Researchers have made what they call a “spectacular” finding at the Mount Vernon home of America’s first president: almost 30 bottles of preserved fruit. The bottles of cherries and berries were preserved in storage areas in the cellar of George Washington’s home near the Potomac River. Researchers discovered the fruits during an archaeological dig connected to a restoration project. Jason Boroughs is Mount Vernon’s head archaeologist. He said the discovery of so much perfectly preserved food from more than 250 years ago is almost unequaled. “Finding… fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular,” Boroughs told the Associated Press. Whole pieces of fruit, recognizable as cherries, were found in some of the bottles. Other bottles held what appear to be gooseberries or currants, though testing is underway to confirm that. Mount Vernon is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is doing DNA testing on the fruit.
