There are many different kinds of root cellars, but the concept is the same. The food storage is located below the surface of the ground where the temperature is cooler and more evenly regulated. Before the refrigerator, root cellaring was the only way to preserve the harvest and provide a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the winter months. Here's become successful at root cellaring.
Instructions
1. Study the temperature and humidity requirements for individual fruits and vegetables at the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences of the University of Illinois website. Some foods require a higher temperature or a different humidity for optimum storage, and the way you store them can make a difference in their shelf life.
2. Find ways to control the climate in your root cellar. Excess humidity is present when moisture collects on walls and ceilings and can quickly cause food spoilage if not corrected. During the cooler months, opening the door or vent at night and closing it during the day is one way to keep the cellar cool and reduce humidity. Covering food with dry burlap bags or towels can also absorb some of the moisture in the air. If the air becomes too dry, dampening burlap bags or packing root vegetable in wet sawdust helps increase humidity.
3. Determine which foods shouldn't be stored close together. Some foods affect others, such as potatoes and apples. Unless you wrap apples individually or cover them, potatoes transfer a moldy taste to them. Apples also give off more ethylene gas than some other foods and can cause premature ripening of tomatoes, pears and peaches.
4. Have a supply of clean wooden crates, cardboard boxes, fruit baskets or barrels to store foods that need a dryer environment. Wrap some foods in newspaper individually, store others in bulk and examine your food periodically to check for spoilage. Having an assortment of containers allows you to store your food on shelves and avoid over packing.
5. Sort food frequently and check for spoilage. Once fruits or vegetables begin to spoil, the ones in close contact deteriorate very quickly. Remove any blemished or spoiled items as soon as possible and rotate your food just as you would in your cupboard, using the older foods first.
6. Learn by trial and error. Once you get to know your root cellar and all of its idiosyncrasies, it'll become easier to control the environment, and you'll have more success preserving your food.
Tags: your food, fruits vegetables, your root cellar, burlap bags, check spoilage
