New Jersey: It Ain’t Just Newark.
I love New Jersey, even with all its warts. It never ceases to surprise me.
Today, I went to the Cranberry Festival in Chatsworth, NJ (Chatsworth? Yes, Virginia, there is such a place) The festival celebrates the annual cranberry harvest, New Jersey being the third largest cranberry-growing state in the Union. It is a huge hodgepodge of vendors, with an emphasis on everything cranberry. The event attracts about a gazillion billion people, so the best advice is to get there early so as to avoid parking a couple miles away from all the action,
We bought a bunch of local stuff, which a non-Garden Stater traveling anywhere near Newark Airport would never think you would find in Jersey.
Above, from left to right:
Wildflower Honey from the Mill Creek Apiary, Medford Lakes, NJ.
Cranberry Hot Sauce from Indian Mills, New Jersey. It turns out that cranberries and HOT work well together.
Aunt Maureen’s Homemade Blueberry-Walnut jam (Chatsworth, NJ)
Aunt Maureen’s Homemade Cranberry Jelly (Chatsworth, NJ)
Aunt Maureen’s Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Chatsworth, NJ)
I suggest you give the Cranberry Festival a visit. It’s nothing like Newark.
Jim, glad to see you embracing the joys of the sane part of the state.
Here’s another, Mrs. Adams approved: http://www.valenzanowine.com/index.html. They have some interesting flavors, including blueberry and cranberry wines.
Carried at http://www.joecanals.com/locations.php, another fine southern Jersey establishment. It’s like a supermarket for booze!
Comment by Ken Adams — October 17, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
Non-Jersey PEEPS probably also don’t know the delights of the Jersey Tomatoe and probably find it hard to believe the tremendous difference between them and all other (sadly)deficient tomatoes.
Comment by Mark Reardon — October 17, 2010 @ 10:58 pm
I haven’t seen all of New Jersey, but I’m pretty confident that most of it isn’t like Newark.
Comment by CGHill — October 17, 2010 @ 11:11 pm
On our recent trip to the Garden State, we actually did some eco-touring — in the bay behind Ocean City, and even in the Hackensack Meadowlands, a.k.a. “the Swamps.” Mother Nature can handle Newark.
Comment by Cousin Jack — October 18, 2010 @ 3:59 am
Having lived in New Jersey two separate times, I can say that it is fulla surprises. It’s got its urban blight, sure, but they don’t call it the Garden State for nothing!
Best peaches I ever had? White Raritans from New Jersey. Also, the best fresh-picked sweet corn.
Comment by Elisson — October 18, 2010 @ 11:06 am
Nope, it’s all just like Newark. What you see from the airport is pretty much like it is.
(shut-up Jim, yer gonna ruin it for everyone).
Comment by dan — October 18, 2010 @ 12:31 pm
I go to wonderful festivals both spring and fall here in the NE Florida area. The Blue Crab in Palatka, Kingsland Catfish up in Georgia, Blueberry fests all over the place, Seafood in Jax Beach, and Shrimp and Grits up Jekyll Island way.
Comment by Mockingbird — October 18, 2010 @ 5:45 pm
Smart move Dan, that’s a lesson we had to learn the hard way in Colorado, er, uh because the tourists, they freeze in the horrible blizzards we have 9 months of the year… yeah that’s the ticket.
Comment by Mark Reardon — October 18, 2010 @ 7:44 pm