Description
Gravenstein is an heirloom apple with a thin skin and a juicy, sweet flavor. It is prized for its culinary use, especially in pies, sauces, and ciders. Grav is an early season apple, harvested in August, and it does not store well.
Discovered: 1600s, Germany or Italy
Parentage: Unknown
Harvest: Early Season
History
Gravenstein’s history is not certain, but it may have originated in Denmark in 1669. Gravenstein is the German name for the town of Gråsten in southern Denmark. It may be one of four Russian apples imported to the United States by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in the 1800s.
