Walter E. Diemer: Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum

I'm So Happy I Could Burst!

Hi Everyone! My eye has healed, I bought a new pair of "specks" and I'm ready for action!

Pop Quiz! What if I told you the man who invented the world's first Bubble Gum, Dubble Bubble, was born on this day? Would I be stretching the truth if I told you that same man, Walter E. Diemer, was a 23 year old accountant who concocted his first batch of Bubble Gum purely by accident? Nooooooo Waaaaaay!

There are gobs of stickiness orbiting the History of Dubble Bubble and Walter E. Diemer, the man most likely responsible for causing me to write "I will not chew gum in school" way too many times! If I recall, wearing bubble gum on the tip of my nose, was one of my favorite past times in school too, besides blowing bubbles of course. Nowadays, there's quite a debate as to the benefits of chewing gum in school. According to this article, there is scientific evidence showing that chewing gum improves concentration and reduces stress.

...Teachers may outlaw chewing gum in class, but chewing gum in class makes kids smarter. How could that be? Chewing causes our hearts to pump more blood to our brain than it usually does. More blood carries noggin-nourishing oxygen and that will help brain function better. It also increases the glucose level, making the student more alert. The rhythmic chewing also increases attention. Mental tasks are done 20% more effectively while chewing gum and that's why it makes students "smarter"...

"Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

Learning how to blow bubbles isn't easy. It takes practice. Lots of practice! In fact, when Mr. Diemer slapped together his first successful batch of Dubble Bubble, he then found himself in a rather glutinous situation. He had to teach the company's salespeople how to use the stuff! Imagine, a teacher teaching people how to to blow bubbles with bubble gum? But wait, Mr. Diemer wasn't a teacher. He wasn't even just an accountant anymore. After his amazing discovery, Fleer promoted him to senior vice-president of the company.

National Bubble Gum week, which originated at Northern Michigan University as a way to "relieve tension among students preparing for final exams", isn't until the second week of March but, I thought perhaps in honor of this special occasion, we could do just a smidgen of celebrating today. What do you think? I thought you would agree:)

I was so intrigued by the "Bubblicious" Bubblegum Martini that I spied over on Kate's post, that I just had to get my hands on some Dubble Bubble and give it a whirl. Look at how cool it looks after just 4 hours of "marinating." In 24 hours, we'll have our very own Bubble Gum Vodka. Truth be told, you could try this recipe with Bazooka too!!!

Dubble Bubble had no competition until after World War II. According to the International Chewing Gum Association, during WWII bubblegum was handed out by US military personnel as gifts, thereby spreading its popularity among the peoples of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Dubble Bubble was part of the US military’s ration kits. And in the 1930s the first bubblegum cards were issued. The pictures ranged from war heroes to Wild West figures to professional athletes. After the war, Topps began wrapping bubble gum in comics and called it, Bazooka!

Why is Bubble Gum Pink?

It seems, America's first Bubble Gum was a dingy gray. Mr. Diemer wouldn't have it! The only handy food coloring in his lab that August day was Pink and that dear readers is why the preferred color of Bubble Gum the world over is Pink!

Mr. Diemer never received royalties for his invention. He did, however, receive hundreds of letters from children thanking him for "inventing" bubble gum. Although he rarely chewed gum, he would invite groups of children to his home and tell them about his invention, then he would preside over bubblegum-blowing contests. He is quoted as saying, "I've done something with my life. I've made kids happy around the world." In 1991 Walter E. Diemer moved to Lancaster, PA. There he enjoyed life riding around town on his tricycle. He died in 1998 at the the age of 93!

So what does one do when they've conjured up their very own Bubble Gum "extract?" First, one "plays" with the concoction, of course.

Then one bakes cupcakes! Oh no, not your every day ordinary cupcakes. Bubble Gum Cupcakes!!! That's right kiddies, I baked Bubble Gum Cupcakes with Bubble Gum Marshmallow Frosting! And, let me tell you, they are Dee...li...cious!!! Oh, they may not look like much but, they taste just like Bubble Gum!

FYI: Frank Henry Fleer was involved with chewing gum long before Mr. Diemer made history with the invention of his bubble gum. Curiously, Blibber-Blubber was never brought to market.

Resources
1. Brush Up on Bubble Gum Trivia

2. Bubble Gum Lip Gloss Recipe

3. World Bubble Records

4. Fleer History

5. An odd tale about chewing gum and the Alamo.

6. Bubble Gum Ball Surprise Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream & Pink Rock Candy Crystals

7. Bubble Gum Marshmallows (made with bubble gum food flavoring, no Vodka:)

8. Mr. Diemer, New York Times Obit

This post was checked for links in December of 2015.

Harold Baker: Chiffon Cake

Today, we celebrate two inventions baked into one.

Oil is the Key

The story of the Wesson Oil and Snowdrift Companies begins at the Southern Cotton Oil Company founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 5, 1887.

From the 1770s to the 1880s agriculturists and cooks sought to develop culinary oils from plants. Thomas Jefferson's attempts to introduce the olive into the agriculture of the United States, as a partial substitute for lard in cookery met with limited success...In the first decades of the nineteenth century, planter experimentalists began the commercial scale production of benne oil, establishing it as the primary salad oil and the second favored frying medium in the southern United States. It enjoyed acceptance and moderate commercial success until the refinement of cottonseed oil in the 1870s and 1880s. Cotton seed, a waste product of the south's most cotton vital industry, was turned into a revenue stream as David Wesson and other scientists created a salad oil and frying medium designedly tasteless and odorless, and a cooking fat, hydrogenated cottonseed oil (Cottonlene or Crisco) that could cheaply substitute for lard in baking. Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture

The Cake

The notion of combining beaten egg whites into a batter prepared with egg yolks and oil belongs to creator and professional baker, Harry Baker. Baker owned a Hollywood pastry shop at 341 Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. bake me a cake...

Gail Borden: Portable Soup-Bread

After six years of experimenting, on February 5, 1850, Gail Borden received U.S. Patent #7,066 titled "Preparation of Portable Soup-Bread." In essence, it was a traveling meat biscuit packed with protein.

When Gail Borden, a surveyor and land agent at Galveston in the recently annexed state of Texas, heard of the starvation of the Donner Party and the hunger of the others who were trying to cross the continent, he was stirred to invent a way of making food more potable. The Americans, the Democratic Experience by Daniel Joseph Boorstin; available @google books

Unfortunately, I can't get to posting about the trials and tribulations of Borden's first patent. However, Jana @ Time Travel Kitchen, not only explores Borden's invention, she also includes a modern version of Borden's Meat Biscuit recipe for those who dare...
Don't worry, it looks much more appetizing than this:

Charles Goodnight: Chuck Wagon

Cattleman Charles Goodnight was born on March 5, 1836. Legend has it that Charles Goodnight invented the Chuck Wagon in 1886. You can read more about Charles Goodnight and his invention @ Months of Edible Celebrations where I celebrated some chuck wagon cookin.'

Thor Bjørklund: Cheese Slicer

Have you ever contemplated the origin of the cheese-slicer? I'd venture to say no. Well, perhaps, maybe yes. After all, you are reading my "invention of the cheese slicer" post for Inventors' Day:)

A cheese slicer, put simply, is an instrument for slicing cheese. Pretty basic huh? So what's to post? Well, it appears, the cheese slicer has a history. Yes, cheese has a rather romantic history also but today, I would like to focus on the cutter itself; the handheld cheese slicer.

The Ostehøvel (Norwegian for "cheese slicer") was patented on February 27, 1925 by Norwegian carpenter, Thor Bjørklund.

...If you love cheese, you should have a cheese plane. These are often called Norwegian cheese planes because they were invented in Norway and patented in 1925 by Thor Bjorklund who was a carpenter. He designed the cheese plane based on a carpenter’s plane to give thin and uniform slices of cheese...source: Charlottes Cheese Dreams

Yes, it seems, Norway has made other contributions to the world of inventions. For example, did you know it was a Norwegian who invented the paper clip. His name was Johan Vaaler and he was granted a patent in 1899. Hey, someone had to do it!!! The invention of Post-It Notes is an entirely different story.

We better get back to the cheese slicer before the cheese spoils:) According to legend, Mr. Björklund became a bit agitated when on a hot summer day he couldn't quite get his packed lunch of cheese to slice as thin as he would have liked. Since he was a cabinetmaker by trade, it occurred to him that he might be able to use the same principle for slicing cheese as he did for planing wood. The original hand-held cheese slicer was made of metal and can be seen here. Because of its ability to cut thin slivers of cheese, Norwegian houses wives loved it. It was an immediate success. In merely two years after its invention, the cheese slicer was being mass produced in Lillehammer Norway. I found an image of the original cheese slicer at wikipedia along with the story of the invention.

Apparently a cheese slicer is great for slicing cucumbers too!!!

Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS, that opened its doors in 1927 was Norway’s only producer of the traditional Norwegian cheese slicer (ostehøvel), and the first in the world. Since the beginning the company has produced over 50 million cheese slicers. During the pioneering years a total of 50-60 work operations were used on each cheese slicer, and one hour was used to produce each slicer. Today, approximately 7,000 slicers can be produced in one hour. (source)

There are those who believe the cheese slicer was first imported to American shores as souvenirs brought home by visitors to Norway. If you're lucky in your travels on the internet, you may find yourself right smack in the middle of a cheese paring celebration on February 27. That is the day the people of Norway pay tribute to Thor Bjørklund and the cheese slicer. Have FUN!!!

Resources 1. What is a Cheese Slicer?

Happy Birthday Nicolas Appert

Of vineyards, tree, and garden sauce, There should never be any loss. If fresh picked and quickly canned, When winter comes it will be in demand. Collin Class Cookery 1931

Today is the birthdate of Nicolas Appert; the reputed "Father of Canning."

Charles E. Hires: Hires Root Beer

Charles Elmer Hires was born in Elsinboro Pennsylvania (some say Elsinboro New Jersey) on August 19, 1851. As a son of a farmer, Charles was quite sure he did not want to spend the rest of his life toiling the soil like his father. Instead, he began experimenting with powdered roots and extracts developing medicinal syrups and tonics when he was a young man...

You can find root beer recipes and a timeline of Mr. Hires' journey to root beer fame at a posting I did titled: Mr. Hires and the Black Cow.

W. K. Kellogg: Corn Flakes

The Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company was founded by Will Keith Kellogg on February 19, 1906. There are those who believe the invention of Corn Flakes by W. K. Kellogg changed the way we eat breakfast forever. There were those who would disagreed...There is more about The Marketable Flake and The Funny Jungleland Moving Picture Book (with images) @ my other blog, Months of Edible Celebrations. Come see...:)

Mixing It Up...

Today may just be the optimum day to celebrate the invention of the "egg beater" or is it the blender? Visit my other blog Months of Edible Celebrations where we "Mix It Up for Black History Month..."

Christian K. Nelson: Eskimo Pie

On January 24, 1922, the United States Patent Office granted the patent for the frozen novelty, Eskimo Pie. Patent number 1,404,539 was granted to Christian K. Nelson, the inventor of the "I-Scream Bar," (later to be renamed Eskimo Pie:) The patent is available for viewing at google patents. Below you will find a small portion of that patent.

The present invention relates to confectionery and has for its object the production of a commercially practical coated brick or block of ice cream or the like...It is the primary object of this invention to provide a frozen dainty comprising a form retaining block or brick of ice cream or the like, also to provide encasement therefor which facilitates its ready handling...

You can also view the Eskimo Pie Corporation Records at the archives section of the National Museum of American History which contains oodles of information pertaining to the chocolate-covered ice cream treat, and its inventor C. K. Nelson. Here's a taste:

The inspiration for the invention of Eskimo Pie was a boy's indecision in Nelson's confectionery store in 1920. A boy started to buy ice cream, then changed his mind and bought a chocolate bar. Nelson inquired as to why he did not buy both. The boy replied, "Sure I know-I want 'em both, but I only got a nickel." For weeks after the incident, Nelson worked around the clock experimenting with different methods of sticking melted chocolate to frozen ice cream until he found cocoa butter to be the perfect adherent.

Also available for "tasting" are a few Eskimo and Inuit recipes at my other blog where I celebrated Eskimo Pie Day in March.

Resources

• 1. Nebraska Food & Beverage manufacturing history

What are you doing for Cotton Candy Day?

Spinning, Spinning, & Spinning!
I need a favor. The next time you go to the dentist for your yearly check up, ask him or her if they ever heard of a guy by the name of Josef Lascaux. If they haven't, which I'm quite sure they have not, tell them this: Cotton Candy was invented by a dentist! You can get into details later. I  just want to know the reaction. I would do it myself but, I just went to the dentist on my last trip back to PA. I wish I would have remembered then this would have been a really cool post! Even though he never received a patent, dentist Josef Lascaux introduced cotton candy at his dental practice in Louisiana. If he gives you the impression such a story is mere fluff, assure him with this: William James Morrison a prominent dentist, author and civic leader from Nashville, Tennessee patented the first electric cotton candy machine on January 31, 1899! His partner in crime was John C. Wharton. No, he wasn't a dentist but, he was a candy-maker, also from Tennessee.

Happy Cotton Candy Day!

Originally called “Fairy Floss”, the process of making Cotton Candy was invented by four men: Thomas Patton, Josef Delarose Lascaux, John C. Wharton, and William Morrison. In 1899, Morrison and Wharton were able to patent the first electric cotton candy machine, which used centrifugal force to spin and melt sugar through small holes. In 1904, these two Nashville candy makers introduced their invention of how to make cotton candy to the St. Louis World’s Fair. Due to fair goers’ curiosity, these inventors sold approximately 68,655 boxes of cotton candy for 25 cents a box for a total of $17,163.75. Back then and today this is a great deal of money, just think of the profit that you could make today selling such a low cost and enjoyable product! 

There's some spin concerning the fourth man involved in the history of cotton candy; Thomas Patton. It seems, Patton also had a cotton candy invention. His Fairy Sugar was gas fired!

William Morrison and John C. Wharton are generally credited for the cotton candy invention, some sources say that another vendor by the name of Thomas Patton also had a cotton candy invention patented. Patton had been playing with the process of caramelization - that is, boiling it until it turns into a caramelized state (about 320 degrees Fahrenheit). His machine differed from the cotton candy machine of Morrison and Wharton -- his was gas-fired. The machine rotated a plate around to create the strands which were collected and served on a cone...Cotton Candy Net

The cotton candy machine patent (U.S. Patent #618,428) filed by William Morrison and John C. Wharton is available at google patents. The drawing are also available. If you have a moment, you really should take a peek at them. You'll probably be surprised to discover, they aren't much different then the ones you see at your favorite fair or carnival. I want to be a cotton candy vendor! Come on, you have to admit, it sure is fun to watch cotton candy spin. I was disappointed when I took my grand kids to the Idaho State Fair this past summer because the cotton candy was pre-bagged. They didn't get to see it made:(Perhaps, when they get a little older I'll buy them the toy cotton candy machines:) I bought a pink one for Tabi and a blue one for Noah. Neither liked it. I think it was the fuzzy feel and before I could tell them it would melt in their mouths, it had melted. Yes, they both got sticky chines with just one lick! It's probably better they didn't like it, my daughter wasn't to pleased with their sticky hands and mouths. (party pooper:) The kids don't eat that much sugar anyway. I was surprised to read that cotton candy doesn't actually have as much sugar as one would think. Cotton candy is 99% sugar. Other ingredients include food coloring and air. A 1 oz serving of cotton candy contains approximately 105 calories and no fat. In addition, there are 26.3 grams of carbohydrates in this serving. Since cotton candy is made completely from sugar, all of the calories come from the carbohydrates.

Cotton candy was fantastically successful in 1904 and is still very popular at fairs today. Modern machines work in much the same way as the original. The centre part of the machine consists of a small bowl into which sugar is poured and food colouring added. Heaters near the rim melt the sugar and it is spun out through a myriad of tiny holes into a large bowl which catches it. The operator twirls a stick or a cone around the rim of the large catching bowl and picks up the candy. Because candy floss consists of mostly air portions, servings are large. A typical candy floss cone will be a little bigger than an adults head, and they look enormous to a child. However, although they are bad for the teeth as are all sugary snacks, they are not particularly high in calories because they contain a fairly small amount of sugar. A typical candy floss contains less sugar than a can of most (non diet) soft drinks. source

Sugar Coated Spinning

The machine used to design cotton candy may not have changed much but it sure looks like the the construction has. Take a look at this woman preparing Apricot Meringues (Meringues D'abricots) I don't think so...The recipe (and the picture) comes from the 1891 edition of Larger Cookery Book Of Extra Recipes by Mrs A. B. Marshall. It's available on line at chest of books. (as are other vintage cookbooks:) This is what she writes about Spun Sugar.

Put half a pound of water and one pound of best cane loaf-sugar in a perfectly clean copper sugar-boiler or thick stewpan; cover the Spinning Sugar pan over, bring to the boil, remove any scum as it rises from time to time, and continue boiling until the liquid forms a thick bubbled appearance (commonly called the crack); then take a small portion on a clean knife or spoon (or the finger may be used, but must be well wetted with cold water and used very quickly), and plunge it immediately into cold water, and if it is then quite brittle and leaves the knife or spoon or finger quite clear it is ready for spinning. If it clings or is at all soft or pliable, continue the boiling until as above. When ready take a small portion on a fork or spoon, and rapidly throw it to and fro over a slightly oiled rolling-pin; continue until sufficient threads of sugar are obtained.

Take half a pound of finely sifted castor sugar, and mix with it a teaspoonful of Marshall's Apricot Yellow and a saltspoonful of Vanilla essence; rub it well together and allow it to thoroughly dry. Put in a whipping-tin four large fresh whites of egg and a pinch of salt, whip them quite stiff, then add the prepared sugar by degrees, taking care not to stir the mixture more than possible after adding the sugar. Take a hot baking-tin, rub it all over with white wax, then leave it till cold; put the meringue mixture into a forcing bag with a plain pipe and force it out on to the tin in portions of about the size of apricots, dust them over with castor sugar, and put into a moderate oven till quite dry and crisp on the top, but the under side should be somewhat soft; then take them from the tin, and by means of an egg work a little well in the bottom of each, holding the top of the meringue in the hand; return them to the tin and place them in the oven (care must be taken that the meringues are not hurried in the cooking or they will lose their colour); when quite dry remove from the tin and set aside till cold, then place in each of the little wells a small round of cooked apricot; place another meringue on the top of this, mask them over with Maraschino glace (vol. i.) coloured with a little apricot yellow, and dish up round a pile of stiffly-whipped cream sweetened and flavoured with vanilla; serve as a dinner or luncheon sweet, or for any cold collation. These meringues can be kept ready for use if put in a dry place.

In 1949, Gold Medal Products launched a cotton candy machine that had a spring base. This updated cotton candy maker was much more dependable. Today, cotton candy is mass produced on two different types of machines. "One machine is semiautomatic and is used to make single servings that are sold at carnivals and amusement parks. The other is a fully automated machine that produces large volumes of cotton candy for widespread distribution." If you scroll down the page a bit, you can read about the manufacturing process, cutting and packaging, as well as information about the coloring of factory produced cotton candy. source

Cotton candy is made from sugar and food coloring. Modern cotton candy machines work in very much the same way as older ones. The center part of the machine consists of a small bowl into which sugar is poured and food coloring added. Heaters near the rim melt the sugar into a liquid and it is spun out through tiny holes where it solidifies in the air and is caught in a large metal bowl. The operator of the machine twirls a stick, a cone, or their hands around the rim of the large catching bowl, gathering the candy into portions. We at Dandy Cotton Candy can make virtually any flavor or color combination of cotton candy. Some favorites that we have produced in the past are Strawberry Banana, Coffee, and Pumpkin Spice. What does the future of cotton candy flavors bring? As long as you can think of it, we can create it! source

They say cotton candy has gone up-scale. I wouldn't know, I've never spun sugar at the Four Seasons in New York City. (Now that I know, I'll just have to make it my business to change that:) Cotton Candy has been on the menu at The Four Seasons since around 1950 where it was served as a special occasion treat for those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries. These huge poofs may just be the most expensive amorphous solid you've ever seen!

The quintessential tongue and sweet answers to numerous names. In the United Kingdom, cotton candy is called "candy floss" and "fairy floss" in Australia. In Greece and India cotton candy is known as "old woman's hair" albeit in their respective languages. And in France, it is called Barbe à papa, which means "Papa's beard."

Here's an idea for a quick cotton candy party. Head to the freezer for a few scoops of ice cream. Grab some bowls, don't forget the spoons and create a cotton candy sundae. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles! Not in the mood for ice cream? Try the "Sweet Nostalgic" Cotton Candy Cupcakes created by Cakespy. If you want to make your own home made cotton candy, check below. Happy Cotton Candy Day!

Resources

• 1. History of Cotton Candy
• 2. Who invented cotton candy?
• 3. William J. Morrison (1860-1926): Co-Inventor Of The Cotton Candy Machine
• 4. What Is Cotton Candy?
• 5. How is Cotton Candy Made? (sweetened images:)
• 6. I Love Cotton Candy! (discussion group of cotton candy lovers')
• 7. Spun Heaven (gourmet magazine article)
• 8. Cotton Candy has gone upscale!
• 9. Nutritional Information for Cotton Candy
• Recipes
• 1. Jacques Homemade Cotton Candy (Jacques Torres @ food network)
• 2. Homemade Cotton Candy Recipe
• 3. Diabetic Cotton Candy Cookies
• 4. Cotton Candy Ice Cream Bomb (food network recipe; easy, even for me:)
• 5. The Complete Confectioner By Eleanor Parkinson 1864 @ Feed America

Alexander Pierce Anderson: Puffed Rice

Another short post. This time to announce a birthday tribute going on over at my other blog in celebration of an amazing man by the name of Alexander P. Anderson; the inventor of Puffed Rice! Check out A Shot at Puffiness! "See" ya there...

Sylvan N. Goldman: Shopping Cart Inventor

This is going to be a quick post in honor of Sylvan Nathan Goldman, who was born today, November 15, 1898.  I posted about his invention of the shopping cart in June when the first shopping cart was introduced at the Piggly-Wiggly supermarket chain in Oklahoma City. Check out Scoping Out the Shopping Cart. The story of his invention is quite interesting, really:)

FYI: Today is also National Bundt Pan Day. Do you know what a Bundt Pan is? Have you ever experienced a Bundt Cake? Who actually invented the Bundt Pan? All these questions and more are answered at my National Bundt Pan Day post at Months of Edible Celebrations. Drop by...

Dr. John Thompson Dorrance: condensed soup

A rich warm tomato soup with a toasted melted cheese sandwich has a way of just hitting the spot. To my little belly's mind, they are the quintessential dynamic duo. When is the best time to sit down with a comfy bowl of tomato soup? Any time. You see that's one of the best things about tomato soup; it can be served either hot or cold, winter summer, morning, noon and night (and for late night snacks too.) I suppose you could say, tomato soup is just one of those things we take for granted. There when we need it for warmth and comfort, ignored at its fruit. It's hard to imagine a time without tomato soup and yet, dear visitor, dare I say, a time did exist when there was no tomato soup until it was invented. "What!" you say. "Tomato soup is just made out of pureed tomatoes. I could have invented that!" Perhaps...

A man in harmony with tomato soup, John Thompson Dorrance was born on November 11, 1873 in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Today as a matter of fact! Now, Dr. Dorrance didn't invent tomato soup. For the true inventor of tomato soup, we would have to gaze into the story of a man by the name of James H. W. Huckins of Boston, Massachusetts. He received a patent titled "Improved Tomato Soup" on May 2, 1865. If you don't believe me, follow his link to the patent number. What Dr. John Thompson Dorrance did was developed a way to reduce the water content in soup while retaining the nutrients and flavor. John Thompson Dorrance first prepared canned soup concentrate in 1897, while working on a laboratory at the Campbell's Soup Company. You can read all about the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company on my other blog. It's a Pop Quiz:) Let's get back to John Dorrance, after all, it is his birthday we're celebrating.

John Dorrance

By all accounts, Dr. Dorrance was a visionary. The son of John Dorrance and Elizabeth Cottingham Thompson, John Dorrance had a fine education. "As a youth he attended Rugby Academy, Philadelphia; then entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the famous "Boston Tech," where he took his B. S. in 1895. Going abroad, he studied at the University of Gottingen, Germany, and graduated with the degree of Ph.D. in 1897." A brilliant chemist, he received offers to teach chemistry at Goettingen, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Bryn Mawr College, but decided instead to join the Campbell Company in 1897. While in Paris, his inspiration for the marketing of canned soup fell upon him while observing the methods which were used in Parisian restaurants. He was convinced if he could find a way to lock in the goodness while reducing the bulk, which would in turn reduce costs, the American housewife would gladly purchase it at their local grocer. (A little reminder folks, up until that time, poor quality control in canning was a common source of spoil and food poisoning.) He was right. Dr. Dorrance was an expert in scientific agriculture and husbandry. He devoted much attention to developing improved varieties of fruits and vegetables. In 1911, he moved to Pomona Farm in Cinnaminson, New Jersey where he planted and tended to the tomatoes he had growing even on his front lawn. He was looking for the "perfect strain to make into tomato soup" as evidenced in the conservatories and gardens of his home. At his urging, the company embarked on a vast advertising campaign. The first ads were in trolley cars. The company felt women were their consumers and women rode trolley cars. Next the company's strategy included children, another aspect of targeting women, hence, the Campbell Kids were "born." As a result of Dr. Dorrance's persistent methods, applied both to production and commercial development, Campbell's Soups today are known wherever people eat soup. At his death, in 1930, he was the third richest man in the United States.
Resources

• 1. Scannell's New Jersey's First Citizens and State Guide By William Edgar Sackett
• 2. Soup & sandwich photo from wikipedia

Nicolas Appert: Father of Canning

Two hundred and forty eight years ago today, a boy, who is now said to be the "Father of Canning," was born near Paris, France. Nicolas François Appert, was a son of an inn-keeper whose roots were firmly planted in farming. Nicolas had a uncanny sense of discovery. As a young boy, his family's farm provided the natural exploration he craved. Like their ancestors before them, Nicolas Appert and his eight siblings new life on the farm meant hard work. It also had its rewards, which young Nicolas learned quickly to preserve. Sadly, there isn't much information available about Appert's young life. I did find the following information at the French version of wikipedia which has been translated to English.

Nicolas Appert was familiar from his youth with the trades of cook and confectioner, and patterns of food storage. After spending 10 years in Germany, Karlsberg Castle of Christian IV of Deux-Ponts-Birkenfeld, he moved to Paris in 1784 and opened at 47 rue des Lombards, a boutique confectioner called Fame. As a store retailer, after a few years, Appert becomes wholesaler, employs six staff and correspondents in Rouen and Marseille. After engaging in revolutionary action (from 1789 until 1794 (when he spent 3 months in prison), he focused his work on solutions to conserve wine. Taking into account several criteria (change in taste, cost and nutritional value,) in 1795 he developed the process which made possible the art of Appertizing, or preserving food sterilized by heat in a hermetically sealed containers, canning which is also called tinning.

“if it works for wine, why not foods?”

Perhaps, we should reflect on how canning influences our daily lives. I don't take canned foods for granted. Do you? First thing in the morning I reach for a canned pound of coffee. How many times have you sat down to a quick lunch of tomato soup and a tuna fish sandwich? If you chose to whip up a batch of "home made" tomato soup, I bet there's a slew of canned vegetables in the pantry, canned tomatoes included. I don't know about you but, when I have such an inviting lunch before me, I need a glass of milk. Anyone for some chocolate milk. Hershey's comes to my mind, canned. I'm sure, like me, you don't give much thought to opening a can whether it be with a a rotary opener or the more modern day electric can opener (which also has a fascinating history. see below:) So, what is "the art of canning?" Where does it belong in the timeline of the Historical Origins of Food Preservation?

...Canning is the process in which foods are placed in jars or cans and heated to a temperature that destroys microorganisms and inactivates enzymes. This heating and later cooling forms a vacuum seal. The vacuum seal prevents other microorganisms from recontaminating the food within the jar or can. Canning was the newest of the food preservations methods being pioneered in the 1790s when a French confectioner, Nicolas Appert, discovered that the application of heat to food in sealed glass bottles preserved the food from deterioration. He theorized “if it works for wine, why not foods?” In about 1806 Appert's principles were successfully trialed by the French Navy on a wide range of foods including meat, vegetables, fruit and even milk...

It is my belief, if it weren't for the fact the French government offered a prize of 12,000 francs for a method of preserving food, Appert's memory may have faded into canning oblivion. “An army marches on its stomach,” it was because of Nicolas Appert's dedication to finding a way to keep the French Army and Navy bellies fed that he experimented by trial and error with the container sterilization of food. Feeding the servicemen safely was very important to Napoleon Bonaparte. It took Appert approximately 14 years to perfect his method. According to food author Jane Grigson, as reported in the British newspaper The Observer, "François Appert (Nicolas) grew his own tiny peas to be sure of their perfect freshness when he processed them." It was a long time ago so no one is firm on the exact date but, it is said he was awarded the prize of 12,000 francs from the now Emperor Napoleon around 1810...

Nicholas Appert’s invention was tremendous; however, he did not fully understand it. Although, Appert was the first to successfully can meats, fruits, and vegetables it wasn't until another Frenchman by the name of Louis Pasteur unfolded the secret of food spoilage that it was fully understood others.

By the mid-1800's canning was fairly widespread as a commercial industry, yet for average middle class people, canned food was little more than an expensive novelty. The technology of the day was a far cry from what we know now. Cans were heavy, stoppered with cork and often sealed with lead, which, as any member of the Franklin Expedition would have told you, was downright hazardous to your health. The interesting thing about canning in those days was that nobody knew how it actually worked. Sure people understood that in order to preserve food it was essential to keep air away from it, but they didn't know why. No one had any concept of microbes then (Louis Pasteur had yet to undertake his groundbreaking research), and most people ascribed food spoilage to the theory of spontaneous generation. source

It was thought that the exclusion of air was responsible for the preservations. It was not until 1864 when Louis Pasteur discovered the relationship between microorganisms and food spoilage/illness did it become clearer. Just prior to Pasteur’s discovery Raymond Chevalier-Appert patented the pressure retort (canner) in 1851 to can at temperatures higher than 212ºF. However, not until the 1920’s was the significance of this method known in relation to Clostridium botulinum. source

Nicolas Appert never actually reaped the full benefits of his methods. Yes, with his prize money he opened the first commercial cannery in the world and his system of sealing food in glass bottles and subjecting it to heat, was described in a book published, with Charles Appert, in 1810, L'Art de conserver les substances animales et végétales. In 1920, The Book for All Households; Or, The Art of Preserving Animal and Vegetable substances for Many Years was translated into English by K. G. Bitting, M.S. Bacteriologist, at the Glass Container Association of America. The full text is available at google books online.

The art of Appertizing, or preserving food sterilized by heat in a hermetically sealed container, was conceived a little more than a hundred years ago as a war measure to provision the French forces upon the sea. It played a most important part in provisioning the armies in the recent war and in providing succor for the millions of starving civilians. But this role is far less beneficent than is the furnishing of good, wholesome, palatable, nutritious food at all times and at any place under peace conditions.

"Until the 1920’s, canned foods remained primarily for military usage. It was during WWI that the American government campaigned citizens to grow and can food at home so more supplies would be available to the armed forces fighting overseas. From this came the slogan, “Back up the cannon with the canner.* If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then, the timeline of commercial canning must include Emperor Napoleon and his army. Today, we must be careful when scouring grocery shelves not to tumble the stacks into the aisles. From soups to canned fruits, dog food and Spam, canned food is as much a part of our American culture as Andy Warhol's tomato soup posters. So the next time you reach for a can of anything, remember, you have Nicolas Appert to thank. As a matter of fact, each year on October 23, Canned Food Day and National Canning Day are celebrated in tribute to young Nicolas François Appert, who became the "Father of Canning."  Maybe he isn't forgotten...

FYI: The first tin cans, invented in 1810, were heavy-weight containers that required ingenuity to open, the directions on the can read, "Cut round the top near the edge with knives, a chisel and hammer or even rocks!" Not until 1858, when canners started using thinner metal, did Ezra Warner invent an instrument dedicated to opening cans, the can-opener. Yes, dear reader, cans were invented before the can-opener!

Resources

• 1. Can Can: History of Cans
• 2. Forgotten Inventors: the can opener
• 3. What Can a Can Be Besides a Can?
• 4. The Observer article
• 5. Nicolas Appert
• 6. Canny Cooks

Bars & Stripes: They Have My Vote

Like most, you probably never gave much thought to the Technology of the Bar Code. I mean really, why would you? I certainly hadn't, until, last week. It isn't like they aren't everywhere. Indeed they are. Don't believe me? Make a beeline over to the fridge and grab some milk. Hey, while you're at it, pour yourself a glass. Mmmm...good huh? Carefully put the milk back where you found it and take notice to the mysteriously coded label attached to the container. Yes, its those numerically coded bars, which are darker, and stripes, which are lighter. Just like this one.

This portion of the bar coded Presidential Election cup was purchased at a local 7-11 convenience store here in New York and given to me as a gift. Actually, I had two, one of each. I'm not a 7-11 type person although, I'm not real sure as to what a 7-11 type person is. Frankly, I don't buy anything in 7-11 and that's the reason why someone gave me the cups. Anyway, my first instinct was to say thank you and pretend to admire them. "Cool," I said. As I was twisting one around, I noticed the blue arrow with the words above it which read, This is How We Count Your Vote! It seems, whether your pouring for Obama or pouring for McCain, 7-11 has your number. The convenience store has been doing this for the past three elections by keeping track of which cup out sells the other. For some, the 7-11 coffee cup poll is the only one they trust. How does it work? Simple, they tally the bar codes.

In some form or another, bar codes or more "officially" called Universal Product Codes have been around since the 1890 U.S. Census. Granted, they weren't as sophisticated as they are now but the theory was pretty much the same beginning with punched cards. The daunting task of "How do we keep track of something that is forever on the move?" began with a thesis written by Wallace Flint who envisioned a way of automating the grocery checkout process. I guess it makes sense. The most noticeable to me is the lack of inventory sales retail stores once had from season to season. Everything in the store went on sale. Then the store would close for at least two days and inventories were laboriously conducted. In very basic terms, the department stores then had a fairly good idea of which products were selling and which needed to be ordered. Wallace Flint's idea proved to be too costly in the 1930's but, he is credited with the laying the foundation for the barcode through his detailed thesis and drawings. He also played a supportive role in the initial use of the Uniform Product Code (UPC) as vice-president of the National Association of Food chains some 40 years later.

In 1932 an ambitious project was conducted by a small group of students headed by Wallace Flint, son of a Massachusetts grocery wholesaler, at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. Wallace Flint wrote a master's thesis in which he envisioned a supermarket where customers would perforate cards to mark their selections; the punched cards were then handed to a checker who placed the cards into a reader. The system then pulled the merchandise automatically from the storeroom and delivered it to the checkout counter. A complete customer bill was produced and inventory records were updated. source

The "Bullseye Code"

Perhaps, Bernard Silver, of Philadelphia PA was listening under the eaves of a partially opened window at Philadelphia's Drexel Institute of Technology when he over heard a conversation between a local grocery store manager and one of the deans at the school. It seems the grocery store manager was seeking a more convenient way of logging information about his customers purchases. Now, we all know eaves dropping is impolite. Actually, it is quite rude to listen to someone else's conversation. Perhaps even ruder was when Silver decided to "dish the dirt" to his friend Norman Joseph Woodland, a twenty-seven-year-old graduate student and teacher at Drexel Institute of Technology. Both young men were intrigued by the request of the grocery store manager. Woodland ran with the idea. Really, he did. He hightailed it to a nice quiet beach front community in Florida and got to work.

His first idea was to use patterns of ink that would glow under ultraviolet light, and the two men built a device to test the concept. It worked, but they encountered problems ranging from ink instability to printing costs. Nonetheless, Woodland was convinced he had a workable idea. He took some stock market earnings, quit Drexel, and moved to his grandfather's Florida apartment to seek solutions. After several months of work he came up with the linear bar code, using elements from two established technologies: movie soundtracks and Morse code. source

Problem solving is often a motivating source of inspiration. Communication is still another. Morse code is a combination of them both. So what is Morse Code and how does it relate to Universal Product Coding? According to wikipedia, Morse Code is a method for transmitting information, using standardized sequences of short and long marks or pulses, dots, dashes and spaces. Dots, dashes and spaces are arranged in such a way to represent letters, numbers and even punctuation marks.

These codes have an alphabet made up of dots and dashes in various combinations which stand for individual letters. The Morse Code is so widely used that it does not qualify as a "secret" language, but it can be very mystifying to one who does not know it. It has a definite advantage over the Semaphore Code in that it can be sent in many ways--by whistle, buzzer, tapping, flags, or even by using the clenched and open hand during daylight hours. By night, lights of any kind can be used. source

Morse Code is not considered a secret language for the same reason that shorthand, ASCII code (American Standard Code for Information Interchange:) and bar coding are not. All of these methods of character coding are universally standardized and easily available to anyone who chooses to learn and use them. Scouts have their own form of secret messaging. Then we have the Pigpen Cipher and the code breaker. All forms of encryption. Sound familiar?

On October 20, 1949, fifty nine years ago to the day, "gossip monger" Bernard Silver of Philadelphia PA and Norman Joseph Woodland of Ventnor, NJ filed an application patent for a Classifying Apparatus and Method." An invention which "related to the art of article classification." You can see their patent #2,612, 994 and diagram at the google patent website. Here is the introduction to their invention:

This invention relates to the art of article classification and has particular relation to classification through the medium of identifying patterns. It is an object of the invention to provide automatic apparatus for classifying things according to photo-response to lines and/or colors which constitute classification instructions and which have been attached to, imprinted upon or caused to represent the things being classified.

On October 7, 1952, Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver were granted their patent. The "Bullseye Code" patent was Bernie and Norm's solution to an inventory tracking system. It was a "series of concentric circles that were scannable from all directions, using regular light." You can learn more about the History of Bar Coding at the Barcoding Inc. website which shares some insight from the inventor himself Norman Joseph Woodland.

Understanding Bar Codes may seem a bit confusing at first. But, once you get the hang of it, you too can learn to decipher the hidden message on the Presidential Election cup. Below, are a few "rules."

"A Universal Product Code (UPC), also called a bar code, is a product description code designed to be read by a computerized scanner or cash register. It consists of 11 numbers in groups of "0"s (dark strips) and "l"s (white strips). A thin bar consists of only one strip; thicker bars consist of two or more strips side by side. The first number in the code describes the type of product. Most products begin with a "0"—exceptions are variable weight products such as meat and vegetables ("2"), health-care products ("3"), bulk-discounted goods ("4"), and coupons ("5")-Since it might be misread as a bar, the number 1 is not used. The next five numbers describe the product's manufacturer. The five numbers after that describe the product itself, telling its color, weight, size, and other distinguishing characteristics. source

Breaking the Code

We have barely touched upon the long history of the bar code. It would not be until June 26, 1974 that the first bar code item would slip through the register at the local grocery store in Troy Ohio. It seems kind of ironic that the first item to be scanned by the $10,000.00 unit would be a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum. Sticky fingers, secret codes, what's next Human bar-coding? UPC codes are everywhere now. Sometimes in the most obvious places and sometimes hidden. Sure we may now be aware of the bar codes found on grocery items, library books, sale items, and even pieces of luggage. You may be surprised to discover some of the less obvious uses. Rental cars have hidden bar codes attached to their bumpers. Honey bees have had teeny tiny bar codes attached to their wings to spy on their mating habits. I've left a few links for you to explore more about bar codes and their uses below. Have FUN breaking the 7-11 code.

Resources

• 1. Bar Code History
• 2. U.P.C. Uses (you may be surprised to discover other uses for barcode technology)
• 3. Morse Code and Phonetic Alphabets (make up your own)
• 4. Alphabet to Morse Conversion (try your luck:)
• 5. Bar Code Controversy

Bending Straws with Joseph B. Friedman

Back in January of this year we celebrated Drinking Straw Day at Months of Edible Celebrations. It just so happens, today is another day in drinking straw history. On September 28, 1937, patent number 2,094,268 was issued to Joseph Bernard Friedman for his new invention, under the title Drinking Tube. Curious?

My invention relates to drinking tubes and more particularly to that type of drinking tube known in the trade as a "soda straw" which, while sometimes actually made from a straw, is usually wound or otherwise formed from oiled paper, paraffin paper, Cellophane, or the like. The main object of my invention is to provide a soda straw or similar drinking tube with a flexible section so positioned that the tube may be bent during use without substantially reducing the diameter of the straw.

The "flexible straw" invention and drawings are available at google patents online. Aren't they just amazing? Who was Joesph Bernard Friedman? Why did he create such a relatively simple yet useful innovation?

Joseph B. Friedman

I doubt Joseph Friedman woke up one morning and decided to invent the bendable straw. He may have been doodling it for years considering his flexible version of the beverage straw was not his first invention. No dear visitors, although Friedman would later obtain two additional U.S. patents and three foreign ones in the 1950s related to its formation and construction, the flexible straw was only one of a number of inventions Friedman had developed or had begun the process of developing. Like Mattie Knight, "Mother of the Grocery Bag" Joseph Friedman began his inventing career at a pretty early age.

...This was not Friedman’s first invention. In 1915, when he was 14, the Cleveland native had come up with the “pencilite,” for writing in the dark. He offered to license his invention to a manufacturer if it would pay the patent-application fees. The company did not accept his offer but, evidently unaware of his age, expressed an interest in his inventive abilities. He received his first patent in 1922, for an ink gauge for fountain pens. In the 1930s he sold this invention to the Sheaffer Pen Company. By then he had moved to California and started a family. To support his wife and four children, he worked briefly as an optometrist but primarily as a real estate broker...excellent source

Lucky for us, the family of this hard working part time optician, real estate, insurance salesman, and inventor saved many of the papers and artifacts of his career. In 2001, they were donated by his family to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History which has an excellent article titled The Straight Truth About the Flexible Drinking Straw available online at the Lemelson Center.

Resources 1. Drinking Straw Day 2. Grasping at Straws 3. Mattie Knight 4. Got Chocolate Milk Straws?

The Genuine Scoop!

Let's see, what do we know about the history of ice cream in America? Well, here's some ice cream trivia for you. "The first recorded reference to ice cream in the New World was found in a journal entry by a Mr. Black of Virginia dated 1744. It described a dinner party at the home of Maryland's governor, Thomas Bladen, who served a dessert of ice cream made with milk and strawberries." We all know George Washington loved ice cream. And, "ice cream frequently appeared in visitors' accounts of meals with Thomas Jefferson" at Monticello. As a matter of fact, the Library of Congress has Thomas Jefferson's treasured ice cream recipe on their website. James Madison also loved ice cream and his wife Dolley Madison (Dolly Madison) gave ice cream her gracious sanction by serving it in the White House. What else do we know about Ice Cream in America? It seems we know much about prominent people and their love of ice cream but, how much do we know about those who perhaps, are not as famous. Take for instance, the ice cream cone. Was the ice cream cone invented in America? Some say Italian emigrate Italo Marchiony produced the first ice cream cone in New York City in 1896. Gee, I wonder how he got the ice cream from the tub to the cone; the scoop? No. The ice cream scoop wasn't invented in 1896. Hmmm...this sounds like the story of the can before the can opener. You see, the ice cream cone was invented before the ice cream scooper. It wasn't until almost one year later on February 2, 1897 that the “Ice Cream Mold and Disher” (the ice cream scoop) was invented. But, by who. Was it by someone who ate a lot of ice cream? No again. It was invented by an African-American by the name of Alfred L. Cralle who probably ate very little ice cream (ice cream was still the dessert of the rich) but noticed people who tried to dip ice cream into those cones sure did have a difficult time doing it.

Alfred L. Cralle

Alfred L. Cralle was born today, September 4, in 1866. Born in Virginia, Alfred Cralle attended local schools and worked with his father in the carpentry trade as a young man. When he was older, he continued to work with his father in the carpentry business but had a desire to learn more about the mechanics of how things worked. Thank goodness for us, Alfred was sent to Washington D. C. and enrolled in Wayland Seminary, which was a branch of the National Theological Institute. The school was created in 1865 by several Baptist groups to help educate African-Americans after the Civil War. Today it serves as the premier historically black institution of higher education as Virginia Union University. Unfortunately, there isn't much more information available online about Alfred L. Cralle but there is no doubt that his invention was indeed patented by him. 

The Scoop

Alfred Cralle moved to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where he worked as a porter in a drug store. The idea of an ice cream scoop came to him when he noticed ice cream servers having the most difficult time trying to get the popular confection desired by the customer into the cone they also were craving. What to do? There had to be a better way. The ice cream would stick to everything but needed at least two hands to get into the cone. Some servers found it so frustrating, they would simply use their fingers to push the ice cream into the cone. Not too sanitary I'm afraid. Something was needed to release the ice cream and make for one handed dispensing; the first ice cream scoop with mechanical lever action was patented by Cralle on February 2, 1897 when Alfred L. Cralle was only 30 years old. Now everyone could enjoy eating their favorite ice cream cone thanks to Alfred L. Cralle's invention. It was strong, inexpensive, and it could be shaped like a cone or a mound. Not only that but today more than 200 years after his invention it is still his prototype which is used as the basis for the modern day ice cream scooper. Alfred Cralle's Patent number: 576395 is visibly available at the USPO and also at the google patent website.

...This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in ice-cream molds and dishers, and has for its object to construct a disher that may be conveniently operated with one hand. The invention has for its further object to construct a disher of the above -described class that will be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, effectual in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture; furthermore, a disher of this class that can be constructed in almost any desired shape mold and that will have no delicate parts to become broken or disarranged.

It seems to me, many innovative minds have developed a number of other ways to enjoy ice cream. You can see some vintage ice cream dippers in here or take a look at the first hand-cranked ice cream freezer patented by a Philadelphian woman by the name of Nancy Johnson. Wow! another day to celebrate ice cream in September. Her patent was issued on September 9, 1843.

The hand-cranked churn, which also uses ice and salt for cooling, replaced the pot-freezer method. The exact origin of the hand-cranked freezer is unknown, but the first U.S. patent for one was #3254 issued to Nancy Johnson on September 9, 1843. The hand-cranked churn produced smoother ice cream than the pot freezer and did it quicker. Many inventors patented improvements on Johnson's design. source wiki

There are so many indispensable tools and innovations serving up one of America's favorite desserts. Perhaps, you will find the invention of the Eskimo Pie a source of inspiration. There's also the invention of Baked Alaska up at the top left corner to explore. In the meantime, I'm off to Idaho for the Idaho State Fair. You can be sure I will be seeking more information on any tasteful inventions that passes over these lips.

Resources

• 1. What do you know about the history of ice cream?

National Inventors' Month

I wouldn't be a very "tasteful"  hostess if I didn't mention August is National Inventors' Month, now would I? Yes, National Inventor's Month is a month long celebration of invention and creativity which was started way back in 1998. (I actually had a food related invention website then too:)  It is the brainchild of the United Inventors Association of the USA, the Academy of Applied Science, and Inventor's Digest Magazine.

How does one celebrate Inventors' Month? I suppose the best way to celebrate would be to remember and appreciate all the significant men, women and yes, children who planted their seeds and watched them grow, so we could enjoy the harvests; every day.

Personally, I'm not much of an inventor although, I do sometimes think of myself as a "Mad Scientist" in the kitchen. I'm forever creating meals (especially dinner meals) of odds and ends, this and that, and putting them all together. If the meal delivers oooo's and ahs, I tell my family to enjoy it for the moment as it may never come again. I suppose, the process begins at the grocery store. Take the shopping cart for example, who invented it and how? As I stroll up and down the aisles, yes, I'm a stroller in the grocery store, I'm always looking for something new to try. How else would I add to my concoctions. Sometimes, you can catch me in the salad dressing aisle absorbing all of the different combinations. I rarely use salad dressing as a marinade but, I adore all the various denominations of oil and vinegar. So, I think to myself, who invented Wishbone Salad Dressing or Thousand Island Dressing for that matter? You see what I mean, it gets so I can't go into a grocery store and not wonder. But that's not the half of it. As I daydream in the kitchen, while I'm waiting for the pot to boil, I wonder about such things as who invented the thermometer, the teabag, the blender...? In case you have this insatiable appetite for more more more, I have listed a few inventors and their inventions. Most of them have something to do with food but I did add a few in just because...

Tasteful Inventions III

Dr. Cyril P. Callister Vegemite Gustave Le Gray Waxed-Paper Negative Smith Brothers Medicated Cough Candy Benjamin Eisenstadt Sweet'N Low History of Milk Cartons Madeline M. Turner Turner's Fruit-Press

William Angrove Wine Cask Thomas Edison Waxed paper H. David Dalquist Bundt pan Momofuku Ando Instant Noodles Frank Epperson The Popsicle Pierre Fauchard False Teeth

Mike Debenham Presto pop-top can The History of the Corkscrew Herb Peterson Egg McMuffin Gail Borden Condensed Milk Guy L. Tinkham McCord Ice Tray George Stephen Weber Grill

Happy Inventors' Month! Don't forget to check the other lists and inventors in the sidebar. I think you will find Margaret (Mattie) Knight quite motivating. She was only 12 years old when she had her first invention patented.

Perky Shredded Wheat

The glances over cocktails

That seemed to be so sweet

Don't seem quite so amorous

Over the Shredded Wheat

On August 1, 1893, lawyer and inventor Henry Drushel Perky and William H. Ford received US patent #502,378 for a "Machine for the Preparation of Cereals for Food." The cereal biscuit they had in mind was to be called Shredded Wheat. Now, Perky's original intention was to sell the machines but he soon discovered the cereal biscuits were more popular than the machines. By the autumn of 1893, Henry Perky set up his Cereal Machine Company and was operating a small bakery in Denver, Colorado to make the cereal biscuits, a restaurant to serve them and a fleet of horse-drawn wagons from which to sell them door to door.

Denver lawyer Henry Perky was en route by train to Watertown, New York to enlist a friend, William Ford, in a new undertaking...Perky who had always preferred inventing to pleading cases in court, was, at the age of 47, in search of a method for processing corn so it would remian edible after being dehydrated. During his Watertown experiments he developed a machine that could press wheat into shredlike strips. When baked, these strips became delicious biscuits...Top Seller USA by Molly Wade McGrath pg. 71

The Cereal Aisle

Walking up and down the cereal aisle in a supermarket, is like entering a maze of question marks. You’ll see dozens of brands of cereal. How do you know which one taste the best? Is it the box with the brightest packaging? Which is the healthiest, low fat or low sugar? Do you shop for low fiber and forget about the salt, sugar and fat content? Americans have had a love affair with cereal for breakfast for decades. Sometimes, dinner. How many times have you skipped your evening meal only to raid the pantry for a big bowl and some cereal? Do healthy cereals really exist? A good breakfast cereal can be the perfect start to the day and although there are those that claim Shredded Wheat may be bland, it is high in dietary fiber. As strange as it may seem, my grand daughter, Tabitha, who will be 6 in November happens to like Shredded Wheat. She's been eating the little straw cakes now for years:) Most other kids’ cereals are notably lacking in fibre, often with a lot of sugar or sodium thrown in. Highly processed, low-fiber, sugary (or often salty) cereals are more like treats than a health food. With all the marketing hype around many cereals it can be difficult to tell just how healthy they really are.

Meet Shredded Wheat

Some of the pictures decorating this page are from an undated Shredded Wheat recipe leaflet. The recipe leaflet is beautifully lithographed. Others are from another Shredded Wheat recipe booklet titled For All Ages, Shredded Wheat published in 1926. My thinking is, the one with the vibrant young man is probably earlier.

Eat Shredded Wheat all the Food, all the Bran, in the Whole Wheat Health is the most priceless of all human possessions...Health comes from eating the right kind of food and from taking the right kind of exercise. What is the right kind of food? The food that has in it the necessary elements for furnishing energy and for building healthy tissue. The whole wheat grain is such a food.

The remainder of the booklet contains Shredded Wheat dishes. There's Shredded Wheat porridge, Shredded Wheat Bread, Shredded Wheat Gruel, and Shredded Wheat Cookies. If you would like any of these recipes, just ask.

Shredded Wheat at Home

In 1926, the "Home of Shredded Wheat" was in Niagra Falls, New York. The facility produced all varieties Shredded Wheat cereals and the Triscuit crackers too. "The Palace of Light" (center) was built in 1901 by industrialist Edward Andrew Deeds who had supervised the electrification of the National Cash Register Company (NCR) in 1899.

"In 1901, drawn by the idea of inexpensive electrical power for baking, and the natural draw of a popular tourist attraction, he hired Edward A. Deeds to build a new plant at Niagara Falls, New York. Deeds became a director of the National Food Company. Perky invited a large number of notables to a special luncheon. Canadian author Pierre Berton describes the bill of fare: "...a Shredded Wheat drink, Shredded Wheat biscuit toast, roast turkey stuffed with Shredded Wheat, and Shredded Wheat ice cream." The city fathers backed him anyway! The factory itself was called "The Palace of Light," and was white-tiled, air-conditioned, well-lit with floor to ceiling windows, and equipped with showers, lunchrooms (a free lunch for women – men had to pay 10¢), and auditoriums for the employees. It even had a roof garden with a view of the Falls. A representation of the factory appeared on the Shredded Wheat boxes for decades." (wiki)

"A temple of cleanliness to house the purest and cleanest of foods" The Palace of Light had its warehouse facility ovens installed around 1918. There, Perky's “little whole wheat mattresses,” were produced by the machines he had developed.

Five Beautiful, Sunlit Factories Shredded Wheat is made in five beautiful sunlit, sanitary factories-two in Niagra Falls, NY, one in California, one in Canada, and one in London, England. One of factories at Niagra Falls, which is known as "The Home of Shredded Wheat," is visited annually by more than 125,000 visitors from all parts of the habitable globe. Each of these beautiful factories is open to visitors..."Breakfast cereals come and go, but Shredded Wheat goes on forever"-with constantly increasing sales from year to year, always clean, always pure, always wholesome-the most real food for the least money.

Why Shredded Wheat

The Shredded Wheat Company (1904) claimed Shredded Wheat was good for all ages because it contained "every element the human body needed prepared in a palatable and digestible form." They also touted the whole wheat benefits which had nothing added or taken away.

The process for making shredded wheat was really quite simple at the factory. First, the wheat was passed through a cleaning machine which removed the dirt, chaff and foreign material as well as defective and broken grains of wheat. The grains were then cooked in steam and while soft they were drawn into shredded wheat strands. The filaments were then formed into biscuits or little loaves and baked in ovens until they were crisp and brown. The crispness of the baked shreds of whole wheat, was another benefit touted by the company.

Seventy five percent of all human ills are traced to self-poisoning through constipation. In order to prevent this condition food should contain some indigestible fiber, known as "roughage." Thousands are prodding their liver with pills when all they need is roughage in their foods. Bran, which is the outer coating of the wheat berry, is the best roughage for stimulating bowel movement. All the bran of the whole wheat is in Shredded Wheat. (For All Ages, Shredded Wheat (1926)

Shredded Wheat Recipes

Oddly enough, there aren't very many recipes for Shredded Wheat in either of these recipe booklet. There are colorful pictures of dish suggestions and a few shredded wheat serving tips but, not really very many recipes. One suggestion offered is for Shredded Wheat party shells.

To make a patty shell out of a Shredded Wheat Biscuit, crush in the top of the biscuit with the bowl of a spoon, making a hollow in the biscuit. Fill the hollow with fruits, creamed vegetables or creamed meats...To make a hot dish for a cold day pour hot milk over the biscuit, adding a little cream, salt or sweeten to taste.

The other recipes include, Shredded Wheat Bread, Shredded Wheat Porridge, Shredded Wheat Gruel, Shredded Wheat Cookies and Shredded Wheat Pancakes. One recipe I found, which I think is unusual, is a recipe for Shredded Wheat Baby Food. The recipe claims, Shredded Wheat Baby Food "has saved the lives of thousands of babies whose stomach could not digest mother's milk or cow's milk." The formula for preparing Shredded Wheat baby food is as follows.

1/2 pint, 1/2 pint milk, 1 Shredded Wheat Biscuit, 1/16 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. granulated sugar. Bring the water to a boil, then add the Shredded Wheat Biscuit and cook slowly for fifteen minutes. Remove from the fire and add the milk, salt, and sugar, then strain through a fine cheese cloth. When cool set away covered in a cold place until needed. When ready to use heat the required amount to 98 degrees F. and give by means of a feeding bottle.

Pictured are a few more colorful suggestions.

FYI: "Never Eat Shredded Wheat" is a common childhood way of remembering the Cardinal Points on a compass.

Resources

• 1. Shredded Wheat History Chronology
• 2. Shredded Wheat Bakery- Niagara Falls, NY (image)
• 3. Kids Cereal: Popular = Unhealthy
• 4. Shredded Wheat & Eggs
• 5. The Marketable Flake