When it comes to a National Day, a chocolate-covered raisin or a box of them is worth celebrating. On March 24th, National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day celebrates raisins coated in a shell of either milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
- 1873 – California discovered the commercial potential of raisins quite by accident. In 1873, a freak hot spell withered the grapes on the vine. One enterprising San Francisco grocer advertised these shriveled grapes as “Peruvian Delicacies” and the rest is history. California is now the world’s leading producer of raisins.
- 1926 – The delicious chocolate-covered treats were invented and first introduced.
- 1927 – The Blumenthal Chocolate Company introduced the Raisinets to the United States in 1927, and then in 1984, Nestle acquired the brand.
- 1968 – Legend has it that trail mix was first created in California by two surfers looking for an energizing snack in 1968; since then, trail mix mojo has skyrocketed with the addition of chocolate-covered raisins.
- 1984 – The California Dancing Raisin was introduced in 1984 by the California Raisin Industry marketing staff to increase awareness and demand for California raisins.
- 2010 – With the introduction of Pinterest, you can create a board dedicated to your favorite obsessions. There are some pretty cool ideas for chocolate-covered raisins out there.
- Chocolate-covered raisins are known as Raisinets. Currently made by Nestle, they are the third-largest selling candy in United States history.
- More than 1 million Raisinets are produced per hour.
- Not only are Raisinets healthier than many other candy options, they can also be found on the gluten-free menu!
- Raisins are an excellent source of calcium, potassium, iron, fiber and vitamin B. When you combine the raisins with dark chocolate, you have a great-tasting, healthy snack.
- Every single chocolate-covered Raisinet is polished to make it shine
- One of the most popular snacks for moviegoers besides popcorn is this chocolate-covered snack
- A special seedless grape grown only in one part of California is used for many of the chocolate-covered raisins sold in the US.
- When boxes of chocolate-covered raisins were first sold in movie theaters, the theater paid 1.25 cents per box and sold the boxes for a nickel.
- Cool storage is the best way to keep raisins. After the package has been opened it should be put in a sealed container and refrigerated. Raisins will retain their flavor, color, and nutritive value if stored in the refrigerator. They can be kept even longer if frozen.
- Raisins will thaw quickly at room temperature. If raisins become dry due to improper storage, rinse them in tap water to dissolve the sugar crystals and restore moisture.
- It takes more than 4 tons of grapes to produce 1 ton of raisins.
- A 1/4 cup serving of chocolate-covered raisins contains approximately 190 calories.
- The finest raisins are considered to come from Malaga, Spain.
- Golden raisins are made by treating the raisins with a lye solution, sometimes with lye and then burning sulfur, and sometimes with sulfur dioxide.
- Fresno, California is the Raisin Capital of the World.
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