This week’s staff pick is the lovely Gravenstein apple!
As autumn rounds the corner, the selection of apples on our produce aisle is expanding in variety and flavor. We’ve got Jazz, Braeburn, Pink Ladies, and Honeycrisp (among the usual suspects). But, now is the time for the Gravenstein.

This year’s local crop of Gravenstein apples is in. They are especially famous among our Bay Area chefs and apple connoisseurs. The rich flavor of the Gravenstein apple is enhanced through cooking—bringing out its tart sweetness and winey, floral aroma. It tastes like the perfect baked apple.

The Gravenstein is one of the earliest apples to ripen in the Northern Hemisphere each year and one of the first local apples to arrive in our store each fall. It has a crisp, slightly acidy, tart-sweet flavor and is juicy with a full apple aroma. The Gravenstein—which has been in cultivation for at least 350 years—just might be the perfect embodiment of a delicious “old-fashioned” apple.

Because the Gravenstein is thin-skinned, it bruises easily and does not ship well. So, it has not had large-scale commercial success. This means we get a fresh, seasonal crop each year and when they are gone, they’re gone!

So, stop by the store and grab a bag for great eating and baking!