Root cellars offer an ideal way to store food without electricity in cold climates, keeping produce fresh for extended periods through using nature’s own cooling power and providing low temperatures, high humidity, and ventilation. With some careful planning, a root cellar can be constructed in your garage, basement, or outbuilding and save money by eliminating utility services.
Root cellars provide the ideal environment for storing roots, tubers and hardy fruits such as citrus fruits. Furthermore, they protect them from insects and mold growth. It is important to note that their cool temperatures and high humidity may encourage microorganism growth that spoil produce; in order to protect stored foods against this risk it is crucial that regular monitoring takes place and their temperature and moisture levels remain optimal.
Install a moisture monitor and humidifier into your root cellar to ensure optimal conditions for storage of food items that will prevent spoilage, such as an 80-90% humidity level recommended to maintain optimal storage conditions. A monitor allows you to regularly assess air moisture content, while an adjustable humidifier helps you control it as necessary.
Install humidity and monitoring systems in your cellar before beginning to store food, so as to detect and correct any potential issues before they have the chance to compromise the food you store there. This gives you a chance to address potential issues before they have an opportunity to harm it further.
An essential piece for your root cellar is a ladder or steps, which allow you to enter it easily. Since many cellars are dug into hillsides, making digging down far enough difficult. Without this equipment it may be necessary to construct an entrance from above such as through a shed or other outbuilding in order to access food supplies.
As you build a cellar, it is advisable to add insulation in order to maintain a cool temperature in the space. Use materials such as straw, sawdust and foam boards when selecting insulation materials as long as they do not contain chemicals that could affect food quality.
As part of any root cellar build, adding storage shelves or bins should be the next step. Shelves make managing food easier while leaving some airflow space between shelving or bins and the wall is essential to prevent condensation forming on stored items. Durable wood such as cedar is best to protect stored goods against bugs and mold growth while labeling shelves can help you keep an inventory record and its expected life span.
If you feel uncertain of your ability to build a root cellar yourself, hiring a professional may be wise. They will assess the area where you want it built, assess costs of materials and labor needed for construction, provide additional contacts should any additional work need to be completed, etc.