The invention of canned food (13 photos)

You shouldn't go camping without them.

They fill the shelves of any grocery store.

Thrifty housewives always have plenty of them.

They are the main component of any emergency supply.







So, canned food. This invention is just over two centuries old, and we owe its origin to Nicolas Appert. The man who saved the French army from starvation and received the award and unique title of "Benefactor of Humanity" was born in the small town of Châlons-en-Champagne on November 17, 1749. The Appert family owned a hotel and tavern, and little Nicolas, like his eight brothers and sisters, often helped in the kitchen. It was then that the boy discovered his talent for cooking, and when he grew older, he decided to open his own pastry shop in Paris. Nicolas Appert would have continued making croissants and blumange his entire life, but a small newspaper article with sad news changed everything. While on a long expedition, the gallant crew of the French fleet was decimated by scurvy. The culprit was a severe vitamin deficiency. There was no electricity, no refrigeration, and all the provisions the sailors took with them quickly spoiled. Therefore, the only food they could survive on long voyages was crackers and dried meats. In short, the news of the sailors' deaths upset not only Nicolas Appert but also Napoleon Bonaparte. Of course! How can you not be upset when you have a huge, hungry army behind you, food spoiling like a bullet, and your plans are nothing less than world conquest! His first canned goods were served in champagne bottles: Nicolas Appert commissioned a special modification. The chef would place the ingredients in these bottles, cork them, seal them with wax, and boil them for several hours. When Appert presented his technology at court, he immediately invited the committee to dine on his preserves. It turned out that the bottles perfectly preserved buckwheat porridge with braised pork, leg of lamb, and peaches in sweet sauce for dessert. In 1810, Napoleon personally presented the chef with a 12,000-franc reward and the title of "Benefactor of Humanity." But, as you can imagine, Appert's invention had its flaws; otherwise, we would still be buying canned meat exclusively in bottles today. The original canned food container was too heavy and easily broken, so a little later, the Englishman Peter Durand perfected the French chef's invention. Durand patented tin cans, which were much more convenient to use than glass bottles. And the gratitude of the sailors, who from that moment on stopped munching exclusively on dry meat and stale bread on long voyages, is hard to imagine! In short, if there are inventors, there's always something new to invent!

Sick Sailors





Nicolas Appert in his youth



Nicolas Appert



Nicolas Appert and his invention



Nicolas Appert and his invention, drawing



Napoleon Bonaparte



Medal



Peter Durand



Tin cans Jars



Happy Sailors



Dried Meat