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Building a Root Cellar
Since humans first walked the planet Earth, they have searched for ways to preserve
their food. Over time, many preservation methods have tried and failed; many have
succeeded. The ones that have been around the longest have the best success rate;
dehydrating, freeze drying, salting, smoking, canning, and cold storage are a few of the
best. In fact, this list has been so successful that most of these methods haven’t
changed much since they were first tried. Electricity has made them easier, but the
overall methods are the same; except for cold storage.
There are a lot of foods that must be consumed within a 24-hour period if they are not
preserved. Meat, dairy, and some produce will sour, spoil, rot or wilt soon after they are
harvested. Any food that contains fat can go rancid in a short time, especially during the
warm summer months. Learning how to preserve and store food properly can feed a
family through a freezing, sparse winter, or keep them from starving during times of
drought, depression or extreme inflation.
In the 1500s, the Incans discovered freeze drying. They placed their food into a deep
cave full of ice. Once the food was frozen solid, they placed it in the sun to dry. While
this was an excellent way to preserve some foods, the cave was better. Prior to electric
refrigeration, ice wasn’t easy to find. If people were near a mountain, they could go high
up, carve out massive chunks of ice, and haul them down the mountain to the towns
and cities that wanted it. If they lived near caves, they could find the deepest cave and
freeze their food there. Over time, the two methods combined in a way.
Instead of bringing tons of ice down the mountain every week, just for it to melt away in
a few days, large rooms were built underneath buildings or in the side of mountains. Ice
was used to cool the rooms to a temperature that would preserve food well. If the room
was built well, and deep enough, the ice wouldn’t be needed for long. Except perhaps
during the extreme summer months in a desert area. After using natural caves for
thousands of years, humans finally started creating their own home sized caves, now
known as root cellars.
A root cellar is a small room, usually buried under tons of dirt and rock, with a single
entrance, shelving, and a little ventilation to let the cool air in. There are several types of
cellars, and each has their own specific purpose. For a small family, a barrel buried in
the ground can provide a secure space to save some emergency food. Another simple
short-term method is a cache, which is a lined hole, filled with tightly wrapped food,
covered with waterproof material, then covered with dirt. However, these two methods
are easy for animals to locate and destroy.
One of the most common cellars is inside the basement. A well- built basement is
always cool, and can be kept dark to help preserve food. A basement can hold a
lot of canned and preserved foods. Unfortunately, fresh foods will not make it
long in a simple basement cellar. In order to create a basement cellar that will
store fresh foods it will have to be modified in several ways to ensure a controlled
environment.
The root cellar is one of the absolute best ways to preserve food. If it is built properly, it
can store packaged (canned, dried, or boxed) foods for years. Be sure to rotate the food
frequently, and make sure dried and boxed foods are stored in an airtight container. The
humidity must be kept high, so cans can rust quickly. The main purpose of a root cellar
is to store and protect fall root crops for the winter. Potatoes, carrots, squash, and more
can be secure through a long winter, until it is time to plant in the spring.
While beginning a root cellar can be intimidating, a simple search can help you find the
best way to build a cellar that will last and protect your food for generations. First,
choose a location. The cellar should be located in a cool area of the property. While this
is not absolutely essential, it will help keep the temperature and humidity steady. Check
for laws and regulations on digging if the property is in the city limits. A gas explosion is
not going to help preserve food.
Once the location is established, decide the size. A 10’x10’ cellar will keep enough food
for a family of four to six people through the winter. Add two square feet for each
additional family member. At this point, map out the dig site and make sure there aren’t
any natural obstructions, such as a 200-year-old oak tree with roots to China. Adjust
accordingly. A good cellar is at least 10 feet underground.
There are two extremely important aspects of the cellar that must be thoroughly
researched and planned: the roof and the walls. There are several ways to build both.
The roof needs to be able to withstand the weight of at least ten feet of dirt as well as
some plant life to prevent erosion. A domed roof will help dissipate the weight to the
sides, where the walls can provide stability. A flat roof may sink under the weight, which
can cause a cave in or preventing the door from opening. Design the roof with height
and weight distribution in mind. Obviously, crawling through a dark cellar isn’t ideal for a
six-foot-tall man or a pregnant woman. Be sure to allow plenty of head room for walking
and space between shelves for maneuvering.
Using cinder blocks for walls is both quick and easy, and if installed properly, they will
last much longer than anything else. They are also resistant to excess moisture and
prevent pests, such as rodents and flies from entering the cellar. Filling the walls with
cement will also provide a hefty level of insulation. Using rebar to reinforce the walls can
help stabilize them in the face of tons of dirt.
Some of the slightly less important, but still vital parts of a cellar include the floor, the
doors, and the ventilation system. Using cinder blocks to line the floor will create a
cleaner environment and prevent pests and mice from digging in.
However, fully enclosing the walls and floor will make it more difficult to maintain proper humidty levels. A dirt floor holds moisture and helps regulate temperature and humidity naturally.
For a cleaner cellar, add gravel. The gravel will prevent the floor from drying out over
time, and will make the cellar look nicer.
Having a double door system provides an extra layer of protection from pests and
temperature fluctuations. Ensure both doors seal firmly and latch properly. Build a frame
around the doors so the weight of the soil doesn’t warp the roof and prevent the doors
from closing. Use solid, thick doors to help regulate the temperature, and prevent issues
such as animals and fire from getting inside easily. If theft is a possibility, put locks on
both doors and create camouflage for the entrance.
Ventilation is pivotal to the success of the cellar. A vent consists of two small pipes in
the walls. One pipe is at the top of the cellar, in or near the roof; the other is in the floor.
Both vents need to have access to the outside, have caps, or another way to close
them, and fine wire mesh to keep rodents from entering. PVC pipe is usually the best
option. Open them in the winter to pipe in the cold air, and close them in summer to
keep the heat out. A small solar fan can also be installed to help with circulation. Make
sure both pipes can be easily accessed for cleaning and repair.
Now that the cellar is built, it’s time to build the shelves. Air circulation is essential to
preventing rot and excess heat. Make sure the shelves that will hold produce have
space on all sides for circulation. Use wood shavings or straw to provide a soft bed for
the produce to prevent bruising. A single bruise can turn an entire cellar into a rotten
mess in just a few days. Build the shelves so that all food items can be easily accessed
and inspected. The shelves close to the floor will be cooler and will keep produce
fresher longer.
Prior to putting a single piece of produce in the root cellar, the temperature and humidity
need to be at the right level. Root cellars need to be between 32- and 40-degrees F,
with a humidity of 85% to 95%. Once those levels are reached and steady, add
produce.
Remember: fresh produce gives off heat, so check the temperature and
humidity often to keep the levels in the correct range. If it is difficult to lower the
temperature, take a page from the Old West Settlers, throw a few blocks of ice inside
and shut the door. The floor is dirt, so the water will soak in and increase the humidity.
During the warmer months of spring and fall, check produce for damage, bruising and
rot every two weeks. During the winter months, once a month is sufficient. Make sure
the temperature stays above 32 degrees. Anything lower and the produce, cans, and
other foods will freeze, which will encourage rot once they thaw. The most difficult part
of a cellar is maintaining the temperature and humidity, but developing a tracking
routine will help identify the best times to open and close vents, or to throw a block or
two of ice in.
Having a cellar in the backyard, or in the basement can help in so many ways. It
reduces food waste. It’s hard to use all of the produce in a well producing garden. It
reduces preservation costs. Canning jars, lids, and rings are expensive and some of the
spices and preservatives necessary to ensure their safety can add even more cost.
Food is becoming astronomically expensive, especially healthy, fresh foods. Having
fresh food when there is six feet of snow on the ground is priceless. Ultimately, knowing
exactly where dinner originated and knowing what is in the jar of canned food can bring
security and peace in tough times.
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Photos courtesy of Michele Mead
