There is something wonderfully hopeful about an old apple orchard.
Every season begins again: blossoms open, fruit forms, branches grow heavy, and familiar varieties return—some with names and histories that reach back generations. At Prevedelli Farms in Watsonville, that annual rhythm is intertwined with a family history that spans more than 80 years.
Today, Prevedelli Farms is a fourth-generation, certified organic family farm, with roots in local agriculture dating back to the 1930s and the farm’s establishment in Watsonville in 1945. Apples remain at the heart of the farm, where the family grows an impressive collection of more than 45 varieties, from familiar favorites to uncommon heirlooms rarely seen in grocery stores.
For Nick Prevedelli, continuing that legacy is deeply personal.
“Working on the land that has belonged to our family for more than 80 years is something that means a great deal to us. We certainly feel a profound connection to our family and the farm.”
His earliest memories of farm life are about much more than work. They are memories of being together.
“We remember the strong bonds we created with our dad, mom, aunts, and uncles,” Nick says. “These experiences not only connected us to the land but also instilled important values like teamwork and a respect for nature.”
And after all these years, apple season can still generate genuine excitement.
“After spending a lot of time caring for the trees, we’re thrilled to share the fruits of our hard work with our customers at the farmers markets,” he says. “We still get excited talking about the various types of apples, their flavors, and their uses.”
More Than Just Red or Green
Spend a few minutes at the Prevedelli Farms stand during apple season and one thing quickly becomes apparent: an apple is not simply an apple.
Some are sweet. Others are bracingly tart. Some are exceptionally crisp and juicy, while others offer spicy, aromatic or complex flavors. Certain varieties excel in a pie; others belong on a cheese board or are best enjoyed simply out of hand.
That remarkable diversity is precisely why the Prevedelli family continues to grow so many varieties.
“People have such diverse preferences when it comes to apples and food overall,” Nick explains. “It’s wonderful to have a great selection for everyone to appreciate.”
There is another advantage. Apple varieties ripen at different times, extending the harvest over many months rather than concentrating it into a single brief season. At Prevedelli Farms, the succession of varieties allows the family to offer apples over a remarkably long harvest period.
For customers, it means there is almost always another apple waiting to be discovered.
An Apple Worth Saving
Ask Nick to choose a favorite heirloom and one apple rises quickly to the top: Hauer Pippin.
It is not merely its flavor that makes the apple special to the family.
“This variety not only shines as a fantastic late-season apple, but it also holds local significance,” Nick says. “It is one of two local varieties from Santa Cruz County. It’s not commonly grown by many farms in our region anymore. We truly wish to preserve it and prevent it from fading into history.”
The Hauer Pippin originated in the Santa Cruz area as a chance seedling of Cox’s Orange Pippin. Crisp, firm, juicy and tart, it has an intriguing spicy, cinnamon-like flavor and ripens so late that it has also been called the Christmas Apple.
There is something meaningful about finding an apple like Hauer Pippin at a farmers market. Buying one is not merely choosing fruit for lunch; it is participating, in a very small way, in the continuation of a regional food heritage that might otherwise disappear.
Old Favorites—and New Ones
Not every favorite in the Prevedelli orchard is an heirloom.
Nick and his family are particularly fond of Mutsu, a Japanese variety introduced in 1948 and created by crossing Golden Delicious with Newtown Pippin.
“Mutsu is an excellent newer apple variety,” Nick says. “It has become a favorite in our family. It boasts a wonderfully crunchy and juicy texture, complemented by a great tart-sweet taste.”
Its versatility makes it especially appealing.
“It’s perfect for both baking and snacking,” he says. “During its season, we can never eat enough of them.”
Then there are apples that Nick believes deserve a comeback.
One is Jonagold.
“Many people tend to overlook the Jonagold apple,” he says. “Nowadays, not many farmers grow them since the Honeycrisp took over. However, the Jonagold offers a fantastic juicy crunch paired with a delightful sweet and tangy taste.”
A cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious, Jonagold is particularly well suited to cooking and apple pies—but is equally good eaten fresh.
For adventurous shoppers, that is part of the pleasure of visiting a farm stand with dozens of varieties: your favorite apple may turn out to be one you have never heard of.
Which Apple Should I Buy?
That depends, Nick says, on what you like.
When helping customers choose an apple for eating fresh, the first question is whether they prefer sweet, tart or something in between.
For those who love sweetness and a satisfying crunch, Fuji remains one of the family’s recommendations.
For a cheese board, however, Nick suggests branching out.
“We really enjoy using either the sweeter WineCrisp or the slightly tart CrimsonCrisp,” he says. “You can even mix both for a fun variety of flavors!”
WineCrisp has a particularly complex tart-sweet character, while CrimsonCrisp is exceptionally crisp and has a rich flavor with sweet, sharp and slightly spicy notes.
It is a good reminder that an apple can play the same role on a cheese board as grapes, pears or preserves—providing sweetness, acidity, crunch and contrast.
The Prevedelli Family’s Secret to Better Apple Pie
Then there is the important question: Which apples make the best pie?
The Prevedelli answer is not one apple.
It is a blend.
For a naturally sweeter pie that requires less added sugar, Nick recommends combining Mutsu and Jonagold.
“This is what my family uses,” he says, “and it creates an incredible pie.”
If you prefer a pie with more tartness, try a combination of Mutsu, Granny Smith and Enterprise. Enterprise brings its own crisp texture, tart-sweet flavor and lightly spicy aroma to the mix.
Mixing apple varieties is one of those small techniques that can make a noticeable difference in home baking. Different apples contribute different levels of sweetness, acidity, aroma and texture, creating a pie with greater complexity than one made from a single variety.
And for applesauce?
Nick’s quick answer is Enterprise.
The Reality Behind a Beautiful Organic Apple
There is another side to apple growing that shoppers do not always see.
“We genuinely wish people understood the challenges of growing organic apples,” Nick says. “Everyone desires the most beautiful apples at the lowest cost, but producing perfect organic apples is no easy task.”
It is an important point—particularly at a farmers market, where customers have an opportunity to see fruit differently.
A small cosmetic blemish does not change an apple’s flavor. And organic orchard farming involves years of maintaining trees and soil, managing pests and disease, pruning, thinning, monitoring, harvesting and sorting before that apple ever reaches the market stand.
The beautiful fruit arranged in baskets on Saturday morning represents months of work.
A Few Apple Picks From Prevedelli Farms
If faced with dozens of choices, Nick offers this quick guide:
- Best apple for eating out of hand: Mutsu
- Best apple for pie: Mutsu + Jonagold
- Best apple for applesauce: Enterprise
- Best apple with cheese: WineCrisp
- Most beautiful apple in the orchard: Winter Banana
The Winter Banana is particularly intriguing. An American heirloom discovered in Indiana, it is a dense, crisp apple with an unusual aroma and flavor that some people describe as reminiscent of banana. Prevedelli Farms calls it one of the most beautiful apples in its orchards.
And once you bring your apples home, Nick has one very simple piece of advice: Put them in the refrigerator.
Cold storage will help freshly picked apples retain their crisp texture and flavor much longer than leaving them on the kitchen counter.
Taste Something You’ve Never Tried Before
Perhaps the best way to experience Prevedelli Farms is also the simplest: ask questions and taste something unfamiliar.
“We always try to encourage people to try out the more unusual apple varieties that you usually won’t find in supermarkets,” Nick says. “There are countless unique types that never reach the store shelves.”
That spirit will be at the heart of Prevedelli Farms’ upcoming apple tasting at Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets.
Nick hopes customers will not only compare flavors side by side, but come away knowing a little more about the agricultural history behind them.
“We’d love for everyone to learn about the history of our farm and apples that used to be popular in our county,” he says. “We invite you to try out the different varieties; each one has its own distinct flavor.”
And perhaps that is the best reason of all to visit the Prevedelli Farms stand this apple season.
Buy your usual favorite if you like.
But then ask Nick what else is good that week.
Try the funny-looking one. Try the apple with the unfamiliar name. Try something tart when you usually buy sweet—or take home two or three varieties and taste them together.
Because tucked among those baskets of apples may be a variety planted generations ago, an apple nearly lost to local history, or simply the best apple you never knew existed.
And at Prevedelli Farms, the family will be very happy to introduce you.
RECIPES: Be sure to visit their website for delicious recipes including their famous apple pie!
APPLE GUIDE: Here’s a guide to all of the apples the farm grows with flavor profiles for each.
