Eldorado is said to be a very high quality pear. Does anyone have experience with this seedling variety that was grown originally in el dorado California? Here is a little information http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/24426/CLNO618.pdf?sequence=1. For those not familiar with the legends of eldorado you should read this El Dorado - Wikipedia and it gives you an idea of what the county where the pear was found is named after. Here is more information from ARS grin about the pear " El Dorado (PI 541388). Originated in Placerville, El Dorado County, California, by Robert Patterson. Introduced in 1945. Considered to be an open-pollinated seedling of Bartlett; discovered in 1931; Patterson secured grafting wood from the original tree during 1935-40. Fruit: large, sometimes larger than Bartlett; skin very smooth, greenish-yellow, not changing to yellow as does Bartlett upon ripening; flesh quality fair to excellent, depending upon time of harvest, storage, and ripening conditions; sweet, with fair balance of sugar to acid; texture smooth, melting, with few grit cells; ripens very late, beginning about the third week in September; keeps well in cold storage at 30 to 32F until May and June; home cans very well; considered as a possible replacement for Anjou. Tree: growth habit similar to Bartlett. – Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties. "- https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?accid=%20PI+541388
Sure looks like a Bartlett. Sounds like a great find, Clark.
Eldorado on September 19th is showing no signs of being ripe yet. That’s actually a good thing for me I have plenty of high quality pears ripening right now.
Long term I hope it’s not this late. Picked it to ripen inside today is November 7th. There was only one left on the tree. Something stole most of these right beside 2 other trees that were loaded with fruit. That’s a big compliment and soon I will find out why.
That’s great news Clark. I look forward to hear how this tastes and stores as I grafted it several years ago.
Today November 13th I ate the Eldorado pear finally. It was not 100% ripe but was very close. It’s clearly the highest quality pear I have this time of year. For a very late pear it tasted surprisingly like the earlier higher quality pears like Harrow sweet. It’s more course or perhaps that’s just because it’s the first year. Highly recommend growing it.
Have several trees of eldorado and another tree half grafted to it.