Ask a Farmer: FAQs About Gravenstein Apples

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful season for Gravenstein apples. According to farmer Stan Devoto of Devoto Gardens & Orchards in Sebastopol, California, pests have been rare in his orchard this year. He’s also seeing larger apples than usual thanks to late spring rains. In just a few weeks, he’ll start harvesting his crop for The FruitGuys’ 18th-annual Gravenstein Apple Boxes. 

As we eagerly await the arrival of the Grav, we got Stan on the line to ask him a few of the questions we often hear about this special apple. If you’ve ever wondered why some Gravensteins are green and some are red—or why the Gravenstein’s availability changes every year—Stan has the answers for you.

FAQs About Gravenstein Apples

1. Why is growing, buying, and eating Gravenstein apples important? 

The Sebastopol Gravenstein apple is a beloved heirloom variety slowly disappearing from California. It’s considered an “endangered American food” and included in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste. Growing the Grav keeps a historic tradition from 1811 alive, and buying and eating it supports the last Grav farmers left in California. 

“In the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s we had over 14,000 acres of apples in just West County alone, and quite a few of those were Gravensteins,” said Stan, who farms in Sebastopol. “And right now, we’re currently down to a little more than 2,000 acres, and probably 600 of those acres are Gravensteins.”

2. What makes Gravenstein apples grown in Sebastopol, California, so special?

Stan dry-farms his Gravensteins, meaning they get all of their water from natural sources like rain and fog. As a result, he said, “The apples are more solid, have better acid, and really are not diluted with a lot of water. The flavor is just unsurpassed here.”

He explained, “They love the coastal fog, love a cooler temperature—Gravs don’t do well in a hot climate. What ends up happening is they end up getting very soft and mealy [in the heat]. In our climate, they can stay firm; they can stay crisp.”

3. Why are some Gravenstein apples red and other Gravenstein apples green? 

Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t red and green Gravenstein apple trees. Stan told us that Gravensteins are technically a green apple, but the same tree can produce green, red, or Rosebrook (striped) apples! It all depends on how much light each apple gets in the orchard.

“If they’re up near the top of the tree they might have a little more [red] color,” he said. 

4. Do red and green Gravenstein apples taste different?

Some farmers say that green Gravs are more tart while red Gravs lean sweet. But Stan told us that for his Gravensteins, “the color does not affect the flavor.”

5. Why is Gravenstein apple season so short?

Gravensteins are only at their peak flavor for a few weeks each summer, typically in August. The way they taste changes quickly over just three weeks. 

“Initially the first week they’re incredibly tart. By the second week, they’ve developed a little more sugar and are great for eating, baking, and preserving. And then the last week, obviously the color is a little bit more [vibrant] and they are much more sweet,” Stan said. 

That’s why The FruitGuys only sells the Gravenstein Apple Box for two weeks each year. It’s when the Gravs taste their best!

6. Why does the harvest date for Gravensteins change every year?

Gravenstein apples ripen at a different pace depending on the weather. Warm and dry weather means faster ripening, while rain can slow things down. Grav farmers like Stan also have to wait for their trees to bloom before they can estimate when the fruit will be ready. And thanks to the weather, that bloom date changes every year. 

“This year the Gravs bloomed about two and a half weeks later than they did in previous years. So consequently, they’re going to be ripening that much later,” Stan said. 

7. What’s the best way to eat a Gravenstein apple?

Many apple lovers who buy The FruitGuys’s Gravenstein Apple Box turn their Gravs into pies using this award-winning recipe. But for Stan, nothing beats a fresh Grav. 

“They’ve got to be freshly picked right off the tree, and I love them just with a piece of cheese! Personally, I don’t eat that many sweets. I like to really taste my fruit without extra sugar—I think there is ample sugar in the Grav to enjoy it as a dessert apple,” he said. 

Stan’s go-to cheese is the Toma from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. You can check it out here if you’d like to enjoy this season’s Gravs like a Grav farmer.