Blueberries done in by July heat

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I stopped at Pathmark in Hackensack this morning, hoping the supermarket I rarely patronize had some Jersey Fresh blueberries, but the sign in the produce section explained why I found only Canadian and Michigan berries.

In small type, the store apologized for featuring Jersey blueberries in its flier and explained July's heat brought a premature end to the season, which was to run until mid-August.


I bought a pint of blueberries from British Columbia for $1.97 with the store card. Except for one or two soft ones, these Driscoll's berries were fat and sweet.

The (nearly) $4 cantaloupe

When I checked out at Pathmark with one pint of berries and two cantaloupes, they rang up at  $2.99 and $3.99 for each melon. I applied for a store card, and that brought down the price for the California melons to 97 cents each.

Grilled-vegetable sandwich 

Blueberries may be long gone, but other Jersey produce is showing up in stores. I bought a Jersey beefsteak tomato at ShopRite, and Jersey eggplant, green pepper and zucchini at Whole Foods Market.

For dinner last night, I used a nonstick, stove-top grill to prepare the vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil and, after they were on a plate, a sprinkling of salt and more oil. They substituted for a salad with my Boca soy cheeseburger. The eggplant was like custard.

This morning, I toasted a roll, warmed the vegetables (including a grilled, non-Jersey red pepper) and layered them with low-fat cheese to make a sandwich. I used hummus as a spread, and ate kimchi on the side.

Where are the Jersey blues hiding?

Image by wallyg via Flickr

I'm not searching for bluefish, which are abundant in New Jersey. Ever heard the saying, The bluefish are running? That means these ferocious fish are lined up and pushing their next meal to shallower water and death.


My search is for the benign Jersey blueberry, cultivated on bushes in the Pine Barrens. The blueberry season is supposed to run until the middle of August, according to a June 15 news release from the state Department of Agriculture, but the firm, sweet berries disappeared from North Jersey markets about 10 days ago.


Blueberries from Michigan (No. 1 grower), Canada, Connecticut and other places are all I've seen in three supermarkets. With no Hackensack Farmers' Market this year, that source is eliminated. I'll have to try another town's market.


On Friday evening, I drove over to Whole Foods Market in Paramus to look over its blueberries. But I wasn't willing to pay $3 a pint for berries from Michigan and Connecticut, despite a friend's recommendation. I paid $1.99 a pint for firm, sweet Jersey blues about 10 days ago at ShopRite in Hackensack. I know Costco in Hackensack has blueberries, but I don't think they are from the Garden State.


The search continues.

Frustrating search for fresh fruit

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After dinner Wednesday night, I went searching for fresh fruit. I started at H Mart, the Korean supermarket near the Little Ferry Circle, because I also needed hot pepper paste with vinegar, just the thing to spice up the firm tofu I have been cooking.


With my wife and son away, I passed on the watermelons, afraid I couldn't finish one by myself. Ditto for the huge jack fruit, which I have never eaten. California peaches were shrink-wrapped a dozen to the tray, too many for me. I couldn't find New Jersey peaches, and the only blueberries were from Canada and Michigan. In August? Where are the Jersey blues?


I left the Korean store for ShopRite, which is on the way back to my Hacensack home, certain I could find Jersey fruit. I did find hard Jersey peaches that need ripening on my counter (69 cents a pound), but the blueberries came from Michigan and were two pints for $5, which is high. I bought one, along with a half-dozen peaches, and went home.


I emptied half of the blueberries into a bowl, and washed and ate them, but too many were soft. At least they were sweet. This afternoon, I ate the rest out of the plastic package after washing them, and they were sweet and a lot firmer.


The peaches are still hard, so I still need fruit.

(Photo: Jack fruit, the national fruit of Bangladesh.)