Woman of the Week - Amanda Jones

For the next few months, we’ve decided to dig into the CR4 archives and expand upon some blog posts from 2007. Back then, we published a series of lists of women inventors and now we will write full blog posts about those who have yet to be featured. Do you know of a great person to be a subject? Let us know!

Amanda Theodosia Jones was an American inventor best known for creating the vacuum sealing method to preserve foods long term.

She was born in 1835 in Western New York. She was one of 13 children. She started school and was quickly recognized as an advanced learner. By 15, she was teaching others. She also struggled with her health in her young life. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was often sick and stuck at home, but she used the time to write. She published her first poem in 1854 and in 1861 published an entire book of poems.

She became inspired by the work of Thomas Dick and the spiritualism movement and believed herself to be a medium. She thought spirits were calling her to move to Chicago, so in 1869, she went. She wrote for many publications there including Western Rural, Universe, Interior, and Bright Sides.

While writing was her bread-and-butter, she also became interested in solving common problems with intention and with guidance from spirits.

She began experimenting with ways to preserve food; according to her biography, she drew inspiration via spiritual guidance from her deceased brother.

Food canning had been around in various forms already and food preserved in tin cans was crucial for European military forces. But without the can opener, food had to be accessed by using bayonets or blunt force to bust the seal.

But back then, the science behind canning was unclear and preservation was unreliable. Most canned food was cooked inside the can which often compromised the quality, especially with fruit.

Jones had a thought to can uncooked food and figured that it was the oxygen that caused it to spoil. If that could be removed, preservation would be more efficient.

She started a series of trial and error to figure out how to eliminate the air. She worked alongside Leroy C. Jones, of Albany, New York. He was the brother-in-law of her sister, Emily.

One day in 1872, she found the sweet spot. By waiting four minutes into the vacuum process, the food expanded and the internal temperature of the jar reached 120 °F, effectively sealing the jar by creating a vacuum seal within the lid. The discovery revolutionized food canning and made it possible to preserve food safely without compromising taste. This process, known as the “Jones Process,” is still used today.

Later, she held five patents for the vacuum sealing process, three of them jointly.

In 1880, she also invented and patented an oil burning, again following the advice of spirits.

She was also a passionate supporter of the women’s suffrage movement and founded the Women’s Canning and Preserving Company in Chicago in 1890. The company employed only women. The company later failed, but their product lives on to this day.

Further reading:

https://www.damninteresting.com/a-jarring-revelation/