Plus tips on how to store veg and fruit longer and avoid spoilage.
This keeps food from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer.
The soil on top of the root cellar the earth acts as the temperature control.
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Common construction methods are:
1. Digging down into the ground and erecting a shed or house over the cellar (access is via a trap door in the shed).
2. Digging into the side of a hill (easier to excavate and facilitates water drainage).
3. Building a structure at ground level and piling rocks, earth, and/or sod around and over it. This may be easier to build on rocky terrain where excavation is difficult.
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DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle [Paperback]
Most root cellars were built using stone, wood, mortar (cement), and sod. Newer ones may be made of concrete with sod on top
Image credit - Public domain
Featured Links - root cellar designs
Root Cellar Plans (North Dakota State University)
SMALL ROOT CELLAR(BC Ministry of Agriculture)
These are in pdf form
Install a Root Cellar in your Basement
Build Your Own underground Root Cellar
A useful and helpful little book
Nutritional content of food is best preserved by leaving the plants intact. Drying, freezing and canning result in nutrient loss.
Phyllis Hobson is the author of several Storey Books and Garden Way Publishing titles including Satisfying Soups, Making & Using Dried Foods, Raising a Calf For Beef, and Tan your Hide! She lives in Zapata, Texas. Read More Here
Build Your Own underground Root Cellar
Amazon Price: $0.81 (as of 05/29/2012)![]()
Now here is a useful and helpful little book. I'm all excited about building a root celar, the photos, and examples, and explainations are perfect from start to finish. So much information in such a little book. Read More Here
Root cellars must have ventilation!
Roots can touch each other in storage, just don't pack them in tightly like canned sardines. Some moist air must be able to circulate.
This is one of most common mistakes that people make when designing/installing them. Proper ventilation moves the ethylene gas that causes spoilage away from the produce, increasing your storage time and the quality of the items in storage. It also slows down molds and mildews and other fuzzy things that thrive in dark, damp, still environments. Read More Here
I like this one - Simple and elegant
Root Cellar storage requirements

Wood Storage Crate
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Apples
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with vegetables
* 32 to 40 degrees Farenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Beans, dry
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* 32 to 50 degrees Farenheit
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Beets
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Farenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Brussels sprouts
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Farenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Cabbage
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Cabbage, Chinese
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Carrots
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Cauliflower
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Celeriac
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Celery
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Endive (Escarole)
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Garlic
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* 32 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit ideal
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Grapefruit
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with vegetables
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Grapes
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with vegetables
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Do not allow fruits and vegetables to freeze.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Horseradish
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
* May be left in the ground undisturbed until needed. Digging can be done unless the soil is frozen hard. A thick layer of mulch may extend your harvest season.
Jerusalem artichoke
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
* May be left in the ground undisturbed until needed. Digging can be done unless the soil is frozen hard. A thick layer of mulch may extend your harvest season.
Kale
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Kohlrabi
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Leeks
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Onions
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* 32 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit ideal
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Oranges
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with vegetables
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Parsnips
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Pears
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with vegetables
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Peas
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* Airtight container
* 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Peppers, hot dried
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Popcorn
* Cool and dry
* Home and commercially prepared foods also need a cool, dry storage place
* Airtight container
* 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
* 60 to 70 percent relative humidity
Potatoes
* Cold and moist
* Do not store with fruits
* 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit ideal
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Potatoes, sweet
* Warm and moist
* To keep sweet potatoes from spoiling in warm and moist storage, do not let temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Pumpkins
* Warm and dry
* 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit
* 60 to 75 percent relative humidity
Radish, winter
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Rutabaga
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Salsify, oyster plant
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
* May be left in the ground undisturbed until needed. Digging can be done unless the soil is frozen hard. A thick layer of mulch may extend your harvest season.
Squash, winter
* Warm and dry
* 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit
* 60 to 75 percent relative humidity
Tomatoes
* Warm and moist
* To keep green tomatoes from spoiling in warm and moist storage, do not let temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit
* 80 to 90 percent relative humidity
Turnip
* Cold and very moist
* 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit
* 90 to 95 percent relative humidity
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
Anyone can learn to store fruits and vegetables safely and naturally with a cool, dark space (even a closet!) and the step-by-step advice in this book. Read More Here
"fresh endive in December, tender, savory Chinese cabbage in January; juicy apples in February, crisp, fresh carrots in March; and sturdy unsprayed potatoes in April--all without boiling a jar, blanching a vegetable, or filling a freezer bag" (page xvii). Read More Here
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
Amazon Price: $7.01 (as of 05/29/2012)![]()
This is a great book for (food) gardeners and for people who have some land available to them. Although there are suggestions for "nooks and crannies" in your house, most of those ideas sound like ideas for older (draftier) homes. Read More Here
Vegetables and fruits should not be stored together
Vegetables and fruits should not be stored together even though temperatures and moisture requirements are similar. As fruits such as apples and pears ripen, they give off ethylene gas which decreases the storage life of vegetables. This is especially evident with potatoes which sprout early if stored near certain fruits. Also, the odor of strong smelling vegetables, like turnips and cabbage, can be absorbed by fruits and other vegetables.
Powered by SMALL ROOT CELLAR(BC Ministry of Agriculture)
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Building Plans - Fruit - Vegetable Storage and Greenhouse
Fruit and Vegetable Storage
Refrigerated Bulk Vegetable Storage Wall
Refrigerated Pallet Fruit and Vegetable Storage Wall
Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage
Potato Bin Bulkhead
Bulk Potato Storage with Side Air Plenum
Bulk Potato Storage, 2500 t (2800 tons), 2 Bins
Walk-In Cooler
Fruit and Vegetable Storage Insulation
Tunnel Forced-Air Coolers
Greenhouse Heating Requirements
Greenhouse Ventilation
Two Layer Polyethylene Greenhouse
Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables
![Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables [Paperback]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KAiG1oDyL.jpg)
Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables [Paperback]
When selecting vegetables for storage, discard any unsound produce. This includes immature, damaged or diseased specimens. Also, when using vegetables from storage, check over the produce and discard any showing signs of rot. If allowed to remain, they will affect adjacent sound produce.
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Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike Bubel, Nancy Bubel
Anyone can learn to store fruits and vegetables safely more...0 points
Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables by Andrea Chesman
Nothing tastes better than the seasonal bounty of local more...0 points
The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar: Canning, Freezing, Drying, Smoking and Preserving the Harvest by Jennifer Megyesi
A comprehensive, full-color guide to root cellaring-storing more...0 points
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike Bubel, Nancy Bubel
Anyone can learn to store fruits and vegetables sa more...0 points
Clean Before Eating NOT Storing!
Homestead Series Root Cellar
Vegetarian Recipes
What to do with all those veggies :)
Root Cellar Capital of the World
135 Root Cellars
Elliston, Root Cellar Capital of the World via kwout
Here you can visit and explore the many "root cellars" (approx. 135). At the present time, many cellars remain in use to store vegetables and keep them fresh.
Produce Savers
Extends the shelf life of onions, carrots, garlic, mushroom, potatoes
Keep vegetables fresher longer. Stop throwing away rotten produce. The Healthy Steps Produce Saver bags keep light away from your potatoes and onions preventing them from sprouting. The breathable fabric allows produce to breathe and extends the shelf life of onions, carrots, garlic, mushroom, potatoes and more. Handy drawstring closure provides easy access to vegetables. How to use: Place produce into Produce Saver bag. Tighten drawstring to close bag. Hand wash only. Benefits of eating fresh vegetables: Vegetables as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk associated with strokes and heart disease. Important nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and folic acid are found in many vegetables. Read More Here
Building Barrel Root Cellars
This is a project building small root cellars out of 55 gallon plastic drums.
Cellar with Vegetables, Wine Racks and Beer Barrel
The Complete Root Cellar Book: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
The New Self-Sufficient Gardener
Down to earth way of writing, and practical, useful information
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
Seed to Seed is a complete seed-saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables. This book contains detailed information about each vegetable, including its botanical classification, flower structure and means of pollination, required population size, isolation distance, techniques for caging or hand-pollination, and also the proper methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing the seeds. Read More Here
![Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners [Paperback]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61X6JBNQPQL.jpg)
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners [Paperback]
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation
Preserving Summer's Bounty
Surefire techniques and great recipes for keeping the harvest!
DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle
Guide to Preserving Food
![The Complete Idiot's Guide to Preserving Food [Paperback]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vlpCFVWHL.jpg)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Preserving Food [Paperback]
The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest: 150 Recipes for Freezing, Canning, Drying and Pickling Fruits and Vegetables by Carol W. Costenbader
Remember how grandmother's cellar shelves were pac more...1 point
Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round by Marisa McClellan
Popular food blogger Marisa McClellan takes you th more...0 points
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation by The Gardeners and Farmers of Centre Terre Vivante
Typical books about preserving garden produce nearly more...0 points
Canning and Preserving All-in-One For Dummies by Consumer Dummies
Everything you need to can, preserve, and put up your more...0 points
The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home: Easy Techniques for the Freshest Flavors in Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Relishes, Salsas, Sauces, and Frozen and Dried Fruits and Vegetables by Janet Chadwick
A wonderful thing is happening in home kitchens. People more...0 points
Preserving Summer's Bounty: A Quick and Easy Guide to Freezing, Canning, and Preserving, and Drying What You Grow by Rodale Food Center
Preserving Summer's BountySurefire techniques and great more...0 points
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Preserving Food by Karen K. Brees
You can preserve just about everything-from soup to more...0 points
Canning and Preserving For Dummies by Amelia Jeanroy, Karen Ward
Everything you need to know to can and preserve your more...0 points
Yes, You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-By-Step Guide to Preserving Food by Daniel Gasteiger
Preserving food is hot! The local food movement gains more...0 points
You Can Can!: A Visual Step-by-Step Guide to Canning, Preserving, and Pickling, with 100 Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens) by Better Homes & Gardens
A comprehensive beginner's guide to home canning and more...0 points
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round by Ellie Topp, Margaret Howard
The easiest and safest methods for making delectable more...0 points
Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen by Alex Lewin
Preserve your favorite foods through every season with more...0 points
Home Food Systems: Rodale's Catalog of Methods and Tools for Producing, Processing, and Preserving Naturally Good Foods by Roger B. Yepsen
binding in good shape there is creasing , pages cl more...0 points
Introduction to Food Engineering, Third Edition (Food Science and Technology) by R. Paul Singh, Dennis R. Heldman
Food engineering is a required class in food science more...0 points
Food Heroes: 16 Culinary Artisans Preserving Tradition by Georgia Pellegrini
In Food Heroes, Georgia Pellegrini introduces readers more...0 points
Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, drying, cold storage, and lactic fermentation by Farmers & Gardeners of Terre Vivante
Typical books about preserving garden produce near more...0 points
The Everything Canning and Preserving Book: All you need to know to enjoy natural, healthy foods year round (Everything (Cooking)) by Patricia Telesco, Jeanne P Maack
More and more people are beginning to can and preserve, more...0 points
Putting Food By: Fifth Edition by Ruth Hertzberg, Janet Greene, Beatrice Vaughan
The completely updated classic shows you how to stock more...0 points
Trail Food: Drying and Cooking Food for Backpacking and Paddling by Alan Kesselheim
" . . . a book that will appeal to everyone who more...0 points
The Complete Guide to Preserving Meat, Fish, and Game: Step-by-step Instructions to Freezing, Canning, Curing, and Smoking (Back-To-Basics Cooking) by Ken Oster
For more than 8,000 years humans have been preserv more...0 points
Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners by Jean Ann Van Krevelen
Can You Survive Without a Grocery Store? It has been more...0 points
Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide by Carol Hupping
The most comprehensive, up-to-date guide to harvesting, more...0 points
Independence Days: A Guide to Sustainable Food Storage & Preservation by Sharon Astyk
Hard times aren't just coming, they are here already. more...0 points
Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving (2009 Revision) by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Practical, easy-to-follow guide contains virtually more...0 points
The Art of Preserving (Williams-Sonoma) by Rick Field, Rebecca Courchesne, Lisa Atwood
Can't resist that flat of fresh berries? What to make more...0 points
The Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home: Everything You Need to Know about Preparing, Storing, and Consuming Dried Foods (Back to Basics) by Terri Paajanen
Food dehydration is not just for prunes and raisin more...0 points
Making & Using Dried Foods by Phyllis Hobson
Dry and store fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and more...0 points
Table of Contents
- Build Your Own underground Root Cellar
- Root cellars must have ventilation!
- I like this one - Simple and elegant
- Root Cellar storage requirements
- Do not allow fruits and vegetables to freeze.
- Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
- Vegetables and fruits should not be stored together
- Aphids eating your tomato leaves?
- Building Plans - Fruit - Vegetable Storage and Greenhouse
- Made Me Smile
- Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables
- Clean Before Eating NOT Storing!
- Homestead Series Root Cellar
- Vegetarian Recipes
- Root Cellar Capital of the World
- Produce Savers
- Building Barrel Root Cellars
- A Classic
- Cellar with Vegetables, Wine Racks and Beer Barrel
- The Complete Root Cellar Book: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes
- The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
- The New Self-Sufficient Gardener
- Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
- Fruit Scramble
- Grow An Interesting Herb Garden
- Preserving Summer's Bounty
- DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle
- Root Cellar Bus!
- Guide to Preserving Food
- Root Cellar Love?
Totally Free Commercial Use Images - The Ultimate Photo Resource Guide
Do you need images for your Squidoo page, blog or web site? Below I have list 50 of the very best places to get totally free photos.
Tools For Squidoo Lensmasters
I am all about saving time while making lenses, so here is my collection of tools I use to assist me in making lenses.
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RuralFloridaLiving
May 12, 2012 @ 11:36 am | delete
- I always loved root cellars. They work so well for storing food.
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Storytutor
May 10, 2012 @ 11:45 pm | delete
- Beautifully presented.
-
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