Rave® Apples: An Apple to Rave About

The information and photography for this post was provided by our partner, Stemilt Growers. 

There’s a lot to love about Fall: a break from the heat, all things pumpkin spice and, of course, delicious seasonal produce, like apples, that reach their peak as the temperature cools.

Stemilt Growers’ newly-released Rave® Apple will make its annual return to Heinen’s Produce Department this August. Rave® Apples like the summer heat and mature up to two – three weeks earlier than other apples. It has a beautiful bright red-over-yellow color and that infamous Honeycrisp bite we all know and love. Rave® is also outrageously juicy with a refreshing snappy zing, which makes it the perfect late summer apple.

So, what is a Rave® Apple and what makes it rave-worthy?

Developed through traditional cross-pollination as a part of the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program, these bite-able beauties are outrageously juicy with a a refreshing zappy zing. A cross between the well-known Honeycrisp apple and the early-ripening MonArk, the resulting Rave® Apple is best identified by its perfectly round shape and gorgeous bright red skin.

It’s best to grab a bushel soon because the season for these apples is incredibly short. In fact, in late July, a mere 3 weeks before any other Washington State variety is harvested, our friends at Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, Washington can be found picking Rave® Apples from the trees and sending them to us in throughout August and September.

Rave® Apples are best when paired with fresh foods that do not require cooking with heat. We recommend pairing these apples with cheese or fresh greens for a perfectly delicious light snack.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s make the start of Fall something to to rave about by biting into Rave® Apples!

By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.