Great-Grandpa Testing Canned Food (September 21)

Robbie’s Granny told him his Great-Grandpa had been the local officer of health in his English village. As such his responsibilities included assuring the safety of all food products sold both at the outdoor market and in village shops, and he did not trust canned foods to remain safe. He knew they could go bad and cause serious poisoning; so, he kept a close eye on local grocers’ products. This fascinated Robbie …

“But Granny, don’t all tins look the same?”

“Actually, there’s a way to tell. A lot of pressure builds up inside a bad one before it gives way. It starts to swell, and a single good knock can burst it. … Sometimes he’d find a can with a seam that was already leaking, but be didn’t need to wait for that.”

“You mean he threw them all out?”

“No, but it was just as good. He used to put a row of tins on the counter and go through them two by two. He’d bang each pair together. You know the strength he had. No matter how slight the problem, no bulging can could survive that test. I daresay quite a few good ones gave up the ghost, too. But people stopped getting sick. He was a hero.” (Providence Point, p. 143)

Family mythology – whether absolutely true, or perhaps somewhat inflated – can set a powerful example for following generations. Do any earlier members of your family have such a glowing reputation? If so, please leave a Comment.

(Illustration generated by AI)