The Red Gravenstein is a pretty and popular early apple, good for pies and tasty for munching fresh from the tree. It is sweet and a little spicy, with mild acidity.

Like many early apples, I find they tend to water out in a pie, so plan accordingly with a little more flour and maybe a little shorter baking time.

Annette has them on my pilgrimage list every September so she can make the first apple pie of the season. I usually find them at the School House Farm on the west side of Route 1 in in Warren, Maine, between Waldoboro and Rockland.