Are You Prepping or Need Food Storage for Your Family? A Prefab Root Cellar May Be Right For You. While traditional wood-beam and stone root cellars require considerable skill and expense, repurposing an old septic tank, large precast concrete culvert or shipping container as an inexpensive root cellar alternative could be ideal.
Root cellars can be constructed without electricity, using earth’s natural cooling capabilities to preserve fresh produce and other foodstuffs for years. Building one may seem simple enough, but proper ventilation and humidity controls must be observed for successful operation.
Building a root cellar requires designing the space to be as airtight as possible, with vents strategically placed throughout for opening or closing according to season and weather conditions. Furthermore, insulation should be of top priority, and placing the cellar in an area with sufficient drainage can help handle ground water runoff effectively.
Establishing the ideal microclimate for a root cellar may prove challenging, but its rewards make the effort worth your while. Depending on the climate in your region, you’ll need to experiment with various temperatures and humidity levels until you find one that best fits your specific needs. In wintertime, cabbages and leafy greens should be stored in cold environments while root vegetables like potatoes need warmer conditions in order to thrive.
Humidity is also critical when it comes to food preservation. Too much moisture can lead to rotted vegetables and rusted canning lids; too little may result in food wilting or molding. A root cellar that features two distinct sections–one humid and one dry–is often the ideal way to find this balance.
Keep light in mind as one of the primary threats to long-term food storage. Light can lighten vegetable colors and cause certain fruits and vegetables to produce ethylene gas, shortening shelf life of other items stored nearby. Therefore, keeping your cellar as dark as possible to reduce light entering. Lighting up a cellar with additional illumination can also help improve conditions in its entirety, as can installing doors with windows to let in natural sunlight and keep conditions at their optimum. For those looking for more permanent solutions, some companies sell prefabricated root cellars that can be delivered and installed quickly – they typically cost around $10,000 and feature stairs, shelves and a door. It’s an affordable way to start storing food yourself quickly.