How many times a day do you open your refrigerator? And take for granted that it sits (most likely) in your kitchen doing its thing? I love this convenience, but what did civilization do before electricity to keep their foods cold or chilled to preserve them, especially during summer months?

Ever heard of ice houses?

No, not this one from Die Another Day.

The oldest recorded icehouse was found in northern Mesopotamia about 1780 BC. There is also written evidence that the Chinese had ice pits as early around 1100 BC.

These ice wells, pits, or mounds were sometimes a building where ice could be stored near sources of ice in the winter, such as freshwater lakes or rivers.

The ice was stored in the winter and insulated with straw or sawdust. It would remain frozen even during the summer months and could be used for cooling drinks or desserts. These were utilized until the invention of electricity and refrigerators.

You might remember a picture of your grandparents or great-grandparents keeping their food cold in one of these:

These ice boxes were lined with either zinc or tin so they wouldn’t rust from the block of ice either delivered once or twice a week or someone in the household could pick up the ice.

So, now when you open your refrigerator, you might appreciate the convenience of cold drinks and food that can be kept fresh for quite some time, especially in your freezer.

And I bet you thought this article was going to be about winter.

Look for my blog next month.

Alicia Whittle, Author/Cowboys of the High Plains/aliciawhittle@gmail.com