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43-515: The Zante currant is one of the oldest known raisins . The first written record of the grape was made in 75 AD by Pliny the Elder , who described a tiny, juicy, thin-skinned grape with small bunches. The next mention is a millennium later, when the raisins became a subject of trade between Venetian merchants and Greek producers from Ionian coasts. In the 14th century, they were sold in the English market under

86-534: A bag pudding (without fruit) is "fraunche mele" in the Liber Cure Cocorum Pudding "had the great merit" of not needing to be cooked in an oven, something "most lower class households did not have". Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal, like haggis or sausages. As techniques for meat preserving improved in

129-456: A 19th-century recipe for plum pudding contributed to Jennie June's American Cookery Book by the American poet sisters Alice Cary and Phoebe Cary . It was made as bread pudding , by soaking stale bread in milk then adding suet , candied citron , nutmeg, eggs, raisins and brandy. It was a moulded dessert, cooked in boiling water for several hours, and served with a sweet wine sauce. It was in

172-521: A copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family . The King and Queen granted Leo Amery , the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided it. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including

215-455: A custom in medieval England that the "pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity , that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to west to honour the Magi and their journey in that direction". However, recipes for plum puddings appear mainly, if not entirely, in the 17th century and later. One of

258-583: A key ingredient of British cuisine for centuries, having been imported from the Mediterranean as sweet luxury goods long before cane sugar became widely available in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Alongside raisins and sultanas they feature heavily in a wide variety of traditional baked goods recipes, including fruitcake , currant buns , teacakes , Eccles cakes , Saffron cake , bread and butter pudding , spotted dick , Welsh cakes , Bara brith , Christmas pudding and mince pies . They are also

301-684: A major ingredient of currant slice (or currant square) and currant cake. Zante currants are often sold in mixtures of "mixed dried fruit". Unlike blackcurrants, Zante currants are not a significant source of vitamin C. The fresh fruit Zante raisins are made from is very small and sweet, with quite an intense flavour for a grape. Black, White and Red Corinth are often marketed under the name "Champagne grapes" in U.S. specialty stores, but they are not used for making Champagne . Along with grapes and raisins, Zante currants are nephrotoxic to dogs. This toxicity manifests as kidney failure and can be seen in relatively small doses. Raisins A raisin

344-459: A number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalising the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to

387-444: A reddish black color. The skin is very thin, and the flesh is juicy and soft. It is practically seedless, except in an occasional large berry. When dried, the raisins weigh 0.0032–0.0049 oz (0.091–0.139 g) and are dark brown or black. Leaves are medium-sized, heart-shaped, and oblong. They are five-lobed with deep sinuses. To yield sufficient fruit, Black Corinth grapes need to be carefully managed. In ancient times, girdling

430-584: A symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger . It was not until the 1830s that a boiled cake of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas. In her bestselling 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families , the East Sussex cook Eliza Acton was the first to refer to it as "Christmas Pudding". The custom of eating Christmas pudding

473-469: A tart, tangy flavor. They are usually called currants. Muscat raisins are larger and sweeter than other varieties. Grapes used to produce raisins in the Middle East and Asia include the large black monukka (or manucca) grapes that produce large raisins. Raisins are produced commercially by drying harvested grape berries . For a grape berry to dry, water inside the grape must be removed completely from

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516-537: Is a dried grape . Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking , baking , and brewing . In the United Kingdom , Ireland , New Zealand , Australia and South Africa , the word raisin is reserved for the dark-colored dried large grape, with sultana being a golden- or green-colored dried grape, and currant being a dried small Black Corinth seedless grape. The word raisin dates back to Middle English and

559-507: Is a loanword from Old French ; in modern French , raisin means "grape", while a dried grape is a raisin sec , or "dry grape". The Old French word, in turn, developed from the Latin word racemus , which means "a bunch of grapes." Raisin varieties depend on the types of grapes used and appear in a variety of sizes and colors, including green, black, brown, purple, blue, and yellow. Seedless varieties include sultanas (the common American type

602-430: Is a necessary step in raisin production to ensure the increased rate of water removal during the drying process. A faster water removal rate decreases the rate of browning and helps to produce more desirable raisins. The historical method of completing this process was developed in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas by using a dry emulsion cold dip made of potassium carbonate and ethyl esters of fatty acids. This dip

645-404: Is an inexpensive process; however, environmental contamination, insect infections, and microbial deterioration can occur and the resulting raisins are often of low quality. Additionally, sun drying is a slow process and may not produce the most desirable raisins. Mechanical drying can be done in a safer and more controlled environment where rapid drying is guaranteed. One type of mechanical drying

688-436: Is completed after washing to ensure that the added moisture has been removed. All steps in the production of raisins are very important in determining the quality of raisins. Sometimes sulfur dioxide is applied to raisins after the pre-treatment step and before drying to decrease the rate of browning caused by the reaction between polyphenol oxidase and phenolic compounds. Sulfur dioxide also helps to preserve flavor and prevent

731-610: Is known as Thompson Seedless in the United States), Zante currants (black Corinthian raisins, Vitis vinifera L. var. Apyrena), and Flame grapes . Raisins are traditionally sun-dried but may also be artificially dehydrated. Golden raisins are generally dried in dehydrators with controlled temperature and humidity, which allows them to retain a lighter color and more moisture. They are often treated with sulfur dioxide after drying. Black Corinth or Zante currants are small, sometimes seedless, raisins that are much darker and have

774-439: Is susceptible to numerous other diseases such as downy mildew and black rot . Greece is still the primary producer of Zante currants, amounting to about 80% of total world production, with California, South Africa and Australia sharing most of the remainder. Zante currants are usually called simply "currants", except in the U.S., and in many anglophone countries are used in traditional baked goods and puddings. They have been

817-470: Is to use microwave drying. Water molecules in the grapes absorb microwave energy resulting in rapid evaporation. Microwave drying produces puffed raisins. After the drying process is complete, raisins are sent to processing plants where they are cleaned with water to remove any foreign objects that may have become embedded during the drying process. Stems and off-grade raisins are also removed. The washing process may cause rehydration, so another drying step

860-520: Is very dark, almost black in appearance due to the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild , stout or porter ). Prior to the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth , and often represented as round. The Victorian era fashion involved putting

903-577: The Daily Value (DV) of riboflavin , vitamin B6 , and several dietary minerals rich in content (above 20% DV), including potassium and copper (table). Raisins can cause kidney failure in both cats and dogs. The cause of this is not known. Christmas pudding Christmas pudding is sweet, dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain and other countries to which

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946-446: The 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding . As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as

989-699: The United States date back to 1854. The first successful vineyards of White and Red Corinth (related varieties), were established in California in 1861 by Colonel Ágoston Haraszthy . Around 1901, David Fairchild of USDA imported high-quality black currant cuttings from the Greek village of Panariti , a renowned producer, and established the first commercial crops. However, because of the higher popularity of Thompson Seedless , American production remained modest up to 1920s and 1930s, after which its popularity increased due to

1032-468: The day of serving, and recipes changed slightly to allow for maturing. To serve, the pudding is reheated by steaming once more, and may be dressed with warm brandy which is set alight. It can be eaten with hard sauce (usually brandy butter or rum butter ), cream , lemon cream, ice cream , custard , or sweetened béchamel , and is sometimes sprinkled with caster sugar . There is a popular myth that plum pudding's association with Christmas goes back to

1075-899: The earliest plum pudding recipes is given by Mary Kettilby in her 1714 book A Collection of above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick and Surgery . There is a popular and wholly unsubstantiated myth that in 1714, George I of Great Britain (sometimes known as the Pudding King) requested that plum pudding be served as part of his royal feast in his first Christmas in England. Christmas pudding's possible ancestors include savoury puddings such as those in Harley MS 279, croustades, malaches whyte , creme boiled (a kind of stirred custard), and sippets . Various ingredients and methods of these older recipes appear in early plum puddings. An early example of

1118-532: The entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient were carefully manipulated to represent some of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. However, there were

1161-737: The higher prices it could bring and improved cultivation practices such as girdling . The plantings reached 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) by 1936, and have plateaued there since. In wild grapes, the species is dioecious ; the sexes grow on separate vines with male flowers on one plant, and female flowers on another. Black Corinth is an "almost male" variety in that the flowers have well-developed anthers (male), but only tiny underdeveloped ovaries (female). Clusters of Black Corinth are small, averaging 6.3 oz (180 g) and ranging from 3.2 to 9.5 oz (91 to 269 g). They are cylindrical, with prominent shoulder or winged. The berries are very small 0.012–0.021 oz (0.34–0.60 g), round, and of

1204-504: The interior of the cells onto the surface of the grape where the water droplets can evaporate. However, this diffusion process is very difficult because the grape skin contains wax in its cuticle, which prevents the water from passing through. In addition to this, the physical and chemical mechanisms located on the outer layers of the grape are adapted to prevent water loss. The three steps to commercial raisin production include pre-treatment, drying, and post-drying processes. Pre-treatment

1247-516: The label Reysyns de Corauntz , and the name raisins of Corinth was recorded in the 15th century, after the Greek harbor which was the primary source of export. Gradually, the name was altered to currant . By the 17th century trade shifted towards the Ionian islands, particularly Zakynthos (Zante), resulting in the name Zante currant . The first attempts to introduce the Black Corinth cultivar in

1290-551: The late Victorian era that 'Stir up Sunday' (the fifth Sunday before Christmas) began to be associated with the making of Christmas pudding. The collect this Sunday in the Church of England 's Book of Common Prayer begins with the words "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works...". This led to the custom of preparing Christmas puddings on that day which became known as Stir-up Sunday , associated with

1333-459: The loss of certain vitamins during the drying process. Estimated global production of raisins in 2023–24 was 1.1 million tonnes , led by Turkey , China, Iran, and the United States as the largest producers. Raisins are 15% water, 79% carbohydrates (including 4% fiber ), and 3% protein , and contain negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raisins supply 299 kilocalories and moderate amounts (10–19% DV) of

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1376-402: The mixture into a basin and then steaming it, followed by unwrapping the pudding, placing it on a platter, and decorating the top with a sprig of holly . Initial cooking usually involves steaming for many hours. Most pre-twentieth century recipes assume that the pudding will then be served immediately, but in the second half of the twentieth century, it became more usual to reheat puddings on

1419-581: The person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence . The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and came from an earlier tradition of putting tokens in a cake, which had died out by the twentieth century (see Twelfth Cake ). Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift) or an anchor (to symbolise safe harbour). Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or "fired"),

1462-613: The public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office. In 1931, an annual Christmas market for the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals was held at the Royal Albert Hall on 24 and 25 November. A 10-ton Christmas pudding, the largest ever created up until that time, was featured. The recipe became known as the "Prince of Wales' Empire Christmas Pudding". The Times newspaper noted "The Lord Mayor of London has promised to give

1505-436: The pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause. In 1843, Charles Dickens describes the scene in A Christmas Carol : Mrs Cratchit left the room alone – too nervous to bear witnesses – to take the pudding up and bring it in... Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper which smells like a washing-day. That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and

1548-595: The pudding its first 'stir'. He will be followed by the High Commissioners of the Dominions, and afterwards the general public will have the chance of stirring it". The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII ) was then a patron of the PDSA charity. It was then divided up into 11,208 smaller puddings, which were distributed amongst the poor throughout the country. Manchester and Salford, for example, received 512 each. In America,

1591-473: The stirring of the Christmas pudding. Initially probably a schoolchild joke, latterly the day became known as "Stir-up Sunday". By the 1920s, the custom was established that everyone in the household, or at least every child (and sometimes the servants), gave the mixture a stir and made a wish while doing so. It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by

1634-501: The tradition has been exported. It has its origins in medieval England , with early recipes making use of dried fruit, suet, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs and spice, along with liquid such as milk or fortified wine. Later, recipes became more elaborate. In 1845, cookery writer Eliza Acton wrote the first recipe for a dish called "Christmas pudding". The dish is sometimes known as plum pudding (though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit). The word "plum"

1677-440: The tradition of the Christmas pudding had already arrived in pre-independence days. A book entitled The Williamsburg Art of Cookery by Helen Bullock was published in the U.S. as early as 1742. Among the ingredients she includes a pound of each of a variety of dried fruits and sugar, plus half a pound each of candied peel (citron, orange and lemon). She also adds one pint of brandy and 12 eggs. Jane Cunningham Croly published

1720-450: Was a standard practice to increase the set and size of seedless grapes, until the discovery of the plant hormone gibberellic acid , and its ability to do the same thing with less labor. Historically, Black Corinth stock was probably kept for its pollen-producing abilities, so other female flowered varieties (with naturally higher yields) would set full crops. The Black Corinth cultivar is also reputed to be very prone to powdery mildew , and

1763-691: Was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists. It is a common dish in Australia , New Zealand , Canada , and South Africa . Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire , which the message was widely promoted through the media. In 1927, the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household , requesting

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1806-426: Was shown to increase the rate of water loss by two- to three-fold. Recently, new methods have been developed such as exposing the grapes to oil emulsions or dilute alkaline solutions. These methods can encourage water transfer to the outer surface of grapes which helps to increase the efficiency of the drying process. The three types of drying methods are: sun drying, shade drying, and mechanical drying. Sun drying

1849-509: Was used then for what has been called a " raisin " since the 18th century, and the pudding does not contain plums in the modern sense of the word. Some households have their own recipes for Christmas pudding, which may be handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet . The pudding

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