Strawberry Tuesday

I was struck by the similarities between my TIVO and my freezer after listening to a Radio 4 programme partly about the impact of freezing on cookery in the 70's.

OK so maybe this sounds crazy, but run with me on this one - only for a bit...

The freezer allowed people to keep food for longer, not only that but it enabled a certain degree of flexibility in the consumption of that food. Previously food was preserved, but not preserved in its original state (i.e. with salt or pickled etc.) The freezer enabled food to be stored in as close to original format as possible for consumption at a time of choosing. This was indeed a revolution. Breaking from the need to buy "fresh" or even to buy "in season".

The knock on was to increase the flexbility of people to consume. Later combined with the defrosting ability of a microwave oven - made it quicker to consume - and must have resulted in a significant change in peoples behaviour - and I guess eating patterns.

I hope can see where I'm going on this one...

Like TIVO some things are better to freeze than others. Leaks are particularly awkward since they contain a lot of water and don't have the right structure which means when they are defrosted they tend to lose their form. Current affairs programs lose their freshness when frozen in your TIVO.

Many many people understood and bought into the benefit of freezers, but relatively few made the conceptual leap to TIVO in the UK while it was being offered, and many only make the leap once they have actually used PVR's or a TIVO. Effectively they are converted to its use - getting functionality as part of something else and then realising the benefit later.

Perhaps that's the difference - I don't remember freezers being sold on the basis that they revolutionised your life and eating habits, they were just sold as a way of keeping things for longer and the revolution was perceived as an unintended consequence.

To pitch a product too far into the horizon of peoples expectations is asking a lot, even if there are clear and obvious benefits.

Just my 2 pennethworth.

In the 20 years between the two I think the labeling of the items got a whole lot better with TIVO!