Gravenstein apples are perfect for the kind of apple sauce your Grandmother used to make
Gravenstein apples are a fairly old variety, introduced from Europe in the mid-1800s. This tangy, sweet-tart apple is fairly versatile, but is best known as a sauce apple
Scientific Binomial Name: Malus domestica
Selection Information
Usage:
This tangy, sweet-tart variety is excellent eaten out-of-hand or used in baking. If your Grandmother used to make an incredible applesauce, chances are she used a Gravenstein.
Selection:
Selection: A Good-quality Gravenstein apple will be firm with smooth, clean skin and have good color for the variety. Test the firmness of the apple by holding it in the palm of your hand. (Do not push with your thumb). It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.
Storage:
To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. Apples do not freeze until the temperature drops to 28.5°F.
Avoid:
Avoid product with soft or dark spots. Also if the apple skin wrinkles when you rub your thumb across it, the apple has probably been in cold storage too long or has not been kept cool.
Seasonal Information
Gravenstein apples are available in the Fall.
Gravenstein Apple Nutritional Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 medium apple (154g)
Amount Per Serving
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Source: PMA's Labeling Facts
Gravenstein Apples are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They're also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.
Apple Tips & Trivia
- Gravenstein is one of the few volume varieties in America introduced by Europe. Gravenstein was planted as early as 1820 in Bodega, north of San Francisco. Most early California plantings began about 1850.
- Rub cut apples with lemon juice to keep slices and wedges creamy white for hours.
- Store apples in a plastic bag in the refrigerator away from strong-odored foods such as cabbage or onions to prevent flavor transfer.
- Apples are the second most important of all fruits sold in the supermarket, ranking next to bananas.
- Tens of thousands of varieties of apples are grown worldwide.
- The history of apple consumption dates from Stone Age cultivation in areas we now know as Austria and Switzerland.
- In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage; catching it was acceptance.
- Folk hero Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) did indeed spread the cultivation of apples in the United States. He knew enough about apples, however, so that he did not distribute seeds, because apples do not grow true from seeds. Instead, he established nurseries in Pennsylvania and Ohio.