Eva Ekeblad Facts: Google Doodle Celebrates Swedish Scientist On 293rd Birthday

Google Doodle honored Swedish scientist Eva Ekeblad, who discovered that potatoes could be turned into flour and used to make alcohol, on her 293rd birthday Monday.

The search engine giant commemorated plant scientist Ekeblad's “ingenuity and scientific achievements.”

"The Swedish scientist brought potatoes, then a greenhouse curiosity, to the people. Eva discovered the starch was humble but mighty – potatoes could be ground into flour or distilled into spirits. Her discovery helped reduce famine in years to come," Google wrote in its description of the doodle.

"For her scientific and delicious work, Eva Ekeblad became the first woman elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748. She was truly a pioneer - the next woman recognized in those ranks would come 203 years later. Today we we honor Eva Ekeblad's ingenuity and her scientific achievements. Happy birthday, Eva!"

Read: Potatoes Can Grown On Mars And Earth Regions Affected By Climate Change

Here are some quick facts about Ekeblad, who became the first woman elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748.

1. Ekeblad was born in Sweden on July 10, 1724.

2. She was born to statesman count Magnus Julius De la Gardie and salonist Hedvig Catharina Lilje.

3. Potatoes first arrived in Sweden in 1658 and were only available to the aristocracy and weren’t considered edible for humans. Ekeblad's contribution made potatoes a staple food.

4. The plant scientist grew her own set of potatoes and began experimenting.

5. Before Ekeblad's discovery, potatoes were reserved for animals.

6. She began her experiment after she heard that Germany used potatoes to create alcoholic drinks.

7. In 1746, Ekeblad found that potatoes could be cooked and dried to create a form of flour.

8. Her work also helped increase the supply of wheat, rye and barley that help reduce the frequency of famine in Sweden. Earlier, alcohol products, especially Vodka, was made only from wheat, rye and barley.

9. The honor of being a woman to be elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was not bestowed on another woman for another 203 years.

10. Ekeblad also discovered a method of bleaching cotton textile and yarn with soap in 1751.

11. Ekeblad got married in 1740 at the age of 16 to Claes Claesson Ekeblad, and became the mother of seven children; one son and six daughters.

12. Following her marriage she received the estates Mariedal Castle and Lindholmen Castle, Västergötland, from her father.

13. Ekeblad died on May 15, 1786 aged 61.

Read: How To Make Mashed Potatoes

Here's how you can make potato flour, courtesy Real Foods.

Start with taking around nine pounds of potatoes that will make around 2 pounds of flour. To do this, peel the potatoes, boil them until soft and then mash them. After mashing them properly, leave it for 12-20 hours until all moisture has been removed. Later put the dried potatoes in a blender and crush until it creates a fine powder. Store the powder in an airtight container.