Ice Harvesting

The use of ice to refrigerate and thus preserve food goes back to prehistoric times.Through the ages, the seasonal harvesting of snow and ice was a regular practice of most of the ancient cultures: Chinese, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Persians. Ice and snow were stored in caves or dugouts lined with straw or other insulating materials. The Persians stored ice in pits called Yachchals. Rationing of the ice allowed the preservation of foods over the hot periods. This practice worked well down through the centuries, with icehouses remaining in use into the twentieth century.

In the 16th century, the discovery of chemical refrigeration was one of the first steps toward artificial means of refrigeration. Potasium nitrate or sodium nitrate, when added to water, lowered the water temperature and created a sort of refrigeration bath for cooling substances. In Italy, such a solution was used to chill wine.

During the first half of the 19th century, ice harvesting became big business in America. New Englander Frederic Tudor, who became known as the "Ice King", worked on developing better insulation products for the long distance shipment of ice, especially to the tropics.