The Gravenstein Apple Is Coming!

Note: This is an older blog post. For the latest updates on this year’s Gravenstein season, please visit our Annual Gravenstein Apple Box page.

For fruit lovers, Gravenstein apple season is like Christmas in August. The harvest of this endangered Northern California heirloom apple happens in a very short window of just two or three weeks every year. It’s a special moment that kicks off a parade of apple harvests from west to east—and it’s almost upon us.

Gravenstein Apple Box Preorders Are Open!

To celebrate Gravenstein apple season, we’re taking preorders for our 18th-annual Gravenstein Apple Box. To help keep the Grav-growing tradition alive, we give 16% of the proceeds from each box sold back to the growers (in addition to our purchase of their rare, delicious apples).

We’ll deliver this year’s Gravenstein Apple Boxes during the weeks of August 19, August 26, and September 2.

These boxes ship nationwide so we can introduce the Grav’s special flavor to as many people as possible. Purchasing our annual box supports farmers like Stan Devoto and John Kolling, some of the last growers of this special apple in California.

5 Ways to Enjoy Gravensteins

Pie bakers across the country prize the Grav for its perfect baking texture and tartness, but it’s also fantastic to eat out of hand. Here are five ways to celebrate and enjoy it at work or at home.

1. Buy a case and share this rare edible treasure with your in-office staff.
2. Send mini boxes to your remote employees as a seasonal treat.
3. Plan a remote or in-person tasting experience as an employee engagement event. Our team can help set it up—just contact customer service.
4. Order a box for a pie lover or apple aficionado in your circle.
5. Treat yourself to a box and try your hand at baking this Prize-winning Gravenstein Apple Pie.

The History & Farmers Behind the Grav

Gravenstein apples are an “endangered American food,” included in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste, a living collection of heritage foods in danger of extinction. There used to be many more Gravenstein orchards around Sebastopol, California, but housing development, more profitable wine grape production, and cheaper overseas imports for apple juice and sauce have greatly reduced their numbers. Only a handful of farmers continue to grow Gravensteins.

Since 2006, we have offered our Gravenstein Apple Box to support the last few remaining commercial Grav growers—including Stan and John. They set the price for the apples we purchase and then we give them back 16% of the revenue from box sales in addition to what we pay for the apples.

You can meet Stan and John in the video below and hear how the Gravenstein Apple Box has changed their orchards for the better.

We can’t wait to bring Gravenstein apples to fruit fans across the country who love them as much as we do. If you’re one of those folks, click here to place your preorder and help us save and celebrate the Grav.

This blog was originally posted on July 18, 2024. It was updated on August 19, 2024.