How Did Ice Houses Work

Ice houses were often partly or completely underground and built near natural sources of ice in winter, including rivers and freshwater lakes. Ice and snow would be taken into the Ice House and insulated against melting with straw or sawdust.

How did ice houses work in the 1800’s?

An ice house, or icehouse, is a building used to store ice throughout the year, commonly used prior to the invention of the refrigerator. During the winter, ice and snow would be cut from lakes or rivers, taken into the ice house, and packed with insulation (often straw or sawdust).

How long did ice last in a ice house?

The block of ice would then be brought into the house, and placed in the ice box, where it would last for two to three days. The ice box made it possible for people to store their foods safely and for longer periods of time.

How did they keep ice cold in the 1800s?

By the end of the 1800s, many American households stored their perishable food in an insulated “icebox” that was usually made of wood and lined with tin or zinc. A large block of ice was stored inside to keep these early refrigerators chilly. Left: An “iceman” would make daily rounds, delivering ice.

How did they store ice in the old days?

For millennia, those rich enough got servants to gather snow and ice formed during the winter and stored it in straw-lined underground pits called ‘ice houses’.

How did they keep ice before electricity?

Ice was cut from the surface of ponds and streams, then stored in ice houses, before being sent on by ship, barge or railroad to its final destination around the world. Networks of ice wagons were typically used to distribute the product to the final domestic and smaller commercial customers.

How do Amish ice houses work?

Using circular gas-powered saws to cut blocks out of frozen ponds and lakes, the ice collectors observe the weather to find the perfect temperature and winter conditions to pull ice. Most winter ice is kept in barns covered in sawdust until needing to be added, a few blocks at a time to standing ice houses.

How does sawdust keep ice from melting?

One of the best insulators available at the time was sawdust. Air trapped between the particles of sawdust kept the warm, outside air from melting the ice. And the more tightly the blocks were stacked, the harder it was for warm air to penetrate the stack and melt the ice.

Where did ice for ice houses come from?

In the 19th century vast, industrial quantities of ice tended to be sourced from North America and Norway. These fed the ice houses of the country estates, as well as commercial ice stores in the cities and private ice wells in smaller domestic houses.

How did they ship ice in the 1800s?

Iceboxes were commonly found in homes. Ice distributors would deliver ice daily using a horse and carriage, filling the ice boxes with new ice. Blocks weighed between 25 and 100 pounds. There are still cards from the end of the 1800s that show how families ordered their ice.

What did people before refrigerators?

Before 1830, food preservation used time-tested methods: salting, spicing, smoking, pickling and drying. There was little use for refrigeration since the foods it primarily preserved — fresh meat, fish, milk, fruits, and vegetables — did not play as important a role in the North American diet as they do today.

How long would ice last in an icebox?

While dry ice stored in these coolers can last up to 18-24 hours, water ice ideally retains 12-24 hours. Smaller styrofoam coolers cannot hold much ice and have low insulating capabilities. However, larger models can store more ice and make it last beyond a day, especially if you keep it under a shade.

How long did a block of ice last in an icebox?

For food storage, get block ice when you can — block ice will last 5 to 7 days in a well-insulated ice box even in 90-plus-degree weather (and longer if it’s cooler). Cube ice will only last one to two days.

How did they keep food cold in the 1700s?

Whatever food was hunted and gathered was simply consumed. At various points in time ice houses were built often underground or as insulated buildings – these were used to store ice and snow sourced during winter, to keep foods cold during the warmer months.

How did they make ice cream before freezers?

Before the development of modern refrigeration, ice cream was a luxury reserved for special occasions. Making it was quite laborious; ice was cut from lakes and ponds during the winter and stored in holes in the ground, or in wood-frame or brick ice houses, insulated by straw.

How did they get ice in the Old West?

Up in your part of the country, they’d harvest ice from the rivers in the winter time and store it in caves or rock cellars. It would usually last most of the summer. Outside of Flagstaff were some ice caves, and saloonkeepers would harvest ice from the caves during the summer.

How did they keep meat before refrigeration?

During the Middle Ages, people preserved meat by salting or smoking it. They would also dry many foods, including grains. Vegetables were often salted or pickled. These foods could then be stored in cool places, like cellars and caves.

How did they make ice in Roman times?

The practice of putting ice in drinks for enjoyment in the Western world dates back to the Roman Emperor Nero (37-67 A.D.) This drink was made possible by mixing ice with salt, lowering the freezing point below that of water. When liquids were immersed in this mixture, ice crystals formed and frozen foam resulted.

How did Victorians make ice?

Around the central pewter jar the cook would put a mix of ice and salt. The Victorian cook would then have used an ice cave – a metal box in a wooden chest filled with more ice and salt – to freeze the moulded ice solid. Agnes Marshall’s The Book of Ices is available as a modern reprint, called Ices and Ice Creams.

How do the Amish keep their meat cold?

Cold Storage Stacked chunks of ice removed from ponds and streams in the area provide a type of “freezer” in Amish basements. In some instances, foods may be transferred to a rented frozen locker in town if needed.

What do the Amish do with ice blocks?

Once the ice blocks are frozen solid, the cans are removed from the brine and placed in a dip tank, which releases the blocks from the cans. The blocks float to the surface of the water, removed, scored and placed into cold storage. From there the ice is sold to retailers.

How do Amish cook without electricity?

When it comes time to cook their meals, they use both gas-powered generators and wood-burning stoves.