Gravenstein Apples

 

In my last post Jan H. was curious about my mention of Gravenstein apples. She did a little research and found they are an endangered apple. Many people don't know about this beautiful apple.

"Gravs, as fans call them, are delicious and versatile. Depending on the degree of ripeness, they can be perfect for munching or making into apple sauce, apple pies, and other baked goodies. People have long believed that the Gravenstein was brought to Sonoma County (California) sometime around 1812 by Russian fur trappers at Fort Ross."  I always thought they came from Scandanavia, but maybe it was Russia. Some are stripey like the picture above and some have a soft yellow green skin.

The main reason you don't see them in the market is because they don't transport well, they bruise easily. That is probably why they are diminishing.

You might ask how I know so much about this lovely apple. I will tell you. My grandpa was an apple grower in Colorado in the early 1900's. Then because my grandma wanted to move to California, he took up growing in the Sonoma County area about the 1930's. He fell in love with the Gravenstein apple and started growing them. Two of my aunts/uncles then had orchards on each side of my grandpa about the time I was born in the 1940's. The grandchildren came along, there ended up being 27 of us. I was the second grandchild and oldest girl. We all, at times, worked in one way or the other with the apples. It might have been picking them from the ground, sorting them in the packing house, or making boxes.

My sister still lives on 2 acres of what was our grandpa's orchard. There are still Gravenstein apple trees on her property. She makes gallons and gallons of apple juice each year, which she shares with her four sons and their families.  

My uncles orchard is now mostly in grapes. Yes, Sonoma County later became wildly popular for growing wine grapes. My uncle would be so sad to see all the grapes on his property. The new owners did leave the apple trees to border the vineyard, just to honor the history of the Gravenstein.

My aunts each thought they made the best Gravenstein pies. It was a fun family tradition. To this day several of the girl cousins still think they make the best Gravenstein pie. Of course, I think mine is the best. Each August I make sure to get enough Gravenstein's to have 2-4 pie fillings in my freezer. They are indeed getting harder to find and a very short season when I do find some. There are just a few growers here in Oregon that grow them, but they just aren't the Gravenstein's I find in Sonoma County, California. The tradition does carry on.

And thus, the people that shared my pie at the Harvest Festival last Saturday didn't know this story of my apple pie, but they enjoyed it just the same.

One more time with the picture of the Gravenstein apple pie. When I started making these pies I would put a butterfly on the top, that has become my mark for the pies I bake.

Hope you enjoyed the story of the Gravenstein apples. My post is early, as I am leaving town in a couple hours for a little R&R and a bunch of tea at the Northwest (Seattle) Tea Festival. See you here later next week.

Sending love,

Marilyn