Early Experiments with food preservation

Some of the earlyest recorded experiments with food preservation date back to 1626 when Francis Bacon attempted to preserve a chicken by stuffing it with snow. In 1683,Anton van Leeuwenhoek opened up a whole new scientific world. This Dutchman invented a microscope and discovered that a clear crystal of water contains millions of living organisms. Today,these are known as microbes.
Scientists studied these microbes and found that rapid multiplication took place in warm, moist conditions such as provided in food materials. This multiplication of microbes was soon recognized as the major cause of food spoilage. By contast, the same types of microbes in temperatures of 50 degree Farhenheid or less did not multiply at all.
Through these scientific studies, it became apparent that fresh foods could be safely preserved in temperatures of 50 degree Farhenheid or less. It was now possible to preserve food by drying, smoking,spicing,salting or cooling.
Since little was known about how to create temperatures low enough to freeze water into ice, ice was transported from its source by Clipper ships to the principal cities of the world.