Eureka - Condensed Milk!

On a voyage across the Atlantic on rough seas in 1851, Gail Borden learned that the cows on board the ship were too seasick to produce milk.  Listening to the hungry babies on board crying, he began to think that his condensing procedure (that made the Meat Biscuit) might be used to provide milk in emergency situations such as that..

Borden knew that milk was one of the most fragile foods and people had tried before to preserve fresh milk and failed.  Cheese was the obvious answer, but Borden wanted to condense whole milk.  All the theories of the day said it couldn't be done, but Borden did not believe that.  In Europe there had been some success in evaporating milk to preserve it, but it had proven unmarketable. Preserving milk wasn't difficult, but preserving the quality and taste was another matter. 

Borden began by boiling milk over a charcoal fire and adding brown sugar to it before sealing it in glass.  Although it would keep for months, it had a dark color and smelled like molasses.  Next Borden bought a vacuum pan but that caused the milk to stick to the sides of the pan when heated, then foamed up and boiled over. 

At this point Borden was advised to give the whole idea up...but that wasn't an option for Borden.  He added a bit of grease to the vacuum pan and Eureka!  Condensed milk!  The innovation was so simple that he had trouble convincing the patent office that he had done anything to patent.  Borden explained that as soon as milk came out of the cow it began to change - to decompose, and only his vacuum would keep the milk fresh before sealing.  The patent was issued for evaporating milk in a vacuum. 

Next time...The commercial success of condensed milk
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On September 23, 1875, Billy the Kid is arrested for the first time after stealing a basket of laundry.  He later broke out of jail and roamed the American West, eventually earning the reputation as an outlaw and a record of 21 murders.  His life was short and ended in his being shot in 1881 in New Mexico by Sheriff Pat Garrett.