What Is It? January 2020

Wow! Seems like everyone knew what our what is it was in January! All of these people correctly identified the object as a nutmeg grater:

   Dottie Unruh, Lakewood, Colorado; Marilyn Fay, Greeenwood Village, Colorado; Carolyn Kundel, Roland, Iowa; William McLaren, Anchorage, Alaska; Suzanne Capra, Wheat Ridge, Colorado; Merrill Yale, Denver, Colorado; Denise Olmsted, Green River, Wyoming; Vicky Kellen, Castle Pines, Colorado; Loretta Lockett, Longmont, Colorado; Jeannie Reynolds, Nederland, Colorado; Carol Klomp, Boulder, Colorado; Fred Clark, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Bill Evans, Elizabeth, Colorado; Annette Glaess, Westminster, Colorado; and Jerome McLaren, Conifer, Colorado.

   All of you have won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.

   This particular nutmeg grater was patented in 1891. It is called The Edgar nutmeg grater. The pressure of a spring in the cylinder keeps the nutmeg pushed against the grater as the cylinder is moved back and forth on the wire like a slide trombone.

   Kitchen equipment reflected the changes in American life style. Through most of the 1800s, factory-processed foodstuffs were unavailable; nearly all food had to be prepared or preserved in the home. The home cook inspired the invention of countless simple gadgets to make food preparation easier.