THE TIN CAN
Acan of soup or stew or beans is so ordinary that it’s easy to take for granted, but in the context of world history and human civilization, it’s really something of a miracle.
As the coronavirus pandemic has us in quarantine, and the prospect of a global lockdown makes self-isolation seem less of a precautionary measure and more of a dire necessity, the humble tin can is the first thing we rush to stockpile. ( Besides toilet paper, of course.) In our health- conscious, nutrition- focused society, the general preference to eat fresh food and make meals of organic fruits and grass-fed meats and locally sourced vegetables is evident. In times of crisis, however, it’s to the non- perishables we inevitably turn.
Canning was developed in France in the early 19th century by Nicolas Appert, who discovered that food sealed in a glass jar and heated could remain edible long after it should have otherwise expired. He didn’t understand the process, but the heat was killing the micro-organisms that would have spoiled the food and sealing the container was keeping further micro-organisms out.
Shortly after Appert’s discovery, Peter Durand patented the traditional tin can in the United Kingdom. It immediately became the prevailing standard for western canning. The British were interested in canning as a method of preserving large quantities of food on naval voyages, and in the wake of this change, tin cans of fruits, vegetables and meats became globally ubiquitous.
The canning process has improved considerably since its inception, and modern-day methods involve sheets of thin steel with tinplate coatings, assembled by machine in enormous factories in and around areas where food is grown and harvested. Almost anything can be canned, from globs of custard to chunks of pineapple to bowls full of hearty stew. One of the advantages of canning is that, besides preserving foods for long voyages at sea, it allows food to be stored at home indefinitely, making it ideal for doomsday planning and stockpiling in preparation for the apocalypse.
It’s deeply reassuring to know that no matter how seismic or disruptive a global catastrophe can turn out to be, the many millions of tin cans of food will still be there, outlasting meals from restaurants and most certainly takeaway from Uber Eats.