The 'Blueberry Capital Of The World' Lies In This Unassuming Small American Town

Whether scattered over a yogurt bowl, baked into a pie, or mixed into classic muffins, blueberries are an iconic American fruit. The United States is the world's top blueberry-producing country, and the antioxidant-packed fruits are America's second-most produced berry, behind only strawberries (which aren't actually considered berries). Perhaps most importantly, the U.S. is home to the world's blueberry capital. That's right – Hammonton, New Jersey, is the self-proclaimed blueberry capital of the world. This is quite the title for a quiet town of barely 15,000 residents, but Hammonton lives up to the big name.

The charming town, sandwiched between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, is a blueberry-growing mecca. Atlantic County, where Hammonton is located, produces nearly 50 million pounds of blueberries every year. Of course, Hammonton doesn't just grow blueberries; it also celebrates the antioxidant-packed fruits in style. The town holds a Red, White, and Blueberry festival every summer during peak blueberry season, complete with plenty of pies; jams, jellies, preserves, and compotes; live music; and thousands of pounds of fresh and cheap berries. The area is also home to plentiful U-pick farms (which benefit everyone), where berry lovers can harvest their own pints of fresh fruit and enjoy a delightful variety of blueberry-based treats and activities during the summer months. Visitors who miss the blueberry season can sample locally made blueberry ice cream, blueberry wine, and plenty of other creative berry-packed delicacies year-round.

Festivities aside, blueberries are a serious business in Hammonton. The first commercially cultivated blueberry was developed in the area over a century ago, and these days, Atlantic County accounts for a whopping 80% of the Garden State's blueberry production. Most of those berries are grown at nearly 60 farms in and around Hammonton. The tiny town has become a blueberry farming hotspot thanks to a fortuitous combination of geography, geology, and climate. The sandy soil and hot, humid climate of New Jersey's coastal plain are ideal for blueberry production, and Hammonton's convenient location near several large Eastern seaboard cities makes distributing fresh berries relatively efficient and economical.

It's worth noting that Hammonton's status as the global blueberry capital isn't undisputed. Towns in Maine and Michigan also claim the same title (in fact, New Jersey isn't even the U.S. state that grows the most blueberries). Still, Hammonton is by far the most widely recognized blueberry capital of the world, and it's a must-stop destination for berry lovers far and wide. Whether you're shopping for berries in Hammonton or at the supermarket, make sure to avoid the 12 mistakes everyone makes when buying blueberries.