How did they make ice in the olden days before freezers?

Question

In New Zealand and Australia, people used to deliver blocks of ice weekly in the time before fridges or freezers. How did they supply this ice?

Answer 1

Ice was cut in the middle of winter out of lakes, ponds and streams. It was stored in a barn, or building below ground level packed in straw. As time progressed, and weather permitted, extra ice was made by setting water outside to freeze in large wooden containers greased with lard or animal fats.

Answer 2

Before domestic freezers were available the ice was made in a factory using the same technology but with a much more expensive machine.
The first ice creams were made using ice which was harvested from the tops of mountains.

Answer 3

They would harvest ice from frozen lakes and keep them in insulated ice houses also from icebergs if you look it up on the net try turn of the 1800s in the Adirondacks, NY- not sure of the spelling but I read a book a couple of years ago that had alot of info about it.

Answer 4

Refrigeration was invented, say 100 years ago, but it was not cheap enough to put in everybody's houses.

So there were business that "manufactured" ice and got it to peoples houses.

Even before that, in the middle east, thousands of years ago, there would have been "runners" that ran up mountains and brought back down snow / ice for the kings' drink.

Answer 5

they got it off the mountains and stuff, yno like from cold places, ice is a natural solid, the solid form of H2O!

Answer 6

They sold a cow for these magic beans... ...

Answer 7

maybe it was just a lie and they didnt or it came of antartica