Ground refrigerator root cellars provide an alternative to traditional basements for those who prefer to preserve their own harvest or purchase in bulk from local farmers. Designed by Floris Schoonderbeek of Weltevree, these spherical structures have become known as modern versions of underground cellars for those who seek a more self-sufficient life in urban environments.
The ground is an ideal food storage location due to its relatively constant temperatures all year-round and poor conductor of heat, making it the ideal location to store food. Acting like a natural refrigerator, its cool temperature extends the shelf life of vegetables up to 10 times their usual shelf life while its high moisture levels help retain their water content so they remain fresh longer.
Root cellars provide vegetables with optimal conditions to remain crisp and fresh for at least six months of storage in winter and much longer during the summer. Root cellars are a favorite choice among gardeners looking to store the fruits of their labor; urbanites without gardens who want emergency preparedness solutions also find root cellars appealing; while ground fridges make an excellent way to keep locally produced foods in season year-round.
Apart from providing vegetables with cool and dark storage conditions, ground-fridge root cellars also offer numerous other advantages including rodent proofness, insulation and easy access. Their circular shape enables even distribution of ground’s cooler temperatures throughout their interior walls while their insulation keeps their contents above freezing during winter. They even come equipped with an automated ventilation system which vents at night to avoid condensation build-up!
Relying on an underground-fridge requires some maintenance and care, as its conditions depend on factors like soil type, humidity level and temperature fluctuations. Therefore it’s crucial to utilize thermometers and hygrometers as tools for measuring temperature and humidity as well as inspecting for rodent activity; furthermore it’s also recommended only storing undamaged and mature produce as damaged produce tends to spoil more quickly affecting other foods in storage.
If a root cellar isn’t an option, many have taken to using old chest freezers and refrigerators as personal underground coolers – this method is both cost-effective and easier to manage than digging an underground hole. An above-ground root cellar may also be constructed using rocks or soil to form an “above-ground root cellar,” creating a berm around their refrigerator that makes an above-ground root cellar option suitable for those in rocky regions not suitable for digging underground; alternatively a barrel could also be used similarly; other options include storage in garage, sheds, shed-like closets which may not provide as cold or humid an environment as an ideal real root cellar does; moreover these options may not provide such long term protection from environmental factors if stored away in real root cellar.