History of National Fruitcake Day

While none of us know the true creator of the fruitcake, many historians believe that fruitcakes originated from Rome, over 2,000 years ago! Historians believe that one of the earliest recipes known comes from ancient Rome listing pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into a barley mash. Then there are records from the Middle Ages documenting that they added honey, spices, and preserved fruits into the original mix.

Beginning in the sixteenth century, sugar from the American Colonies alongside the disclosure that high groupings of sugar could save natural products, wound up making a huge overabundance of sweetened natural products, subsequently bringing about making nut cakes more reasonable and well known in areas all over the planet. The nut cakes that started in the Roman period are very not the same as today, which can be chilled, without gluten, sans lactose, diabetic, heavy drinker, or simply a standard nut cake.

Fruitcakes share an interesting history in much of Europe. It is said that in the 18th century, European-made fruitcakes were banned from production for having too much butter and sugar. These ingredients were restricted for being unhealthy. After these cakes were allowed to be sold again in the 19th century, they were common in high-class European weddings.

Fruitcakes have an incredible shelf life, they can remain on the shelves for many, many years and still be edible and non-harmful to the human body. An example of this is in a 2003 episode of The Tonight Show, where Jay Leno sampled a piece of a fruitcake baked in 1878 which was kept as an heirloom by a family in Michigan. For years now, the fruitcake has been a joke in American culture, being ridiculed for its name and how it appears. A recurring example of this can be found in a variety of television shows and movies, where the fruitcake will fall on a person’s body and they will complain about it being as hard as a brick.

The explanation that nut cakes can stay eatable for extensive stretches of time is really in the cooking strategies. The products of the soil utilized are frequently dried and afterward absorbed a sugar substance, and that implies that they can stay on the rack without adding additives. Notwithstanding this strategy, a few plans additionally incorporate liquor, or include a liquor drenched capacity fabric during the baking system, eliminating destructive microscopic organisms that decline the timeframe of realistic usability.

In the Caribbean, the fruit is soaked for months in concentrated rum, adding an alcoholic flavor and additional years of shelf life. Some brands are even known to have expiration dates twenty-five years from the production date!

How to Celebrate National Fruitcake Day:

Celebrating National Fruitcake Day is quite simple and easy to remember. Just enjoy some fruitcakes on that day, or you can gather your family and make a Fruitcake of your own. You can share the Fruitcake with your family members, friends, and even co-workers.

NATIONAL FRUITCAKE DAY ACTIVITIES

Have a fruitcake party

Since the ingredients of fruitcake vary widely, have a party where each guest makes his or her own version of the treat! You can even hold a contest for the best version—the winner earns everlasting glory.

Give the gift of fruitcakes

Nut cakes are a customary gift, and mailorder nut cakes have been around since the mid-1900s. So take a note from your precursors and request a scrumptious, quality nut cake accessible through the mail to gift to your companions.

Fruitcake FAQ