View Full Version : Fruitcake?
Talk about my worlds colliding - funny article in wsj about long distance hikers eating fruitcake, complete with quotes from some famous (well, famous in our world) hikers...
https://www.wsj.com/articles/finally-a-use-for-that-leftover-holiday-fruitcake-exercise-fuel-1514474908 (subscription may be required)
Fruitcakes are the ultimate multi-use item.
Food, fire starter, mortar to patch holes in trail shelters, weapon, emergency tent stake anchor, bear repellent
(at least 4 "nuisance" bears were immediately reformed when a single un-wrapped fruitcake was left in the open
at the Spence Field Shelter last summer, and several hikers reported sows abandoning their cubs in the Shenandoah
as soon as they spotted a Claxton wrapper attached to a trekking pole.)
However, there are significant drawbacks to the fruitcake diet.
• Ultralight hikers must abandon all their equipment in order to stay under a 12lb base weight
(and this is only carrying one fruitcake) so there is increased risk of hypothermia. However, they
do save money, since they only need to resupply once every three weeks, decreasing town visits.
• Some hikers report significantly decreased mileage due to the time spent digging cat holes every
300 yards, while others have difficulty fitting the warehouse-club sized bundle of toilet paper in their pack
that is needed to manage the digestive "issues" that can present themselves. REI sales numbers
indicate a surge in 105L packs among fruitcake proponents.
• Those hauling "proper" home-made fruitcakes rarely cover more than a few hundred feet between
snacks, finding it difficult to balance a pack full of fruitcake while inebriated. They invariably stop to
let the effects wear off and end up taking an extended nap. When they awake due to hunger pangs they
take another bite and the cycle continues. The one advantage to this is that, with a little planning, you can
use the same camp fire for up to four nights in a row. One hiker set off from Springer May 20 last year and had to
leave the trail at Hightower Gap due to Hurricane Irma. He still had two of the six fruitcakes he started out
with.
Lol... Some of my thoughts exactly!
This has to be in the Humor Forum.
Fruitcake sucks.
This has to be in the Humor Forum.
Fruitcake sucks.
It's hard to believe....
"That’s welcome news to Jack Haskel, a long-distance hiker who regularly carries slices of the maligned dessert in his backpack. “It is tastier and oh so much better than an energy bar,” says the 34-year-old trail information manager in Sacramento, Calif., who buys fruitcakes during the holidays to take on hikes."
My grandmother made an honest-to-goodness edible fruitcake. It is the panforte mentioned in the article. It was delicious. :)
My grandmother made an honest-to-goodness edible fruitcake. It is the panforte mentioned in the article. It was delicious. :)
I knew that was coming from you. Grandma made a delicious fruitcake. :D;)
middle to middle
12-29-2017, 16:41
I read that story this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think fruit cake weighs more than bricks. Must be loaded with calories and dripping with brandy ! I have a friend who is a Navy Seal and suggested air drops every day. Of course if it hit you on the head it would kill you.
Slo-go'en
12-29-2017, 18:42
I made a couple of fruit cakes recently. Cost a small fortune to make. It came out really good. One of my friends said it tasted just like the ones his Aunt used to make. After giving away samples to friends and nibbling on it, I've pretty much went through both of them before I could take any camping.
I recently researched a company that's one of the only two providers of the candied fruit that goes into these things... it's a shrinking but high margin business. That's why it costs a fortune to make these cakes.
For some reason, I think that someone is playing an early April fools joke on us ... can't imagine carrying these bricks!
Furlough
12-29-2017, 19:12
As I recall from reading his book - a snack size fruitcake was a staple of Ed Garvey's.
TexasBob
12-29-2017, 19:36
I couldn't read the article because I don't have a subscription but here is one about a recently discovered 100 year old fruitcake in Antarctica that is "almost edible".
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/antarctica-fruitcake-scott-terra-nova/
if it is almost edible, then they are saying it is as good as the day it was made?
I couldn't read the article because I don't have a subscription but here is one about a recently discovered 100 year old fruitcake in Antarctica that is "almost edible".
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/antarctica-fruitcake-scott-terra-nova/
"Almost edible" describes every fruitcake I've ever encountered. Soaked in rum, brandy, bourbon, or lighter fluid, it's all the same IMHO.
devoidapop
12-29-2017, 20:23
Gethsemane fruitcakes from Kentucky are the one and only.
Highland Goat
12-30-2017, 07:55
There is already some not so serious discussion of fruitcake going on at the “What did you get for Christmas? (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/127765-What-did-you-get-for-Christmas/page2)” thread.
I make fruitcake for backpacking treks, but I cannot abide most of the store bought stuff. Especially if it has those phosphorescent candied fruits.
rocketsocks
12-30-2017, 09:53
Fruitcake is the next big crypto-currency...stock up now!
I knew that was coming from you. Grandma made a delicious fruitcake. :D;)
Damn skippy. I have a small bit of pride (!?) with the food culture I grew up with. :)
Highland Goat
12-30-2017, 19:47
If only fruitcake had the same exchange rate as Snickers.
middle to middle
12-31-2017, 03:05
"Almost edible" describes every fruitcake I've ever encountered. Soaked in rum, brandy, bourbon, or lighter fluid, it's all the same IMHO.
very funny !
middle to middle
12-31-2017, 03:09
of course sitting home here I have frozen snickers in the next room !
my mom used to make a fruit cake I enjoyed. It wasn't booze based, more sticky and sweet, but I liked it.
I've had one commercially made one that I liked...but I can't remember the brand.
& I've tried several of the ones joked about here....just horrible.
my mom used to make a fruit cake I enjoyed. It wasn't booze based, more sticky and sweet, but I liked it.
I've had one commercially made one that I liked...but I can't remember the brand.
& I've tried several of the ones joked about here....just horrible.
Not sure if it was, but Claxton is a more commonly found brand (and they are good as well) - it also has 420 cal./serving (which happens to be 1/4 of a cake weighing 16 oz.).
Tipi Walter
12-31-2017, 14:47
Here's a simple Backpacking recipe for Fruitcake---
*Take a bite of bread.
*Throw into mouth peanuts and raisins i.e. gorp
*Add a small piece of cheese.
*Insert one macadamia nut.
*Chew thoroughly and sip water if needed.
*Repeat.
VOILA! You've just eaten fruitcake.
Time Zone
12-31-2017, 14:57
TW your recipe sounds 100x tastier than the traditional commercial fruitcake I once tried. One bite was enough to convince me that the bad reputation they have is totally deserved.
Not sure if it was, but Claxton is a more commonly found brand (and they are good as well) - it also has 420 cal./serving (which happens to be 1/4 of a cake weighing 16 oz.).
Yes, I think that might be the one! thanks
TwoSpirits
12-31-2017, 18:21
My dear mother, bless her heart, has sent me and mine a "fruitcake confection" from Harry & David for the last dozen years. Nobody else will touch the stuff because it says "fruitcake" on the label , but it is the best hiking snack ever! If I don't eat the whole thing, I cut it into measured chunks, vacuum pack it, and put in the freezer. Sticky, gooey, sugar fat heaven!
Yes, I think that might be the one! thanks
I should add....if taht was it, it wasn't as good as mom's. Still fairly good though.
Fruit should taste good, right? I mean, it's fruit and it's cake. Both are good seperately, but together, it's kinda vile. The only fruitcake I actually liked was in MRE's. Nothing else in MRR's was that good, but the fruitcake, yum!
I have no problem being an outlier - I like it, commercial or homemade all good to me - I douse mine with spiced rum
I have no problem being an outlier - I like it, commercial or homemade all good to me - I douse mine with spiced rum
Statistically there have to be a few of you to keep the industry viable.
Pringles
01-01-2018, 15:56
A small group of us were hiking on a cold day. One person pulled out a fruitcake, and some butter and some rum... a few minutes later we were all happier. After that, I've not had anything bad to say about fruitcake.
Claxton fruit cake (in the red and white stripped box.) compared to pemmican by Ed Garvy, along with Citadel spread. I like both.
atraildreamer
01-11-2018, 11:53
People don't seem to realize that fruitcakes were an excellent method to preserve the harvest of fruits, nuts, etc. before the days of refrigeration and all of our modern-day food preservation methods. Once properly baked, the long shelf-life of a fruitcake made it an excellent, compact source of much-needed nutrition, especially in the winter months.
People don't seem to realize that fruitcakes were an excellent method to preserve the harvest of fruits, nuts, etc. before the days of refrigeration and all of our modern-day food preservation methods. Once properly baked, the long shelf-life of a fruitcake made it an excellent, compact source of much-needed nutrition, especially in the winter months.
"...before the days of refrigeration and all our modern-day food preservation methods."
I read that as "Fruitcake is an ancient artifact, now pointless thanks to advances in food preservation."
I like traditional foods, but fruitcake is right up there with barrels of salted fish in my book.
Highland Goat
01-12-2018, 07:47
fruitcake is right up there with barrels of salted fish in my book.
Great idea, I had not condiered taking baccalà on the trail.
Riocielo
01-12-2018, 19:12
This has to be in the Humor Forum.
Fruitcake sucks.
Yes, most do, but sometime try a fruitcake by Figi’s. Theirs might change your mind. It did mine. Their rectangle version is the best.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Feral Bill
01-12-2018, 21:08
Anyone here remember Logan Bread? Named after a peak in, I think, the Yukon. It was very dense and sticky with nuts but, IIRC, no fruit. I recall it coming in half pound blocks, each having about a million calories. Tasty, too.
So I looked it up, and recipes abound. Hmmmmm?
rocketsocks
01-12-2018, 21:13
Anyone here remember Logan Bread? Named after a peak in, I think, the Yukon. It was very dense and sticky with nuts but, IIRC, no fruit. I recall it coming in half pound blocks, each having about a million calories. Tasty, too.
So I looked it up, and recipes abound. Hmmmmm?a thread came up last year on this I believe...a few here make. Maybe Wayne???
LittleTim
01-13-2018, 00:04
Don't be afraid to bake your own. It's relatively easy, just add on the final step of basting a liquor spiked simple syrup until it gets saturated but not sticky. I've done it twice and will probably do it again now that I'm craving it.
And using actual dried fruit & nuts is soooooo much better than the weird diced neon fruit-like mixture that gets sold like a little DIY kit.
Happy baking.
TexasBob
01-13-2018, 11:40
Anyone here remember Logan Bread? Named after a peak in, I think, the Yukon. It was very dense and sticky with nuts but, IIRC, no fruit. I recall it coming in half pound blocks, each having about a million calories. Tasty, too. So I looked it up, and recipes abound. Hmmmmm?
I made some a couple of months ago just to try it. I followed the "original" recipe. I like fruit cake better.