National Raisin Day (April 30th)

First discovered by accident as early as 4000 years ago, raisins are a dried fruit made from grapes. Filled with delicious flavor, raisins offer a convenient source of nutrition and energy, especially in the past when it was difficult to keep fresh fruit from going bad. Today, raisins continue to provide a Healthy, no-frills way to enjoy a hearty little snack!

History of National Raisin Day

Just as the raisin has a long History, so does National Raisin Day. In fact, National Raisin Day got its start more than a century ago. In 1909, the raisin growers association of the state of California introduced the idea for a day that would promote this versatile dried fruit. Advertised on the radio, in newspapers and even through hand-delivered flyers, the first National Raisin Day on April 30,1909 was a huge success in the United States.

As marketing campaigns introduced this unique fruit to Americans, giving out free recipe ideas and coupons, the raisin became even more popular and well-known. Although they do contain a lot of sugar, a handful of raisins is a much Healthier snack than something with empty calories such as a candy bar.

So get on board and get ready to enjoy National Raisin Day!

How to Celebrate National Raisin Day

Have tons of fun and celebrate this delicious little treat with some of these ideas for National Raisin Day:

Make Some Recipes with Raisins

One great way to celebrate National Raisin Day is to whip up some easy Recipes that include raisins in their list of ingredients. Get started with some of these:

• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. One of the most traditional ways to eat raisins is putting them in a delicious batch of warm oatmeal raisin cookies.
• Trail Mix. A simple and easy way to incorporate raisins into a simple snack is by making trail mix. Mix up some peanuts, seeds, almonds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, M&Ms and, of course, raisins.
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread. One amazing and simple way to eat raisins is by adding them to a delicious bread recipe. Whether a sweet quick bread or a yeast bread, any cinnamon bread recipe could be made even better by including a cup of raisins before baking.