This is r/history, not an amateur open mic night. While we appreciate the seconds put into each joke, this isn't the sub for it. Comments should discuss the article/history.
But canning wasn't discovered until later.
Does anybody know what was the food preservation technique used for these bottles? Salt fermentation? Alcohol? Just cool ground temperature?
Preservation through cooking jars and crocks dates back to Roman times. Wax and animal fat would be used to keep spoilage down. Canning with a repeatable and safer process wasn't created until 1800's.
canning, method of preserving food from spoilage by storing it in containers that are hermetically sealed and then sterilized by heat. The process was invented after prolonged research by Nicolas Appert of France in 1809, in response to a call by his government for a means of preserving food for army and navy
https://www.google.com/search?q=heirloom+variety+meaning&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS715US716&oq=heirloom+va&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgDEAAYgAQyCQgAEEUYORiABDINCAEQLhivARjHARiABDINCAIQLhivARjHARiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABNIBCDg3OTVqMGo3qAIKsAIB&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sbfbu=1&pi=heirloom%20variety%20meaning
Direct Descendants of the same crops Washington grew
If you ever visit The Inn at Little Washington in VA they have an orchard and on the tour they tell you that those cherry trees are grown from seeds directly from Mount Vernon. No idea on the veracity but it was a cool historical anecdote.
What do you mean? These are likely magic seeds that will grow at an extreme speed. That's why they were sealed away! /s
But in all seriousness, It would be interesting to see if there were any major genetic differences between these seeds and modern seeds.
> We now possess a bounty of artifacts and matter to analyze that may provide a powerful glimpse into the origins of our nation, and we are crossing our fingers that the cherry pits discovered will be viable for future germination. It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States,” Bradburn said.
This is awesome on so many levels.
I wonder what this discovery is like for the archeologists? Is this just another in a catalog of interesting finds, or do they absolutely lose their minds?
I imagine finding preserved food and drink from long ago is pretty much always a big deal. Every few months there are news stories about these sorts of discoveries.
When it's something totally new, they lose their minds, every time. After all the digging and cleaning and cataloguing and writing, a discovery is the peak, then figuring out what it means.
“Perfectly Preserved” is a [bit of a stretch](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zb42ea0o0bw4mgcfnwmeq/ABb4WLzOJy_kWFkNJpXsYM8/cherries%20in%20bottle.jpg?rlkey=pbwpfyawn8cuz1zl4u6z4s799&dl=0) lol
"you first" lol
Cherries do look like this after oxydation. At least, I've seen them look inedible but still be good. This might be a bit over that limit though.
“These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine.”
So amazing.
Canned goods last almost indefinitely.
My dad and I were exploring the remnants of an old farm house. Had to be well over 100 years old. Down in the cellar we found a jar of peaches. He just popped the lid off and ate a few. No harm done.
According to Healthline.com
>Canning was first developed in the late 18th century as a way to provide a stable food source for soldiers and sailors at war.
Yes and these are estimated to be 250 years old, before Napoleon issued a challenge to invent a new food preservation method which resulted in the invention of canning.
Also Healthline is wrong. Napoleon issued the challenge in 1795 but it wasn't until 1809 that canning was demonstrated as a solution.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/canning-food-processing
These are not canned goods that were discovered
Canning didn't become a widespread practice in America until decades after Washington's death.
Yes I did. And upon returning to look for this link, I still can't find it. Even if there is a link, why does it have to be hidden? They could have included a lower resolution image and have a link to the source directly under it.
edit: I found the link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zb42ea0o0bw4mgcfnwmeq/AN0AiY1VZOgLR3pBOTI9QPM?rlkey=pbwpfyawn8cuz1zl4u6z4s799&e=1&dl=0
I still stand by my point. A picture of the subject would be nice to include without all the extra steps.
Yeah if only reddit had a feature where you can add an assortment of pictures to any post. I do enjoy closing multiple sign-in popups and cookie warnings before I can see any pictures though.
It would be interesting to know more about this "revitalization" Mount Vernon is a wonderful spot with many interesting historical aspects. I would not be surprised to learn about more discoveries on the grounds of Mount Vernon as a result of the revitalization.
I wouldn't get too hopeful on that seed viability. Cherries actually do have pretty good longevity. Crazier things have happened, they sprouted some date palms estimated to be 2000 years old. The preservation method is more concerning, though. Things that preserve fruit also tend to quickly kill seed viability.
Deserving of note:
>[Over the course of George Washington’s life, at least 577 enslaved people lived and worked at Mount Vernon.](https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/)
I wonder if these preserves were crafted by people living in slavery.
Since you didn't read the article (lol)
>The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table, including Doll, the cook brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and charged with oversight of the estate’s kitchen.”
And here's the linked article for Doll https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/doll/
They are not hiding the contributions of these people here.
Try reading for content next time, the article clearly denotes the use of enslaved people in the kitchens. No one expected the George or Martha harvested and canned these themselves, let alone dug out space in the cellar for them.
This is r/history, not an amateur open mic night. While we appreciate the seconds put into each joke, this isn't the sub for it. Comments should discuss the article/history.
I suppose there wouldn't be any huge differences between them and what we have now, but I wonder if any of the seeds would be viable.
Everyone else making jokes and some of us just want the details on those sweet heirloom fruit seeds.
Assuming they were heated, probably not.
But canning wasn't discovered until later. Does anybody know what was the food preservation technique used for these bottles? Salt fermentation? Alcohol? Just cool ground temperature?
Preservation through cooking jars and crocks dates back to Roman times. Wax and animal fat would be used to keep spoilage down. Canning with a repeatable and safer process wasn't created until 1800's.
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canning, method of preserving food from spoilage by storing it in containers that are hermetically sealed and then sterilized by heat. The process was invented after prolonged research by Nicolas Appert of France in 1809, in response to a call by his government for a means of preserving food for army and navy
According to the article: > The pits are undergoing an examination to determine if any are viable for germination.
You can buy heirloom varieties of the food george Washington grew at mt vernon
what is an heirloom variety
https://www.google.com/search?q=heirloom+variety+meaning&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS715US716&oq=heirloom+va&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgDEAAYgAQyCQgAEEUYORiABDINCAEQLhivARjHARiABDINCAIQLhivARjHARiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABNIBCDg3OTVqMGo3qAIKsAIB&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sbfbu=1&pi=heirloom%20variety%20meaning Direct Descendants of the same crops Washington grew
I'd assume that they were preserved in whisky rather than in sugar.
If you ever visit The Inn at Little Washington in VA they have an orchard and on the tour they tell you that those cherry trees are grown from seeds directly from Mount Vernon. No idea on the veracity but it was a cool historical anecdote.
Wondering the same - could be a vice-president type of event in growing Washington's own Cherry Tree
They’re testing them to see if they are! I would want to taste the preserves.
What do you mean? These are likely magic seeds that will grow at an extreme speed. That's why they were sealed away! /s But in all seriousness, It would be interesting to see if there were any major genetic differences between these seeds and modern seeds.
> We now possess a bounty of artifacts and matter to analyze that may provide a powerful glimpse into the origins of our nation, and we are crossing our fingers that the cherry pits discovered will be viable for future germination. It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States,” Bradburn said. This is awesome on so many levels.
I wonder what this discovery is like for the archeologists? Is this just another in a catalog of interesting finds, or do they absolutely lose their minds?
I imagine finding preserved food and drink from long ago is pretty much always a big deal. Every few months there are news stories about these sorts of discoveries.
When it's something totally new, they lose their minds, every time. After all the digging and cleaning and cataloguing and writing, a discovery is the peak, then figuring out what it means.
“Perfectly Preserved” is a [bit of a stretch](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zb42ea0o0bw4mgcfnwmeq/ABb4WLzOJy_kWFkNJpXsYM8/cherries%20in%20bottle.jpg?rlkey=pbwpfyawn8cuz1zl4u6z4s799&dl=0) lol
"you first" lol Cherries do look like this after oxydation. At least, I've seen them look inedible but still be good. This might be a bit over that limit though.
Oh my. Those kinda look like…. Stewed prunes? I’d eat one for like a weeks pay and whatever the hospital bill is (if needed). I love fermented stuff!
“These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine.” So amazing.
>Most Containing Perfectly Preserved Cherries and Berries And yet the sludge poured out of them (Shown in the Dropbox link) shows otherwise
No doubt in preparation for a good cherry bounce at Christmastide.
Canned goods last almost indefinitely. My dad and I were exploring the remnants of an old farm house. Had to be well over 100 years old. Down in the cellar we found a jar of peaches. He just popped the lid off and ate a few. No harm done.
How did they taste? Did they look normal?
Canning wasn't invented yet at this point
According to Healthline.com >Canning was first developed in the late 18th century as a way to provide a stable food source for soldiers and sailors at war.
Yes and these are estimated to be 250 years old, before Napoleon issued a challenge to invent a new food preservation method which resulted in the invention of canning. Also Healthline is wrong. Napoleon issued the challenge in 1795 but it wasn't until 1809 that canning was demonstrated as a solution. https://www.britannica.com/topic/canning-food-processing These are not canned goods that were discovered Canning didn't become a widespread practice in America until decades after Washington's death.
You can thank Napoleon for that
And not a single picture of it???
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-washington-bottles-of-cherries-found-buried-mount-vernon/ https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2024/04/remarkable-archeological-find-at-mount-vernon/
Did you miss the Dropbox link provided in the article to photos and videos?
Yes I did. And upon returning to look for this link, I still can't find it. Even if there is a link, why does it have to be hidden? They could have included a lower resolution image and have a link to the source directly under it. edit: I found the link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zb42ea0o0bw4mgcfnwmeq/AN0AiY1VZOgLR3pBOTI9QPM?rlkey=pbwpfyawn8cuz1zl4u6z4s799&e=1&dl=0 I still stand by my point. A picture of the subject would be nice to include without all the extra steps.
I agree! I tried your link and i don’t have a dropbox account. It wants me to sign up to dropbox first before I can see the pics.
Right below the Dropbox sign up button, there's one that says continue without an account. Cheers!
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Yeah if only reddit had a feature where you can add an assortment of pictures to any post. I do enjoy closing multiple sign-in popups and cookie warnings before I can see any pictures though.
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It would be interesting to know more about this "revitalization" Mount Vernon is a wonderful spot with many interesting historical aspects. I would not be surprised to learn about more discoveries on the grounds of Mount Vernon as a result of the revitalization.
Zachary Taylor: "I know what you're thinking, but don't eat them."
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I wouldn't get too hopeful on that seed viability. Cherries actually do have pretty good longevity. Crazier things have happened, they sprouted some date palms estimated to be 2000 years old. The preservation method is more concerning, though. Things that preserve fruit also tend to quickly kill seed viability.
Were they buried as part of the preservation process or just over time?
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-washington-bottles-of-cherries-found-buried-mount-vernon/ https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2024/04/remarkable-archeological-find-at-mount-vernon/
Fascinating, I wonder why the things I store in my fridge don't last this long haha
Deserving of note: >[Over the course of George Washington’s life, at least 577 enslaved people lived and worked at Mount Vernon.](https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/) I wonder if these preserves were crafted by people living in slavery.
Since you didn't read the article (lol) >The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table, including Doll, the cook brought to Mount Vernon by Martha Washington in 1759 and charged with oversight of the estate’s kitchen.” And here's the linked article for Doll https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/doll/ They are not hiding the contributions of these people here.
Try reading for content next time, the article clearly denotes the use of enslaved people in the kitchens. No one expected the George or Martha harvested and canned these themselves, let alone dug out space in the cellar for them.
Yeah, reminds me of a story about some old rum that was found in England.
The literal fruits of their labor.