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Understandingseasonality and preserving food could be the one of the most important topicswithin an early modern household. Seasonality determines what household tasksyou do, and when you do them, especially if the household was to be productiveand efficient. Preservation refers to the storage of food, and a process of keepingfood throughout the winter. It can also include how the preserved food itemsare used throughout the year. Without knowledge of either seasonality orpreservation the household and the members within would have an even hardertime surviving. TheGard’ners Kalendar by John Reid lays out monthly tasks to ensure that thegarden is fruitful. It suggests how to prepare the garden, what vegetables orfruit to plant and even which pests to eliminate. When reading Reid’sdirections, I noticed how the North American Farmer’s Almanac is very similarto it. This suggests that seasonality is still an important concept today, but nowon a larger scale. Farmers may use an almanac to help them when planting cropsto ensure they make enough of a profit to keep their business afloat. TheFarmers’ Almanac sometimes also has natural health remedies and recipes whichmirrors the texts read by women in the early modern period. Weather predictionsare also made in each type of calendar which confirms the ideas that weather isthe most important factor relating to the production of food. Textssuch as the Gard’ners Kalendar were likely directed towards women since theywere the ones who did most of the gardening and preparation of food. However,The Farmers’ Almanac seems to be aimed more towards men, at least in the firstdecades of its publication. It is interesting to note who oversaw the gardeningin the different time periods and countries. Recipesfor preserving food were probably added to a women’s own personalized cookbook.As she used a recipe, new steps or ingredients were added while other sectionsof the recipe could be taken out entirely. I fond it interesting that peoplestill do this to recipes today. It shows that no recipe is guaranteed to beperfect, nor will everyone agree with the measurements and types of ingredients.However, what might work for someone, may for whatever reason, not work forsomeone else. I think it is important to not be completely reliant on the instructionsof recipes because sometimes they just don’t work out. But following the recipeswhen preserving food is more important since the food needs to be stored safelyfor an extended period of time. Once the fruits and vegetables had been grownat the right time and nurtured with the correct supplements, the produce couldbe preserved. It’s important to think of the preservation process as a sciencesince it requires careful amounts of chemicals and other ingredients to ensurethe food is safe to eat later. It amazes me how well early modern householdswere able to preserve their food. Preservation is still an important way of storingand selling food today. I have made jam before, so I know it is quite theprocess to get all the measurements and timing right. Reading about seasonalityand preservation has made me realize and appreciate how much time and effortgoes into growing, harvesting, and preparing all sorts of food. 