100 Objects
Vinegar cask
From the French word vin aigre, meaning “sour wine,” vinegar has an old history and can be traced back to ancient Egypt with traces being found in urns dating to about 3000 B.C. It is also mentioned on several occasions in the Bible. Vinegar is produced through the fermentation of diluted alcohol products and can be made from malted barley, rice, and cider, but was first made from wine.
Vinegar was an important item, as it could be used as a food preservative and allowed the transport of food on long journeys. It could also be mixed with water and honey to create cheap wine. Romans expanded the role of vinegar, finding uses not only as a preservative and a wine substitute, but also as a condiment. They used sauces made of vinegar for dressing for meat and salads.
By the 18th century, vinegar was also being used for its medicinal purposes. It was used to treat croup, poison ivy, and many different stomach ailments. There was also a tea that was made from vinegar that was an early treatment for diabetes. For the doctors along the west frontier of Pennsylvania who had to rely on knowledge of medicinal purposes of local plants, berries and roots to treat illness, vinegar was of utmost importance to their medical practice.
For the farmers of the region, being able to preserve food for the harsh winter months could mean the difference between survival and starvation. Vinegar, along with smoking and salting, was the primary means of preserving food stuffs. Vinegar was used in the pickling process as its acidic nature inhibited the growth of bacteria and kept foods from spoiling. Farmers would pickle eggs, fish and many different vegetables. When cut off from sources of trade during the harsh winter months, it was these foods the ensured survival.
Whether it was for food preservation or medicinal purposes, vinegar was important to the farmers of the western frontier. The vinegar cask pictured here dates from the 1840s and was donated to the historical society by the family of H.H. Long.
Charles Edgar is research librarian for Washington County Historical Society.