Everything about Gravenstein totally explained
Gravenstein (Danish:
Gråsten-Æble) is a variety of
apple native to
Gråsten in
South Jutland,
Denmark. The variety was discovered in 1669 as a chance seedling, although there's some evidence that the variety originated in Italy and traveled north.
Description and growing conditions
The Gravenstein apple is considered by many to be one of the best all-around apples with a sweet, tart flavor and is especially good for baking and cooking. It is picked in July and August and is known as a good cooking apple, especially for
apple sauce and
apple cider. It doesn't keep well, so it's available only in season. In addition, their short stems and variable ripening times make harvesting and selling difficult.
The skin is a delicately waxy yellow-green with crimson spots and reddish lines, but the apple may also occur in a classically red variation.
These red apples, commonly known as
Red Gravensteins, are considered a sport rather than a true variety. The flesh is juicy, finely grained, and light yellow. Full-size trees have a strong branching structure; the wood is brownish-red and the leaves are large, shiny, and dark green. It grows best in moderate, damp, loamy soil with minimal soil drying during the summer months. Locations close to watercourses and edges of ponds are preferred. Gravensteins won't thrive in areas of high groundwater and require moderate protection against wind. The plant is a triploid variety. It requires pollination from another variety, but won't itself return the favour.
Areas of production
In
Austria, Gravensteins are used for the production of high-quality brandy (
Obstler) that's particularly popular in the southern
Steiermark).
In
Denmark Food Minister
Hans Christian Schmidt proclaimed the Gravenstein to be the "national apple" on
18 September 2005, although its market share has since decreased in relation to imported apples.
In the
United States, they're found most widely on the west coast, and in particular, around the
Sonoma County, California, town of
Sebastopol.
Luther Burbank praised the apple, "It has often been said that if the Gravenstein could be had throughout the year, no other apple need be grown."
During the first half of the
20th century, Gravensteins were the major variety of apples grown in western
Sonoma County, and were the source for
apple sauce and
dried apples for the U.S. troops in
World War II. Most of the orchards in Sonoma County are now gone due to a combination of
suburban development, a shift to
wine production, and economic changes in the
apple industry. Only six commercial growers and one commercial processor remain in Sonoma County as of
2006. In
2005,
Slow Food USA declared the Gravenstein apple a heritage food and included it in their
Ark of taste. Slow Food USA reports that production in Sonoma County is currently 750,000 boxes (15,000 tons) of Gravensteins a year; a third of the fruit (250,000 boxes) is of premium market quality.
History
The Gravenstein was introduced to western
North America in the early
19th century, perhaps by
Russian fur traders, who are said to have planted a tree at
Fort Ross in
1811. The Gravenstein apple was introduced to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in the 19th century. Charles Rammage Prescott, the father of the Nova Scotian apple industry, grew Nova Scotia's first Gravensteins in his orchard at Acacia Grove. By 1859, Gravenstein trees were commonly cultivated on Nova Scotian farms. The Gravenstein apple is still considered the choicest apple by many Nova Scotians.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gravenstein'.
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