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Pasteurization -

Whether solid or liquid, heating up food to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria can be traced back hundreds of years to Asia. Controlled heat treatment was further developed by French chemist Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard as a way to stabilize wine. It's now commonly used to treat dairy products, canned food, and bottled water.

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The fishhook -

The earliest fishhooks date back at least 9,000 years, and were made of wood or bone. The use of metal hooks and their mass production popularized the basic design.

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The cork -

Cork is the outer layer of the cork oak, which is widely found in Portugal, where more than half of the world's cork is produced. The material creates the perfect barrier between liquids and air, which is why it's used for wine and spirits.

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Fire -

Our ancestors probably figured out how to start, and hopefully stop, a fire around 400,000 years ago. This made proper cooking a reality!

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Tongs -

The first tongs were most likely just two unattached sticks that someone brilliantly decided to attach together. Today, they're an essential instrument in almost every kitchen.

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Canning -

Developed in the early 19th century, canning is a method of preserving food by processing and sealing it in an airtight container. Shelf life can range from one to five years.

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The grater -

Sure, knives can cut. But what about shredding raw veggies and cheese? That's thankfully where the grater steps in. First invented in France in the 1540s by François Boullier, the grater has had many modifications over the years. The popular version we know of today was invented in the 1990s by Arkansas toolmaker Richard Grace.

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Irrigation -

Irrigation is the automatic watering of land and soil. It's used for growing agricultural crops, and in the revegetation of dry areas.

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The knife -

Considered the oldest human tool, the first knives were pieces of obsidian or flint with their sides sharply chipped. As metal was introduced around 2500 BCE, the design and quality of blades and handles improved.

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The rolling pin -

For centuries, people have used stone, clay, and wood to flatten dough and crush grains and herbs. But it was in the late 19th century that a woman named Judy W. Reed invented the standard modern rolling pin. Fun fact: she is considered to be the first African-American woman to receive a US patent.

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The fruit press -

To get liquids out of grapes, apples, and olives, one must crush them really hard. The screw press, dating from the 3rd century, was a huge improvement that saved people time and energy. Of course, today there's electricity involved.

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The threshing machine -

Invented by Scottish millwright Andrew Meikle in 1778, the threshing machine separates wheat, peas, soybeans, and other small grains from their chaff and straw. These machines are an important component of modern agriculture.

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The gas oven -

The earliest ovens date back to 29,000 BCE in Central Europe. The more modern gas ovens were first developed in the early 19th century.

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Crop rotation -

Crop rotation is the practice of planting dissimilar types of crops on the same plot of land in sequential seasons. This method helps return nutrients to the soil, as well as combat pest and weed pressure.

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Distillation -

Distillation is the process of separating the dirt from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation. The Greeks started doing this 2,000 years ago. Then in the 9th century, the Arabs refined the process and invented the alembic still.

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The barrel -

Originally used by the Gauls in modern-day France, they figured out how to heat and bend staves of wood and bind them into barrels with rope and metal. The Romans later adopted the idea to store wine and oil.

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The fork -

First used as a farming tool (pitchfork), they later became a cooking tool in ancient Egypt and Greece. The smaller fork, used for eating, was first popularized in 11th-century Italy before spreading to the rest of Europe.

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Salt -

Salt has always existed, but it was at least 8,000 years ago that our ancestors figured out how to extract salt from seawater. Then came the salt trade and salt taxes, which changed history.

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Fermentation -

Fermentation is basically the conversion, by yeast or bacteria, of carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It's a process naturally used for beer, cider, and even some cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi.

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The scale -

Scales are essential in commercial food production and in baking. The elementary balance scales were first used in southern Asia 5,000 years ago. Then in the 19th century, spring scales became indispensable on farms and in retail shops. Today, countless kitchens have an accurate electronic digital scale.

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Refrigeration -

Using ice to lower temperature and preserve food dates back to prehistoric times. However, machine-based refrigeration was developed in the mid-18th century. Domestic refrigerators first became available in the early 20th century.

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The mortar and pestle -

Enjoyed by both the Aztecs and the Romans, the mortar and pestle have been used for food preparation for thousands of years. Many cultures still use them to pulverize leaves and pods for cooking, such as Italians when making pesto.

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The spoon -

Spoons are an ancient tool that were first made out of hollowed out bits of wood. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used elaborately decorated spoons, but the version with tapering bowls and long handles didn't appear until the mid-18th century.

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The mandoline slicer -

First mentioned in a culinary book published in 1570 by Vatican chef Bartolomeo Scappi, the mandoline slicer is a practical tool for cutting food into thin slices.

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Pots -

Without pots, cooking would have been fairly limited. Our prehistoric ancestors cooked food in vessels made of stone, clay, and even turtle shells. Metal pots appeared around the medieval times.

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Chopsticks -

Chopsticks originated around 4,000 years ago in China, becoming the most popular eating utensils in Asia. Often made of bamboo resistant to heat, they work like tiny tongs.

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Grinding/milling -

Milling is the process of grinding grain or other materials in a mill. The practice has been around since 6000 BCE, and it's been crucial in the production of flour.

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Parchment -

The original parchment was made of thin animal skin as a way for writing and not cooking. Bakers and cooks took it as inspiration for the heat-resistant, non-stick paper used today.

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The restaurant -

The earliest restaurants can be traced back as early as somewhere between the 9th and 10th centuries, both in China and the Islamic world. But it was the French aristocracy in 16th-century Paris that popularized the concept of eating out. 

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The fishing net -

Used since the Stone Age, the oldest known version of the fishing net was made from willow, and dated back to 8300 BCE. Fishing nets are, of course, still widely used today. 

Sources: (The Atlantic) (Insider)

See also: Useless household items that you probably have 

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