It’s that time again: blueberry season!

Did you know that blueberries were first cultivated in New Jersey? Yes, that’s true! They are a native fruit (along with our Thanksgiving favorite, the cranberry). About 100 years ago, Elizabeth Coleman White along with her husband owned land in the Pine Barrens (what is now Whitesbog Historic Village). Seeing interest in the fruit by government botanists, she put her mind to working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cultivate the wild berries. The researchers and growers created blueberry bushes that produced large and uniform fruit that could travel well to markets. Today blueberries are grown across the globe and are a dietary darling.

U-Pick farms

It’s easy enough to pick up a pint or two at the grocery store, but while they are locally in season, you can easily find a U-Pick farm to gather up your own fresh blueberries. Before heading out, be sure to click on the farm’s website for their hours and to ensure that blueberries are still available.

Terhune Orchards, Lawrence

Lee Turkey Farm, East Windsor

Snyder’s Farm, Somerset

Happy Day Farm, Manalapan

Emery’s Farm, New Egypt

Festivals

A few farms in the area choose a day in July for a Blueberry festival. Here are what’s coming up on the calendar.

July 10: Terhune Orchards’ Blueberry Bash

July 17: Clement Blueberry Farm Festival in Pemberton, NJ

July 23: Blueberry Summer Festival at Whitesbog Historic Village

Cookbooks

And what do you do with the leftover berries after the family has eaten their fill? Below are some cookbooks where berry recipes are featured.

Simple Fruit: Seasonal Recipes by Laurie Pfalzer and Charity Burggraaf

Flavorful: 150 Irresistible Desserts by Tish Boyle

Cooking from the Farmers Market by Jodi Liano and Tasha De Serio

Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh by Emeril Lagasse

Sweeter Off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season by Yossy Arefi

Summer Reading

And for your reading pleasure, below are fiction titles where blueberries figure into the story.

Picture Books

Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Blueberry Patch - Meennunyakaa by Jennifer Leason and Norman Chartrand

Memory Jars by Vera Brosgol

Chapter Books

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me by Sara Nickerson

Blueberry Queen by Marci Peschke

The Big Blueberry Barf-off! by R. L. Stine

Mysteries

Death of a Blueberry Tart by Lee Hollis

Tragic Toppings by Jessica Beck

Fiction

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café by Mary Simses

- Kim Luke, Hightstown Branch