venturabananas

So what does California Gold taste like? Sounds like Brent won't be able to say about this bunch for another month or so, but surely given how popular this variety has been with members of this org, several of you should be able to weigh in on the flavor.

Is it worth growing CA gold if you live in a warmer area, where you could grow other varieties without worrying about them making it through the winter?

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Bananaman88

I just added a photo of the fruit I harvest off of this plant today to the first post in this thread. It was just over 4 months from the time the first fruit appeared to harvest. The fruit turned yellow almost overnight. I have never seen fruit change color so quickly. I ate one today and it was very good, though very similar in taste to my 'Orinoco'.

venturabananas

Brent, thanks for the info on the flavor of the CA Gold. To my untrained eye, those fruits sure look a lot like Orinoco fruits, so I'm not surprised they taste like that variety. Congrats on the harvest! I'd sure love to have some of those bananas in my morning bowl of Cheerios!

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Gabe15

'California Gold' is a Bluggoe banana, specifically a form of 'Dwarf Orinoco', this has been clear for quite awhile now. The only question about it that's really remaining, is how different it is from the common 'Dwarf Orinoco', or if it is really different at all. Since it's claim to fame (cold hardiness) has nothing to do with morphology, it is unlikely any difference will be observed just by looking at the plants. What needs to happen is for many people to grow 'Dwarf Orinoco' and 'California Gold' side by side across many different climates to see how they react in cold weather. To really get the most out of it, they should be grown in marginal climates where 'Dwarf Orinoco' may struggle some or needs extra help in the winter, then you could easily see if 'California Gold' is really better in colder climates. If 'Dwarf Orinoco' grows fine for you, 'California Gold' should be nearly, if not completely, identical in habit. If there is any uniqueness about it, it is still certainly a sport from common 'Dwarf Orinoco'.

Regarding it's eating quality, I have never eaten it, but I have had various other Bluggoes ('Orinoco', 'Cachaco', 'Dole', 'Largo', some unknown ones too), and they tend to be extremely soft, nearly falling apart when fully ripe, with some sweetness and acidity, but relatively bland. I find it's hard to eat very much of them at one time when ripe, it's very easy for me to saturate on them really quickly, whereas other varieties I could eat many. If I was growing them, I try to use them primarily as a cooking banana, and if they don't all get used up then, and I'm hungry, then as a dessert banana. But we must always remember that everyone's taste and preference is different, so don't get too caught up in how other people rate and describe different varieties.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Bananaman88

The one I ate yesterday yielded slightly when squeezed so I deterimined that it was ready to eat. I had no problem with it trying to fall apart on me (never had that problem with 'Orinoco' either but perhaps mine weren't as ripe as the Blulggoes you ate) and I thought the taste was very good, with a "tangy" quality to it, again, just like my 'Orinoco' in the past. When I peeled the fruit of the CG yesterday, the fruit had a "mealy" look to it, if that makes sense, same as I have observed with 'Orinoco' in the past. By "mealy" I mean it doesn't look nice and smooth like a peeled Cavendish. I guess you'd have to see it to know what I mean. If I think to, the next time I eat one, I'll try to take a picture of it as I peel it so everyone can see.

Gabe15

Here is a peeled ripe fruit ('Orinoco') as Brent has described.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

ron_mcb

Sometimes i wonder why so few zone 8/9 people have ever taken dwarf orinoco and cali-gold and left them both in the ground over winter unprotected to help debunk some of the myths? Maybe its because most people see C.G. as trophy plants??? U folks should already know what would happen to a cali gold if i found one in my mailbox

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naw mek smaddi ditate fi yuh. naw wan gwan a pawty yuh naggo.

BB73

I'm in one of that marginal zones and have both plants. My California Gold is already in ground. My Dw. Orinoco is still very small, but I like to try them next year side by side. We'll see what happens!

Bananaman88

Thanks, Gabe...that's pretty much what they look like.