Posted on 12/27/2023 6:19:22 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL FRUITCAKE DAY
Across the United States, fruitcake lovers young and old, commemorate National Fruitcake Day each year on December 27th.
#NationalFruitcakeDay
Made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices and sometimes soaked in spirits, fruitcake has been a holiday gift-giving tradition for many years.
Dating back to ancient Rome, one of the earliest known recipes lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into barley mash. Records indicate that in the Middle Ages, makers added honey, spices, and preserved fruits. Recipes for fruitcakes vary from country to country, depending on available ingredients and tradition.
In the 16th century, two achievements crystallized to make fruitcakes more affordable and accessible. First, sugar from the American Colonies became abundant. Second, it was discovered that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits. These two actions resulted in excess candied fruit. Consequently, fruitcake making grew.
Typically, Americans produce fruitcakes abundant in fruit and nuts
In America, mail-order fruitcake began in 1913.
Charities often sell commercial fruitcakes from catalogs as a fundraising event.
In 1935, the expression “nutty as a fruitcake” was coined. The phrase came about as a result of excess nuts some Southern bakeries added to their fruitcakes due to their access to cheap nuts.
Most mass-produced fruitcakes in America are alcohol-free.
Some traditional recipes include liqueurs or brandy. Bakers then complete the fruitcake by covering it with powdered sugar.
Some fruitcake makers soaked their fruitcakes in brandy-soaked linens believing the cakes improved with age.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL FRUITCAKE DAY
Share a fruitcake story or recipe. Or maybe share both. Invite someone to enjoy some fruitcake with you. No matter how you celebrate, use #NationalFruitcakeDay to post on social media.
You can also explore the other5 Time-Honored Christmas Foodsto get a jump on next year.
NATIONAL FRUITCAKE DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar will continue to experiment with recipes until we get it right. In the meantime, we've not found the origins of this immortal cornerstone of holiday baking, either.
Fruitcake FAQ
Q. I've never eaten fruitcake because I've always heard it is awful. Is that true?
A. No, it doesn't have to be true. There's a difference between quality fruitcakes and those you might find at the convenience store Christmas shelf. Bakers using quality ingredients create rich, nutty, and flavorful fruitcakes.
Q. Why did the fruitcake fall out of favor?
A. Historians point toward a variety of reasons for the fruitcakes downfall including mass production, poor ingredients, and iconic jokes. However, another reason may be that a good fruitcake takes time and effort, sometimes up to a week to complete every step.
There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!
December 27th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1932
The Radio City Music Hall opens under the direction of S.L. “Roxy” Rothafel. The show featured the Roxyettes (later renamed the Rockets), opera performed by Titta Ruffo, Coe Glade, and Vera Schwarz, Leon Rosebrook directing a chorus of 100 voices, and the Radio City Music Hall Symphony Orchestra. At the time, the theater was the largest in the world.
1947
Howdy Doody appears on television for the first time on NBC's Puppet Play House.
1952
Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" reaches number 1 on the music charts.
1964
Performing their hit "Come See About Me," the Supremes make their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
December 27th Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Louis Pasteur - 1822
Some of the many achievements of the French chemist and microbiologist include developing vaccines for anthrax and rabies. He also created the process for sterilizing products such as milk to kill microorganisms called pasteurization.
John Celardo - 1918
The American comic strip and comic book artist rose to popularity in the 1950s and 1960s with his work on the Tarzan comic strip for United Features.
Genevieve Audrey Wagner - 1927
A power-hitter in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, Wagner began her career at the age of 15. One of the league's All-Stars, she played seven seasons, usually in the outfield before continuing her athletic career with the National Girls Baseball League in Chicago. While she played, Wagner pursued her medical degree. Following baseball, she practiced obstetrics for four decades.
Jason Hawes - 1971
In 1990, Hawes founded The Atlantic Paranormal Society to investigate reported paranormal activity. He also starred in and co-produced the SyFy show Ghost Hunters.
Fruitcake PING!.............
For a minute I thought we were talking about AOC.
I like fruitcake made with a butter batter and no booze - hard to find unless you want to pay $25 for a 1Lb cake.
Thought they were talking about this administration.
Fitting, immediately preceding the taylor swift post.
What would we do without our daily dose of Swiftie Soma?....................
I hate to admit it, but I love those little, long Claxton Fruitcakes....
From Claxton, Georgia of course!..............Been there!.............
I thought National Fruitcake Day was to celebrate Democrats in Public Office.
They are cheap, they are super sweet, but they are damn good!!!!!!!
Claxton ftw.
Fruitcake day? Silly me I thought it was the month of June.
It is every day, for about half the population.
I would have thought Fruit Cake Day was before Christmas?
I received mine from the Collins Street Bakery in Texas the day after Thanksgiving.
Divided family: 1/2 love it. 1/2 thinks the best use is as a doorstop.
If you can get a quality fruitcake in a tin, in November, you can make an authentic “Prohibition Fruitcake”. The trick is to dribble just one Tablespoon a day of high-test, I prefer dark, rum on it. One a day for an entire month, no more no less. No more or it will get soggy. Then reseal the tin.
The end result is amazing. The rum will melt some of the sugars, that will then re-crystalize inside the cake, giving it a slight crunch. And the cake will be very high test from the alcohol. So only thinly slice it as needed.
Traditionally, next to the cake should be a small bowl with some whole cloves that can be chewed to cover the breath.
I wish we could have timed this better. We’re meeting my brother and his family later this week for dinner and the exchange of what’s known In our family as “the fruitcake.”
It’s a very cheap $1.00 fruitcake that my brother and I have been regifting for the past 36 years. We’re kind of running out of ideas on how to wrap the thing.
I think I won the year I wrapped it in a 120’ long X 15” wide roll of rubber tape. It took him weeks to cut that loose.
We’ve don’t it buried in concrete, stuffed inside a tree stump, welded into a steel box and myriad other imaginative gift wraps.
I’m thinking barbed wire is next.
I actually enjoy fruitcake and normally eat several Claxton’s a year.
No-Bake Authentic Southern Fruitcake
Packed with vanilla wafers, raisins, cherries, nuts and coconut. A Southern fruitcake option.
Ing 1 lb pulsed vanilla wafers 12 oz dark raisins 10 oz maraschinos well drained 14 oz Eagle Brand sweetened cond/milk 14 oz shredded coconut 4 c chp nuts 1 tsp rum flavor option
Instructions Butter two 9×5 loaf pans; set aside. Mix well pulsed vanilla wafer crumbs w/ rest of ing. Divide into prepared loaf pans. Press down firmly to evenly pack. Cover/fridge 24 hrs before serving. Store covered in fridge.
Notes To serve, wipe warm wet cloth around sides and bottom to help cake release from pan cleanly. Try adding dried or candied fruits such as dried apricots, prunes, and currants.
LOL.......
Collins Street is adequate……..but my Grandmother made the best!…..Harry and David comes very close!…Love a good fruitcake!
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