Root cellars may seem like something out of the past (perhaps you think of Little House on the Prairie books when hearing of such places). Yet in Alaska they remain relevant as an essential means to ensure food security – lessening our dependence on grocery stores or potential disruptions in supply chains.
Root cellars are underground storage rooms designed to maintain cool and dark conditions for optimal ripening, decomposition, and spoilage control. Their high level of humidity helps prevent vegetables from wilting – although most often used to store root vegetables they can also store other produce like apples and winter squash varieties that last well in cold temperatures.
Root cellars provide an ideal setting to extend the shelf life of many foods, particularly leafy greens like cabbage. By keeping temperatures cool enough, root cellars help minimize ethylene gas produced during ripening and microorganism growth which cause spoilage – so try keeping your crops in a basement or other cool space instead if possible!
Root cellars can be found buried underneath homes, outbuildings such as sheds and natural caverns or crevices. Some root cellars are constructed out of concrete; others use simpler techniques like digging into hill sides (making construction simpler on rocky terrain) or piling rocks and soil over them to form their base. It is crucial that cellars be kept cool and dry – ideal conditions require between 32deg-40deg temperatures with 85-95% relative humidity for optimal conditions.
A cellar can be simple or complex depending on your climate and desired vegetables to store. Traditionally, root cellars were dug ten feet below the ground with ventilation chimney or shaft for optimal performance; nowadays however, sheds, basements, closets or even under beds may serve this function effectively.
Building a root cellar can be an enjoyable and worthwhile homesteading project for those with extra room. Cellar walls may be made of bricks, concrete blocks or even cinder blocks; for those not comfortable doing the work themselves a professional service provider may help construct an underground space at least 8×8 in size; larger cellars provide greater food storage capabilities as well as improved air circulation.