Fruitcake has been a comforting holiday tradition for hundreds of years.  It is amazing to consider people have been gifting fruitcake for centuries.  From Roman times to the present, a delicious and nutritious fruitcake makes the perfect present.

During the holiday season, we immediately want to treat ourselves and the people we care about to tasty treats.  Homes and offices are checkered with snacks including fruits, nuts, sweets and fruitcake.  Everyone expects to see tables, kitchens and counters covered with seasonal goodies.

Sending gift baskets is the perfect way to keep your favorite folks happy and well-fed for the holiday.  Add a flavorful fruitcake to the top of each gift basket to make your present even sweeter.  Even the colors of fruitcake are festive with red cherries and golden pears.

The first fruitcake was shared during Roman times.  The recipes for fruitcake has come a long way since then.  The original fruitcake was made with barley mash, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and raisins.  While we can't vouch for the taste, it certainly was chock full of antioxidants.

By the 1700s, Europeans were baking a ceremonial fruitcake in honor of the nut harvest.  The fruitcake was fermented for an entire year then eaten the following year in celebration of the next nut harvest.  Often this time of year fell near the holidays.

Fruitcake became a popular gift and treat in 18th century England so laws were created to restrict the use of “plum cake”.  Imagine there being a law against fruitcake?  The law restricted using plum cake to holiday such as Christmas, Easter, funerals, weddings and christenings.  This is when fruitcake became commonly known as a rich gift to share with others for the holidays.

The popularity of fruitcake soared by 1901 and was no longer restricted to holidays.  Everyone realized how delicious fruitcake was and wanted more.  To show moderation and restraint, it is rumored Queen Victoria got a fruitcake for her birthday and saved it for a whole year.

Though saving a fruitcake for a year sounds incredibly long, it actually makes the fruitcake more robust as the fruit tannins are released.  Much like fine wine, fruitcake improves with age.  As long as a fruitcake is not moldy, it is safe to eat.  In fact, it is said a fruitcake will last up to 26 years in an airtight container.  Of course we doubt anyone could resist a fruitcake for that long.

The fruit and fiber in fruitcake has made it a top choice for generations. Families shared the joy of the holidays by gathering around a table filled with fruits, nuts, herbal teas, coffee and fruitcake.  Friends visited each other and brought a fruitcake for good cheer.  Business associates sent gift baskets filled to the brim with snacks and fruitcake.

Celebrate the holidays with a time-honored tradition when you send fruitcake to your friends, relatives and business associates.  Bring the holiday joy of fruitcake into your own home to serve to your family and honored guests.