Gravenstein

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Gravenstein

Standard Information
Origin	Denmark 1669, the name comes from the Gravenstein region in South Jutland, Denmark
Type	???
Crossed with	???
List of Apple Varieties

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 is some evidence that the variety originated in Italy and traveled north.

[edit] 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 does not keep well, and so is 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 and minimal soil drying during the summer months. Locations close to watercourses and edges of pond are preferred. Gravensteins will not thrive in areas of high groundwater and require moderate protection against wind.

[edit] Areas of Production

In Austria, Gravensteins are used for the production of high-quality brandy (Obstler) that is particularly popular in the southern Steiermark).

In Denmark Food Minister Hans Christian Schmidt proclaimed the Gravenstein to be the "national apple" on September 18, 2005, although its market share has since decreased in relation to imported apples.

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. They were also introduced to Nova Scotia, Canada in the mid-19th century and remain an important apple variety there. In the United States, they are found most widely on the west coast, and in particular, in Sonoma County, California. 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 Gravenstein a year; a third of the fruit (250,000 boxes) is of premium market quality.