If it's really green when ripe it is not a Golden Delicious. A Golden Delicious is quite, quite yellow when ripe, and actually is at its best when it is ever so slightly orangeish.
Other than that I do not know. My Newton Pippin is green, and sweet, with a lovely complex flavor and I never add sugar to applesauce made from its apples, but you wouldn't taste it and say "definitely not a cooking apple."
I don't know what varieties of apple are pre-1600 that would do well in a California climate, even an inland one, but if you don't care about the variety being old and you just mean the species, let me put in a vote for Gravenstein. I am very happy with my Newton Pippin but if I had it to do over I'd have gone for the Gravenstein, as I like it at least as well, and it is more suited to the climate and has a smaller tree.
Also: I cannot emphasize strongly enough" go for a true dwarf or resolve your self to a lot of heavy pruning in the early years, or you will regret it when you are a little old lady.
no subject
Other than that I do not know. My Newton Pippin is green, and sweet, with a lovely complex flavor and I never add sugar to applesauce made from its apples, but you wouldn't taste it and say "definitely not a cooking apple."
I don't know what varieties of apple are pre-1600 that would do well in a California climate, even an inland one, but if you don't care about the variety being old and you just mean the species, let me put in a vote for Gravenstein. I am very happy with my Newton Pippin but if I had it to do over I'd have gone for the Gravenstein, as I like it at least as well, and it is more suited to the climate and has a smaller tree.
Also: I cannot emphasize strongly enough" go for a true dwarf or resolve your self to a lot of heavy pruning in the early years, or you will regret it when you are a little old lady.