The World's Blueberry Capital Is Tucked Away In Rural Southern New Jersey

From blueberry muffins to pancakes to BBQ sauce (seriously, it's a thing), there are a ton of different ways to enjoy these summery little fruits. If you're not lucky enough to grow them in your backyard, there's a good chance that you snag them from the produce section at the grocery store — and they might have taken quite a journey before they made their way into your kitchen. Hammonton, New Jersey, is known as the blueberry capital of the world.

Hammonton has fewer than 15,000 people, but the small town is home to 56 blueberry farms that collectively produce 49 million blueberries per year. Though Washington is the top blueberry-producing state in the U.S., cultivated blueberries got their start in New Jersey. Hammonton's high concentration of blueberry farms, along with the Garden State's role as the birthplace of cultivated blueberries (which taste a little different from wild blueberries), helps explain its "blueberry capital" moniker. President Ronald Reagan even referred to the town as the blueberry capital of the world in 1984. If you love blueberries as much as I do, you'll want to make sure to check out Hammonton at some point to indulge in all things blueberry-related.

New Jersey's soil has the conditions necessary for great blueberries — it's sandy and has a low pH. Hammonton, however, isn't just a paradise for blueberries to grow. It's also the perfect place to check out if you can't get enough of the bite-sized delights. Every year, the town hosts a Red, White and Blueberry Festival. If you're feeling competitive, be sure to sign up for the blueberry pie-eating contest (and if you're not feeling competitive, just take your time indulging in all the blueberry-related treats).

If you'd prefer to revel in seemingly endless miles of blueberry bushes, you've also got quite a few options. Many of the farms in Hammonton allow you to pick your own blueberries (make sure to utilize the best — and easiest — blueberry storage method afterward). This isn't available year-round, as blueberry season usually runs from mid-June to mid-August, so you'll want to plan ahead. If you happen to visit Hammonton during the off-season and still want to bask in blueberry goodness, stop by a local ice cream shop for a blueberry milkshake or, for the more adventurous, give a blueberry cheeseburger a try. No matter how you decide to indulge in blueberry goodness, a trip to the blueberry capital of the world is well worth your time if you're a tried-and-true blueberry fanatic.