Hammonton, NJ Is ‘The Capital of The World’ For This Superfood

Once again, a city in New Jersey is world renown for a product that they produce and provide each and every year to delighted consumers.

Hammonton, New Jersey is “The Blueberry Capital of The World.”

The New Jersey blueberry season for this superfood is from mid-to-late June, with the peak of the season coming in July.

Here is Atlantic County, New Jersey Clerk Joe Giralo posing with two crates of Hammonton Blueberries on June 24, 2022.

Here is a delicious bowl of blueberries from The Grand Floridian in Disney World on July 1, 2022 during our stay. We have been told by staff members over the years that some of their blueberries come from New Jersey.

Blueberries are not only delicious, they are also really good for you.

This description is taken directly from webmd.com …

“Blueberries, an Antioxidant Superfood packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti inflammatory.”

Here’s a helpful tip from simplefood.com, who recommends that you should not wash your produce as soon as you bring it home.

They say that you should wash your fruit off right before you are going to eat it. I didn’t know that.

In case you were wondering, according to AKC.org, “Yes, dogs can eat blueberries. Blueberries are a superfood rich in antioxidants, which prevent cell damage in humans and canines alike. They're packed with fiber and phytochemicals as well.”

The Cleveland Clinic recommends that you eat organic berries uncooked. Cooking them harms the antioxidants.

We went to the files of The Noyes Museum. Hammonton was not always a blueberry Mecca.

In 1866, Hammonton’s crops “consisted of cranberries, grapes, pears, quinces, plums and cherries. By 1916, strawberries, peaches, blackberries and raspberries were the predominant crops. In later years, blueberries and sweet potatoes became the characteristic crops of the area,” according to The Noyes Museum.

The United States is the world’s leading blueberry growing country, producing more than 250,000 tons each year. That’s more than twice than second place Canada.

Commercially, “ten states are said to account for more than 98% of America's blueberry production. These include Michigan Oregon, Washington, Georgia, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi,
and Indiana,” according to the World Atlas.

Next time you see those delicious pints of blueberries, you that they are delicious, healthy for you and that a local, Atlantic County, New Jersey community is “The World’s Blueberry Capital.”

SOURCES: Cleveland Clinic, Webmd.com, Simplefood.com, The World Atlas and AKC.org