Store your vegetables and fruit without electricity with the help of a simple, DIY root cellar.
Best of all, root cellars are easy to make and dont take up much space.
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What Is a Root Cellar?
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Before the advent of electricity, people relied on root cellars to keep their food fresh throughout the year.
Root cellars remain cool in summer but warm enough in winter to keep foods from freezing.
Beyond that, root cellars prevent food waste and provide perfect storage conditionsfor many types of vegetables and fruit.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Root cellars can also be used tostore wineand canned orpickled goods.
This process hardens the vegetables skin and helps seal any scruffs or scratches that might otherwise let in bacteria.
If not, root cellars can be adapted to newer builds and garden options.
Food Storage Tips for Root Cellars
1.
Ideally, root cellars should be a chilly32F to 40F, and they should never freeze.
Even root cellars that cool only into the 50s protect many vegetables.
(In summer, the temperature might reach the 60s in hot areas).
Freezing temperatures damage produce, while warm temperatures speed up decay.
Light speeds up decay and color loss in produce, and it also causes potatoes to turn green.
you’re able to also keep potatoes from sprouting by loosely covering them with a piece of burlap.
While high humidity keeps veggies plump, too much humidity can promote mold and mildew growth.
Only store unwashed, undamaged produce.
Excess moisture promotes mold and mildew, so avoid washing produce before placing it in your root cellar.
Keep fruit and vegetables in approximately the same condition as they were when they were harvested.
Use any damaged produce immediately rather than storing it because it will begin to decay quickly.
The extra moisture keeps the roots from drying out, allowing you to enjoy crunchy carrots all year round.
Store root crops horizontally or vertically in sturdy boxes or food-safe plastic buckets.
Separate fruits and vegetables.
Keeping a well-ventilated root cellar reduces ethylene levels, but storing vegetables and fruit separately is still recommended.
To be extra safe, wrap apples and pears in newspaper to prevent the ethylene gas from escaping.
Keep an eye on your produce.
