Sun washed Sonoma County Summer and Early Autumn. The air is crisp and clear, and the orchards are bearing their fabulous, winey, tart and crisp apple, the Granvenstein. Not much to look at, with little brown spots, yellow with a ting of red, but what unforgettable flavor. Gravensteins make great juice, are good cooking apples, and great out of hand eating. Getting them however is a neat trick. They are available predominately on the West Coast, however, occasionally a savvy produce buyer will get them in for you if you request them. They do not keep well in cold storage, and again, aren't as pretty as say a Golden Delicious, but they do blow the door handles off of the pretty blond of the Apple world. 

Apples come in various grades: Extra Fancy, Fancy, and No.1. The top two grades of apples are based on exterior appearance and size.  Apples should be stored at 31 to 32 degrees F at 85-90% relative humidity. Keep them in their boxes as they can absorb odors, and they give off ethylene gas that can hasten ripening in other fruits and vegetables.. Apples come packed in 38-42 # cartons, and 40-45# tray packs with  counts of 48, 56, 64, 72, 80 ,88, 100, 120, 140, 160,  200 or 216 for the smallest.  One medium apple  equals one cup diced apples.

Apple information can be found at this link:
http://thebarlowco.com/

http://www.seattletimes.com/news/lifestyles/html98/appl_19990915.html

Some great Apple recipes http://www.epicurious.com/b_ba/b02_twelve/apple/ba_12apples.html