Each year in December , theU.S. Postal Serviceplaces kempt , dense packages of certain adust goods into the mailboxes of citizens . But this parcel is n’t relegated to the United States . In fact , in 2006 , some 2,952 pounds of fruitcake – a traditionalChristmastreat – were delivered to Iraq [ beginning : Christian Science Monitor ] . And with a shelf life of up to three year ( even longer if generously doused with rum ) , it ’s sluttish to see why they ’re so ring armour - friendly . But what , exactly , is fruitcake ?
Although there are many recipes , the primary fixings that constitute a right screwball are flour , sugar , testis , whisky , brandy or rum , walnut and nuts or dates . But it ’s the signature element – fruit – that merits mention . Some formula call for candied fruit , as opposed to dried fruit . And the character of fruit tends to variegate by neighborhood .
Fruitcake is a tradition that goes back to papistical time . It became a staple of festivals , and today is widely associated with the December holiday . There are some who are ardent about these yield - filled loaf . And while crackpot may not have a verse form write for it like another traditional solid food , haggis(“To a Haggis , " by Robert Burns ) , it has been defended by many and bear on to be baked , wrapped and delivered . In fact , Texas - based Collin Street Bakery , which has been supply fruitcakes since 1896 , bring forth more than 1 million a year and ship to 200 land [ source : Texas Monthly ] .
Others are less than thrilled to receive what they see as heavy and inedible as a brick . After all , according to Harper ’s Index , the intermediate nut case has a 1:1 density proportion with burnt sienna [ root : Christian Science Monitor ] . So why is fruitcake essay after by some and ridiculed by others ?
In this clause , we ’ll await at the history behind this yield - studded loaf and we ’ll learn what makes it so weighty and impervious to molding , as well as how to " fertilize " your fruitcake . We ’ll also research substitute uses for screwball , such as paperweight , doorstop or even projectile .
History of Fruitcake
Culinary traditional knowledge exact that ancient Egyptians pose an early version of the fruitcake on the grave of loved ones , perhaps as intellectual nourishment for the afterlife . But crank were not unwashed until Roman times , when pomegranate ejaculate , pine nuts and barleycorn mash were amalgamate together to form a ring - determine sweet . lever for its portability and ledge living , Roman soldier often work nut with them to the battlefields . Later , in the Middle Ages , uphold yield , spices and love were added to the mix and fruitcakes gained popularity with crusaders [ reservoir : What ’s Cooking in America ] .
With the colonies provide a boon in gaudy , raw materials , 16th - century crank contained cupfuls of dinero , which contribute another density booster unit to the cake . In addition , fruits from the Mediterranean were candied and added to the mixture , along with nuts . Each sequent 100 seemed to contribute yet another factor to the patty , likealcoholduring the Victorian era , until it became weighty with the accumulative harvest of the seasons .
In fact , by the early eighteenth century , crank became synonymous with degeneration and was outlawed in Europe , where it was proclaimed " sinfully racy " [ source : Associated Content ] . The law was finally repealed since fruitcake had become an important part of the tea hour , in particular in England .
Recent centuries have regard fruitcake continue as a popular detail to send to soldiers . One former soldier , Lance Nesta , rediscovered a screwball gifted to him in 1962 when he was stationed in Alaska . He had forgotten about the loaf , and it end up in his female parent ’s attic , where he regain it 40 years later , claiming that at the fourth dimension of receive the present , " I open it up and did n’t cognise what to do with it . I sure was n’t going to rust it , and I liked my fellow soldiers too much to partake in it with them " [ source : Breitbart ] .
The lowly loaf of bread has also appear in popular refinement like Truman Capote ’s " A Christmas Memory , " which recounts vernal Capote ’s time expend with his eccentric cousin , who would commence to fruitcake - making when she deemed it right " fruitcake weather condition . "
But it ’s perhaps the former master of ceremonies of " The Tonight Show , " Johnny Carson , who well mold crackpot ’s blank space in the innovative psyche . Deriding the loaf as a holiday reject , he once arrogate that , " The big talent is fruitcake . There is only one fruitcake in the total world , and people keep sending it to each other " [ source : Village Voice ] .
In the next incision , we ’ll look at the physical qualities of fruitcake and retrieve out why some people lead off " feeding " their fruitcakes a class in advance of their gifting or consumption .
Characteristics of Fruitcake
No other culinary creation seems to disunite the public like the fruitcake . Defenders of the leaden loaf arrogate that those who abominate fruitcake just have n’t had the right kind . So what is the good kind ? And does density make it more delicious or more unsafe ( if , say , neglect on the foot ) ?
Let ’s begin by examining the statistics . The average fruitcake weigh two pounds and assist six to seven multitude . Its ability to languish on countertop for month without a office of mold developing is due to itsmoisture - stabilizing properties , mainly scratch . The high density of sugar deoxidise the cake’swatercontent , and therefore its power to bind to microorganisms ( bacterium ) .
For fruitcake aficionado , yield can make or break the baked good , and predilection depart wide . But most baker do agree on one aspect of crackpot baking : The crackpot should be made at least one calendar month in progress of its gifting ( or eating ) . Some even make the screwball one year in advance . This allows the cake to deepen its flavors , particularly since yield containstanninsthat , likewine , release over time [ origin : Isthmus ] . It ’s also common for the bread maker to add another seasoning proportion by " feeding " the nut case – pouring whiskey , brandy or rum over the loaf . This process , too , contribute to the weight of a fruitcake .
According to writer Erika Janik , nuts and fruit should pen at least 50 percentage of the loaf , which would provide considerable heft . However , she cautions :
[ source : Isthmus ]
Such an edict give the screwball - maker a clue : The loaf of bread can – and should – be heavy , but it must be moist and have a variety of flavor for be a successful dessert . But even a ramification - tender screwball redolent with citrus note and sweet with spices likecinnamonand clove ca n’t shake its purpose as butt of an age - old joke .
In the next department , we ’ll look at the many way that crackpot can be repurposed .
Fruitcake Tossing and Other Endeavors
Each year in early January , the Ithiel Town of Manitou Springs , Colo. gathers for the Annual Great Fruitcake Toss . Besides acting as a food parkway – participant must convey one canned item to pull ahead admission price – the event is a cagy way to disembarrass citizen of unwanted fruitcakes . Fruitcakes can be hurl , toss away or plunge by a pneumatic twist such as aspud gun .
Since 1994 , individuals and teams have quiz their projectile prowess with the promise of a prize in one of the following family :
Judges take the outcome in earnest and make contestants adhere to standards such as weight class ( two- and four - pound fruitcakes ) , launching distances , fruitcake content ( must turn back glacéed fruits , nuts , flour and be comestible ) and found devices ( non - fuel devices only ) [ source : Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce ] .
crank have also incur their way of life into science experimentation . " Iron Science instructor " is a competition similar to the food show " Iron Chef , " wherein competitors are give a secret component to perform an experiment with .
One yr , the secret element was fruitcake , and science instructor had 10 minutes to present their science lessons , which included dropping various size of fruitcakes to reenact Galileo’sLeaning Tower of Pisaexperiment , overwhelm crackpot inwaterto cadence buoyancy and using screwball to illustrate the powers of the digestive scheme [ informant : Torassa ] .
And in 2006 , victuals and food scientist Thom Castonguay mess up up fruitcakes with abomb calorimeter– a metallic element box that allows for small - exfoliation food for thought blowup . The heat from the plosion was measured to shape the amount of large calorie in the fruitcake [ source : NPR ] .
Though some citizenry prefer to repurpose their fruitcakes in less spectacular room , like the quondam bandstand - by : fruitcake - as - doorstopper . For more information about vacation tradition and related articles , jaw the next varlet .
