The Amish cut eight inches deep into the ice using the most basic of tools. Each block weighs about 60 pounds. Once loaded into the back of an old wagon, two Belgian workhorses pull nearly a ton and a half of ice to the homestead. The blocks are stacked in a 6-by-8-foot styrofoam structure.
I saw many Amish women working in the kitchen facility, preparing the various commodities for canning. The food was all canned safely in pressure canners because they would not have been able to sell to the public otherwise.
Many Amish used to have 'ice houses.” These outbuildings would be filled with ice, and foods that needed to be kept frozen would be put inside. Generally the ice would be cut from an area pond during winter and the ice house would be insulated well enough that it would stay cold through the summer.
Keeping Cool Indoors
Many Amish homes are built with plenty of windows to help circulate the air and bring in the cooler overnight temperatures. They open the windows on the top floors to help the heat escape while the family retreats to the lower grounds within their homes for comfort.
The modern world has so many inventions that make life easier so how do the Amish live without those conveniences or modify them to fit within their lifestyle? The Amish can still take a hot shower, they simply hook up their hot water tank to a gas or propane fueled energy source.
Amish communities use gas-powered and solar-powered refrigerators in their homes, embracing tradition and modern needs. They also have other food cooling and preservation methods like ice houses, spring houses, root cellars, canning, drying/dehydrating, smoking/salting, and fermentation.
If you're from a different culture you may be used to having a variety of things to drink with your meal from ice tea to milk to coffee. Its water for the Amish. But don't forget to have a cup of coffee after dessert while you sit around to chat. Meadow tea is also a favorite.
For root vegetables, apples, and even homemade ferments, the Amish rely on root cellars. These cool, dark spaces, often underground, keep foods fresh by maintaining a stable temperature and humidity level.
They practiced preserving their foods and growing their own meat. Their resources shaped their diet, which is why we still see delicious bread, hearty vegetables, creamy potatoes, and large variations of meat in their traditions today.
While the Swartzentruber Amish use some technology, they do not own or drive automobiles, own telephones, have electric lights, or use modern flush toilets, and they supply water to their homes using a cistern.
That said, some Amish, especially New Order, like Gloria and family, tend towards healthier diets where soda pop of any kind is a rarity. But among certain Old Order groups, “pop” has become a mainstay. This recipe comes to us from a Mennonite in Canada. You can bake the chicken in the recipe or baste it and grill it .
Hundreds of thousands of Amish people, and no one died from it. That is a pretty good statistic. They can low acid foods in a water bath, covering the jars by one inch on the tops of the jars and boil them for up to 3 hours depending on what it is they are canning.
One of the Amish guesthouses is quite modern and even has air conditioning. Most of the other guesthouses have fans. There is heat in the Amish homes but it may not be as warm as you're used to. There are lamps but in some guesthouses the lighting is limited.
How to tell if someone is Amish or Mennonite? You can often distinguish them by their dress and lifestyle; Amish typically wear plain, handmade clothing and avoid technology, while Mennonites may dress modestly but embrace modern transportation and technology.
The Amish have a unique way of keeping their perishables fresh and cool. A cold stream is a stream of running water from a nearby lake or river, usually under the house of an Amish family. The cool water enters the home through channels, and as it passes underneath, it maintains optimal temperatures for storing food.
While bathing is more common amongst the Amish, they do also take showers. Again, it's very dependent on the community and the individual family. Some Amish families have gas-powered hot water heaters to take showers. There are even some communities that have large indoor showers just like we do.
The Amish people generally do not drink alcohol, including beer and hard liquor, as they view it as a worldly temptation that can lead to drunkenness and other harmful behavior. However, there may be variations in beliefs and practices between different communities and families.
Although no foods are prohibited in the Amish culture, alcohol consumption is strongly discouraged (1,2). Careful documentation of Amish dietary practices, with a focus on variables associated with cancer, has to our knowledge never been reported.
As part of their Ordnung, Old Order Amish forbid owning automobiles; tapping electricity from public utility lines; owning televisions, radios, or personal computers; attending high school or college; joining the military; and initiating divorce. All Amish groups expect men and women to wear prescribed clothing.