The Science Behind Every Grandma’s Favorite Holiday Treat: Fruit Cake

Fruit cake has a very bad reputation. However, have you ever wondered how it came to be? Keep reading to find out.

Origin Of Fruitcake

Fruitcake originates during the Roman Empire where it was first made tie pine nuts, barley, pomegranate seeds, raisins, and wine. It was first called “satire” and was used as a battlefield snack. It also used to have meat in it and was also known as plum pudding. During the 18th century, more fruit and sugar was added to the dessert. It was so good that it was banned in Europe for being “sinfully rich.” America was first introduced to America just before the American Revolution. This was when nuts were added to the fruit cake.

Science of Fruitcake

The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that fruitcake will last two to three months in the refrigerator without spoiling, and will maintain its quality if stored up to a year in the freezer. This is due to low little moisture is inside of the cake. All of the dried ingredients have low moisture which limits bacteria entering the dessert. The fruit in the fruit cake contains tannins that are bitter. Through time, the bitterness tones down which causes some people to believe that the fruit cake gets better.

Will you give fruit cake a try?

cites

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648357/fruitcake-history

Poole, Ralph J. "Serving the fruitcake, or Jonathan Franzen's Midwestern poetics." The Midwest Quarterly 49.3 (2008): 263.

Hartel, Richard W., and AnnaKate Hartel. "Fruitcake: A Scorned Food." Food Bites. Springer, New York, NY, 2008. 141-142.