Happy National Frozen Food Day: What’s in your freezer?

Today is all about the really big chill. It’s National Frozen Food Day. This annual holiday, celebrated on March 6, is dedicated to frozen food products.

Whether you prefer ice cream, TV dinners, peas, pizza pies or slushie drinks, this special day has been observed since President Ronald Reagan proclaimed March 6th as Frozen Food Day back in 1984.

The History of Frozen Foods

Ever since the Father of Frozen Foods, Clarence Birdseye, found a way to flash-freeze foods, Americans have been servin’ up the convenient products ever since they hit the store shelves decades ago.

After working for the government up in the frigid Arctic regions of Canada, Birdseye noticed the combination of ice, wind and cold temperature instantaneously froze fresh-caught fish. And even better, when the fish was cooked days or weeks later, it still retained its wonderful flavor.

When the biologist/businessman returned to New York, he eventually founded the General Seafood Corporation. Birdseye sold his frozen foods in select stores on March 6, 1930. After going national, his products revolutionized the food industry.

Besides frozen food, he was also instrumental in developing the freezer grocery display cases, cellophane wrappers for the frozen food and using insulated train cars for the shipping process. His quick-freezing techniques would create over 100 patents. He also held patents for other products including incandescent lighting and a harpoon for whale-fishing. His contributions landed him a prestigious spot in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Born in New York in 1886, Clarence Robert Birdseye died of heart failure in 1956.

Frozen foods have sure come a long way since they were first invented. The next time to whip up a frozen dinner or product, just imagine where our lives would be without frozen food?

And speaking of food - today is also National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day!