How to Build an Underground Root Cellar

Root cellars are underground storage facilities used to preserve root vegetables, fruit and other perishable items that do not store well in refrigerators or cans. A root cellar offers an ancient yet affordable and reliable method of food preservation by combining different forms of storage – cold temperature, high humidity and ventilation are among them.

Root cellars typically involve digging a hole in the ground that is lined with concrete or cinder blocks and covered with tarp to protect it from rain, snow and animals. Holes of various sizes (crawlspace to walk-in structure) may be created depending on family size and produce storage needs; during both World Wars II and the Great Depression Americans were encouraged to build root cellars so as to get maximum use out of their produce storage capacity.

While root cellars are commonly associated with root vegetables, other fruits and vegetables may also be stored inside them. Many require curing; this involves exposing food to air so it dries out slowly in order to protect itself from spoilage; proper curing can extend shelf life of tomatoes, figs and pears by as much as a year or more.

An ideal location to create a root cellar would be on the north side of a house or on a slope to avoid direct sunlight. Furthermore, debris such as rocks should be cleared away to facilitate proper ventilation of your root cellar and maintain its structure.

Once a hole has been dug and is ready to be filled, concrete or cinder blocks should be used as wall construction material to keep shifting walls from shifting over time, potentially leading to cracks and mold growth that contaminates food stored in the cellar. A french drain should also be installed near floor level so any excess water can properly flow away from it and drain into drainpipes outside.

As you construct the walls of a cellar, it is vitally important that they be insulated. Insulation methods include using foam board insulation, newspaper layers or old cardboard boxes as insulation solutions. Sometimes a combination of wood and concrete is used which provides both insulation and an unwavering foundation for the cellar.

Once walls are in place, it is advisable to cover the soil with a heavy-duty tarp to protect it from rodents and insects. Furthermore, keeping buckets of water or wet sand close by food helps maintain high levels of humidity; this is especially essential for root vegetables such as carrots that require high levels of humidity to avoid shriveling.


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