Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Beautiful Jersey Cranberries!




Yeah, you've heard the jokes about Joisey. Go ahead and snicker.
Because New Jersey invariably has the last laugh.
And this truly is the Garden State -- not just for tomatoes and corn and dandelion and blueberries but for cranberries as well.
And this year New Jersey's bogs are reaping a bumper crop of cranberries.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects 54 million pounds of cranberries from New Jersey this year, up 5 percent. And that makes our state a very significant producer of cranberries. The sandy, acidic soil of the Jersey pines is just perfect for this crop.
A ride into the Jersey pines this time of year will take you right into cranberry country.
Last week, thanks to the South Jersey Tourism Corporation we went to historic Whitesbog in the pines and found ourselves thisclose to fresh harvested cranberries. And we quickly snapped these photos just for you.
The vivid color of the berries will make you glad to be alive. Yes, watching these beauties getting ready to come to market is an absolute joy to behold.
But hurry, because cranberry season is quickly coming to a close.
So, take a turn off Route 70, 38, 206 or the White Horse Pike and head into the pines toward Whitesbog or Chatsworth or Batsto and you're bound to find the bogs and the berries.
And think of these berries this year when you prepare your Thanksgiving turkey.
Mmmmm . . . that's Joisey, baby!

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