Raisin History
1900 - The news spreads
Raisin production spreads widely from the Mediterranean and California, all the way to Australia and Chile.
1949 - Raisin bombs away!
With the demand for high-energy foods and sugar substitutes escalating during World War II, the War Production Board orders California's entire wine grape crop to be made into raisins.
Children living in the city of Berlin delight in packets of raisins dropped for their benefit by planes participating in the Berlin Airlift. These planes become known as the 'raisin bombers.'
1962 - One step for man, one giant step for raisins
Astronaut Scott Carpenter bites into a raisin-filled, granola-type confection, thus becoming the first person to carry and consume California Raisins in outer space.
1980s - Raisins come to life
The advertising world was taken by surprise with the popularity of a group of animated singing raisins who promoted the goodness of sweet, juicy California Raisins. Their trademark song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," (a Marvin Gaye classic) boosted California Raisin sales and instigated a surge of spin-off products such as T-shirts, small rubber figurines, etc.
1991 - Steve McRaisin!
Capcom produced a video game for Nintendo titled California Raisins: The Grape Escape, where California Raisins battle various evil fruit and vegetable characters that have stolen the Raisins' music. The game was completed and critics reviewed it, but it was never released to the open market.
Today…to be continued
Today there are over 3,500 growers and 20 packers in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Many of which are recognised as some of the world's most experienced raisin growers. The area now supplies raisins for nearly half the world, making it the largest producing region anywhere.