Happy July 4th Weekend From Kauai

July 4th is the opening day for this year’s Methley plum season. It’s a day I look forward to each year.

Methley plums are delicious, small, sweet-tart plums which grow in Koke’e State Park. Falsely believed to be a Japanese cultivar, they originated in China and have been grown there for thousands of years. Methley plums were introduced to Japan 200-400 years ago and have now spread around the world, including to Kauai.

We use a small pole with a fishing net attached to catch the plums. With a permit, each person is entitled to pick up to 5 pounds per day. No commercial sale is permitted.

Be forewarned that this year’s crop isn’t very good. If you want further information, you can call State Parks in Lihue at (808) 274-3445.