2.29.2012

Sliced Bread

Before 1928 everyone baked their bread or purchased entire loaves.  It was up to each person to create the perfect slice when needed.  

In 1912 Otto Frederick Rohwedder, from Davenport, Iowa, began work on his future invention of the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. Naysayers said individual slices would make the bread go stale quicker.  After lots of tweaking, Rohwedder's final invention in 1928 not only sliced the bread, but also wrapped it in wax paper.

By 1930 Wonder Bread began to commercially produce pre-sliced loaves of bread. 

As a side note..I created some note cards with these last four Iowa food images.  You can find them here.  Enjoy!

2.26.2012

Blue Cheese

In 1937, Iowa State University dairy microbiologists, Clarence Lane and Bernard Hammer, developed the process for making blue cheese using homogenized milk. The Lane and Hammer process evntually became the standard for the blue cheese industry. Find out more about this intriguing blue cheese story at the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website.

2.08.2012

Eskimo Pie

Christian Kent Nelson, a school teacher and candy store owner, invented the Eskimo Pie in 1920 in Onawa, Iowa.  His inspiration?  A young boy who was unable to decide between ice cream and a chocolate bar while visiting his store.  


2.04.2012

Rice Krispies Treats

Mildred Day, a 1928 graduate of Iowa State University in Home Economics, invented the Rice Krispies Treat as a fundraiser for the Camp Fire Girls.  She was an employee of Kellogg at the time.