poison ivy.
Lesson learned.
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Thanks for sharing Matt, and I agree - when you buy, you never quite know what you’re going to get.
I made a deal with my neighbor that I would turn their downed trees into pizza to make it a win-win. So I get some firewood for the pizza oven, and exercise. They get an occasional pizza when we fire up the oven. I even bought some reasonably priced 12" pizza boxes from Walmart for pizzas to go. The price was good and they are very sturdy.
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When I was younger I did some logging for extra money. The short and simple version of wood is that any tree with leaves is a hardwood, any with needles is a soft wood. Granted some hardwoods are much harder than others, and tend to release different flavors while burning the very high temperature of a pizza fire tends to not let much or any flavor from the wood remain in the oven. Now a lower fire for other cooking is where I’d be concerned about the flavor from the wood you chose.
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I’d stick with hardwood that you know is good I like ash, hickory and oak
Ash especially burns real hot. I throw some mini splits in right before i put the pizza in
it lights quick and burns like a beast
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