by Mari Winn Taylor

Although fruitcake enthusiasts don't understand why their favorite holiday food is so maligned, many recipients still groan over finding this item with their name on it during the holiday season. Patrick Byers, however, is someone who, like many other Ozarkans with bragging rights, waxes poetic about his mother's fruitcake which he calls "famous." And as the horticulture specialist with the University of Missouri Extension further believes, the fruitcake is "a celebration of horticulture."

In detailing the many ingredients found in her fruitcake, Byers exclaims that it "is a great example of the importance of horticulture to our life in both our everyday and unusual ways."

For starters, the Byer's fruitcake requires cherries. Candied cherries (from Washington State) prepared from sweet cherries, specially harvested and processed to make the firm, sweet fruit used in the fruitcake. A second ingredient is candied citrus peel.

"Most of us are familiar with candied lemon and orange peel from Florida, but the candied citron peel comes from Asia," said Byers, who describes the citron peel as a fairly important article in international trade.

An important third ingredient is nuts. "My mother uses walnuts (from Missouri), pecans (from Kansas), and hazelnuts (from Oregon) in her recipe," said Byers.

Then finally in this eagerly anticipated gift, dried raisins from California make the Byers fruitcake complete.

In my family the fruitcake became more of a symbol of affection rather than something edible. Each year the fruitcake was enticingly gift wrapped and passed along to a friend. The following year he would do the same bit of tomfoolery and we would get it back. Of course, during the time in between it would be carefully preserved in either's refrigerator freezer awaiting the upcoming holiday.

Okay, by now fruitcake enthusiasts might be in horror over such a game. But to us it was something that tied us together and gave us a good laugh.

All I can say is, "May the fruitcake be with you, however you want to consider its significance." (Don't groan.)

And, of course, have a joyful Christmas from the staff of the Joplin Independent!

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