Food canning began as a military project. In 1809, Napoleon offered a prize for a way to preserve food for armies. French chef Nicolas Appert won it by sealing food in glass jars and boiling them. Tin cans followed soon after, but the can opener wasn’t invented until 50 years later. Early cans were so thick you needed to chisel them to get dinner. The first can opener showed up in 1858, and the rotating wheel opener didn’t arrive until the 1920s. So preserved food was easier to make than to open. If that’s not dedication to leftovers, I don’t know what is.
Growing Home - Food Canning
