MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA—According to a UPI report, additional eighteenth-century bottles containing preserved fruit have been recovered from a cellar at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Virginia plantation. In all, 35 bottles have been found in five storage pits. Twenty-nine of the bottles, which are thought to have been prepared before the beginning of the Revolutionary War, remain intact. Most of the vessels held cherries and berries thought to be gooseberries or currants. Examination of the cherries indicates that they were a tart variety with a more acidic composition that may have facilitated their preservation. The examination also showed that the stems of the cherries had been cut neatly, and so were probably harvested with shears. “The bottles and contents are a testament to the knowledge and skill of the enslaved people who managed the food preparations from tree to table,” said Mount Vernon archaeologist Jason Boroughs. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are analyzing the contents of the bottles, and will attempt to extract DNA from the pits to determine the exact species of cherry tree. The scientists may also attempt to germinate the cherry pits. To read about the first bottles of cherries that were uncovered in the cellar, go to "Around the World: Virginia."
