National Fruitcake Day
On December 27th, fruitcake enthusiasts young and old in the United States commemorate National Fruitcake Day each year.
Fruitcake has long been a holiday gift-giving tradition, made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and occasionally soaked in spirits...
One of the oldest known recipes, dating back to ancient Rome, includes pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into barley mash. According to documents, makers added honey, spices, and preserved fruit in the Middle Ages.. Fruitcake recipes vary from country to country, depending on available ingredients and locality.
Two achievements in the 16th century helped fruitcakes become more affordable and available. First, sugar from the American Colonies became abundant. In the second, it was discovered that high sugar levels could preserve fruits. These two events resulted in excess candied fruit.. Fruitcake making increased as a result.
- Typically, Americans produce fruitcakes that are abundant in fruit and nuts
- Fruitcake made in 1913 by mail order fruitcake in the United States
- Charities often sell commercial fruitcakes from catalogs as a fundraising activity
- In 1935, the word "nutty as a fruitcake" was coined. The term came about as a result of excess nuts that some Southern bakeries added to their fruitcakes due to their availability of inexpensive nuts
- Most commercially produced fruitcakes in America are alcohol-free
- liqueurs or brandy are two common dishes that call for liqueurs or brandy. Bakers then finish the fruitcake by coating it with powdered sugar
- Some fruitcake manufacturers soaked their fruitcakes in brandy-soaked linens, hoping the cakes improved with age
How to Observe #nationalfruitcakeday
Share a fruitcake tale or recipe... Or maybe even share both. You can invite someone to share some fruitcake with you. No matter how you celebrate, use #NationalFruitcakeDay to post on social media.
To get a jump on next year, you can also check out the other 5 Time-Honored Christmas Foods.
Fruitcake FAQ
I've never had fruitcake because I've always heard it is disgusting. Is that true? Is that true? No, it doesn't have to be true. Quality fruitcakes are different from those you might find at the grocery store Christmas shelf, and those you might buy at the grocery store Christmas shelf. Bakers make rich, nutty, and flavorful fruitcakes using quality ingredients. Q. Why did the fruitcake go out of favor?
A. Historians point to a variety of reasons for the fruitcakes' downfall, including mass production, bad ingredients, and famous jokes.. However, another reason may be that a good fruitcake takes time and effort, often up to a week to complete every step.'
