SLAND BEACH STATE PARK, N.J. - This is the time of year when beach bums give way to beach plums.
When the large crowds vanish from the sands at the Jersey Shore, that's the time this little-known crop has its moment in the sun.
Island Beach State Park is holding its beach plum festival Sunday, celebrating the tangy fruit that grows wild along the nearly 10-mile island. It can also be found elsewhere at the Shore, including Cape May, and thrives along the coast from Maine to Maryland.
The festival, held annually the Sunday after Labor Day, features the plum's use in jelly, ice cream, syrup, and brandy, with cookbooks and samples available.
Native Americans picked the plums for use in cooking, and early American settlers used them for jams and jelly.
"It's the end of the season and the start of a fall harvest," said Pat Vargo, vice president of Friends of Island Beach State Park, which raises money for and helps maintain the park between the ocean and Barnegat Bay. "People come from miles around just to pick these plums. They go crazy for this stuff."
Beach plums have endured the harsh weather and salty spray of the Atlantic Coast for centuries. Their existence was noted by European explorers as far back as Verrazano in 1524.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120908_Beach_plum_time_at_Shore.html
When the large crowds vanish from the sands at the Jersey Shore, that's the time this little-known crop has its moment in the sun.
Island Beach State Park is holding its beach plum festival Sunday, celebrating the tangy fruit that grows wild along the nearly 10-mile island. It can also be found elsewhere at the Shore, including Cape May, and thrives along the coast from Maine to Maryland.
The festival, held annually the Sunday after Labor Day, features the plum's use in jelly, ice cream, syrup, and brandy, with cookbooks and samples available.
Native Americans picked the plums for use in cooking, and early American settlers used them for jams and jelly.
"It's the end of the season and the start of a fall harvest," said Pat Vargo, vice president of Friends of Island Beach State Park, which raises money for and helps maintain the park between the ocean and Barnegat Bay. "People come from miles around just to pick these plums. They go crazy for this stuff."
Beach plums have endured the harsh weather and salty spray of the Atlantic Coast for centuries. Their existence was noted by European explorers as far back as Verrazano in 1524.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120908_Beach_plum_time_at_Shore.html
