Ping to the Weekly Garden Thread list!
I knew it, I knew it! This confirms my childhood memory of seeing a big, square, steel can of meat that had been packaged for the gold rush miners in the High Sierra of CA. It was in the front widow of the building that doubled as libray and museum in San Andreas, CA. My mother read the card to me (I was 3-4) and explained that the can had been ripped open by a hungry bear and how I had to always beware of bears.
I tried to confirm this story and could find noting about this impressive display and could only find that the earliest use of steel cans was some time in the 20th century. But, here we have a story confirming that the use of steel cans dates to the Napoleonic campaigns. And that certainly they used steel cans during the gold rush of CA.
That can was certainly impressive in the eyes of a child.
A few years ago I purchased a skid of unused 1 gal. paint cans. They are great for storing dry goods. (rice, dried beans, etc.)
I put a golf ball sized chunk of dry ice in the bottom and fill with the dry food item. Loosely place the lid on. Wait until the bottom of the can warms up. Then seal the lid on.
The dry ice makes the bottom of the can cold. As it sublimates it fills the can with CO2 driving out all other gasses. When the can warms up, the ice is gone and all gasses have been replaced. The sealed food will keep for years.
This works well and saves a lot of money in the long run. I can buy a 50lb bag of dry beans, seal in cans, and only have one open at a time. The open can can be resealed and with the lid on bugs & mice can’t get into it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabia_(steamboat) Wikipedia article, which also mentions the still edible canned foods found aboard. She sank in 1856, 9 years previous to the sinking of the Bertrand. She was discovered 20 years later than the Bertrand, making her canned goods both earlier as far as processing; and older in terms of span between canning and discovery & testing...and tasting.
http://www.1856.com/ “Treasures of the Steamboat Arabia” Fascinating place to wander through.
She also had bolts of silk, which were preserved in good condition, once cleaned by the archaeologists.
Come to think of it, maybe GGG should hear about this, too.