Happy Toolsday, Folks!

Hello readers! I’m Carlie, and I’m the Agricultural Exhibit Designer at the Backus-Page House Museum. Throughout the summer, I'll be sorting through various tools in the barn to get ready for the exhibit! Every Tuesday I’ll be sharing some of what I learned on our blog!

I didn't have the opportunity to go through the barn this week since we were so busy preparing for the Landing of the Settlers, so I decided to focus on a tool that is in the museum itself. Now this artefact tends to get a lot of stares during tours, and I can see why. While it was common in the 1850s, it looks like something you would find in one of the Saw movies! 

The tool on the left hand side of the page was called a Fruit Auger, but many referred to it as a Sugar Devil. Coincidentally, that's what my Mom used to call me when I had too much candy as a kid!

What was the purpose, besides scaring small children who visit the Backus-Page House? Well in the past, there wasn't always refrigerators to preserve food. In order to preserve food, specifically fruit, it would be put in barrels filled with sugar. This was to ensure that the fruit stayed dehydrated and that no air or bacteria could get inside. If the mixture became too dense or hard, this tool would be used to break up the sugar and fruit to access the food.

Do you or a loved one still preserve fruit, and if so, have you ever tries using a fruit auger? Let us know in the comments below!