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.
- More than 1 million Raisinets are produced per hour.
- Chocolate covered raisins are known as Raisinets. Currently made by Nestle, they are the third-largest selling candy in United States history.
- The Blumenthal Chocolate Company introduced the Raisinets to the United States in 1927, and then in 1984, Nestle acquired the brand.
- 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 the moisture.
- 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.
- It takes more than 4 tons of grapes to produce 1 ton of raisins.
- The finest raisins are considered to come from Malaga in 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.
- The California Dancing Raisin was introduced in 1984 by the California Raisin Industry marketing staff to increase awareness and demand for California raisins.
Sources:
