It was a DELIGHT to play a small role in helping your brilliance come to the ~airwaves~! So grateful for your infectious curiosity and passion for fruit cake and space. 👩🏼🚀🚀
What a marvelous undertaking and a wonder to behold. I am appreciating anew the efforts and quirks in humanity that drive us toward the most specific of passions (fruitcake, astronauts, the food timeline - holy cow!, and your synthesis of them all). As a newer convert to classic British fruitcake, I can attest to its delicious heartiness - something of a meal unto itself - but the American version has always felt like a pale imitation. I am surprised to see it placed so centrally as a staple in astronauts' diets, not to mention highlighted as a celebration cake. I've no doubt that fruitcake weighs 350 pounds, since the basic version I bake at Christmas in a cheesecake pan is a behemoth. Such a comprehensive and fascinating piece of reporting -- so many new things to discover and learn! Thank you for this fantastic contribution to the world of food.
I keep thinking about the use of soy flour. I would guess that it would be easy for a NASA food scientist to access it and wonder if it was added for a protein boost. I just do not remember ever seeing soy flour available in the grocery store as a child, so it’s interesting that it was included in the newspaper recipe.
Here's what the report says about the inclusion of soy flour:
"NLABS' first approach was to identify appropriate protein sources for fortification. Soy
sources were selected over the other available protein sources (eggs, non-fat milk, wheat gluten, etc.) to increase the protein content of the fruitcake. The use of soy concentrates and flours in proportions greater than 50 percent substitution of flour resulted in unacceptable products.
When defatted soy flour (52.5 percent protein) was substituted for one-half of the cake flour in the Mason et al. formula, the product was considered acceptable by a technological panel. The resulting percent protein content of the product containing one-half soy flour and one-half cake flour was slightly low, being 7.5 percent instead of 9.3 percent (RDA) of total calories.
Later, NASA determined that the protein content should remain at 7 to 8 percent of total
calories to assure suitability for consumption as a contingency food, under conditions of limited water intake. Several other soy fortified cakes, including cherry nut and chocolate nut, were furnished to NASA for evaluation and comment. NASA indicated interest in the fruitcake sample only."
This is fascinating. I remember how excited (and ultimately disappointed) we were to try Tang for the first time. The fruitcake does not look like it would disappoint!
This was such a fun, well-researched read, Bronwen. Can’t wait to listen to the podcast! Also, the two photos of vac-sealed fruitcake separated by 70ish years? Uncanncy. Agree with you that the massive cake doesn't quite look 350 pounds but if it is fruitcake, I suppose it could be so dense.
It was a DELIGHT to play a small role in helping your brilliance come to the ~airwaves~! So grateful for your infectious curiosity and passion for fruit cake and space. 👩🏼🚀🚀
I’m grateful to you!!
I listened! It was fascinating. Great work! (And I was among the guilty who believe all space food is freeze-dried)
Thank you so much! And truly, astronaut ice cream is responsible for the freeze dried propaganda!
What a marvelous undertaking and a wonder to behold. I am appreciating anew the efforts and quirks in humanity that drive us toward the most specific of passions (fruitcake, astronauts, the food timeline - holy cow!, and your synthesis of them all). As a newer convert to classic British fruitcake, I can attest to its delicious heartiness - something of a meal unto itself - but the American version has always felt like a pale imitation. I am surprised to see it placed so centrally as a staple in astronauts' diets, not to mention highlighted as a celebration cake. I've no doubt that fruitcake weighs 350 pounds, since the basic version I bake at Christmas in a cheesecake pan is a behemoth. Such a comprehensive and fascinating piece of reporting -- so many new things to discover and learn! Thank you for this fantastic contribution to the world of food.
This is so incredibly kind! Thank you so much for reading 💛
Fascinating!
this is awesome—can't wait to listen!
Thank you Maggie!
I keep thinking about the use of soy flour. I would guess that it would be easy for a NASA food scientist to access it and wonder if it was added for a protein boost. I just do not remember ever seeing soy flour available in the grocery store as a child, so it’s interesting that it was included in the newspaper recipe.
Here's what the report says about the inclusion of soy flour:
"NLABS' first approach was to identify appropriate protein sources for fortification. Soy
sources were selected over the other available protein sources (eggs, non-fat milk, wheat gluten, etc.) to increase the protein content of the fruitcake. The use of soy concentrates and flours in proportions greater than 50 percent substitution of flour resulted in unacceptable products.
When defatted soy flour (52.5 percent protein) was substituted for one-half of the cake flour in the Mason et al. formula, the product was considered acceptable by a technological panel. The resulting percent protein content of the product containing one-half soy flour and one-half cake flour was slightly low, being 7.5 percent instead of 9.3 percent (RDA) of total calories.
Later, NASA determined that the protein content should remain at 7 to 8 percent of total
calories to assure suitability for consumption as a contingency food, under conditions of limited water intake. Several other soy fortified cakes, including cherry nut and chocolate nut, were furnished to NASA for evaluation and comment. NASA indicated interest in the fruitcake sample only."
This is fascinating. I remember how excited (and ultimately disappointed) we were to try Tang for the first time. The fruitcake does not look like it would disappoint!
You know? It was pretty good! Maybe not amazing (the hydration felt off, but that may have been an attempt to prolong the shelf life)
This is one of the best things I've ever read. I'm so excited to go listen to the Gravy episode!
KC thank you so much!!
i love a special interest combo!
This was such a fun, well-researched read, Bronwen. Can’t wait to listen to the podcast! Also, the two photos of vac-sealed fruitcake separated by 70ish years? Uncanncy. Agree with you that the massive cake doesn't quite look 350 pounds but if it is fruitcake, I suppose it could be so dense.