National Raisin Day April 30

Raisins are a tasty and convenient snack to enjoy. They are also extremely healthy because they are low in fat and contain many nutrients including phenol and boron.

Raisins are made by dehydrating grapes in a process that uses the heat of the sun or a mechanical oven. This practice goes back as far as 2000 B.C. in Persia and Egypt. Raisins were also highly prized by ancient Romans who used them as barter currency and prizes at sporting events.

Today, half of the world’s supply of raisins is grown in California. Fresno, California has even been named the “Raisin Capital of the World!” Raisin’s commercial popularity was discovered in 1873 when a heat wave destroyed the California grape vines. One grower creatively decided to try to sell the grapes instead as raisins, a “Peruvian delicacy.” The raisins soon became immensely popular throughout the rest country.

Celebrate National Raisin Day by baking some raisins into your favorite recipe or getting a box of raisins to snack on throughout the day!

Cookie...mmmmmm