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ROOT CELLARS:A
HOMESTEADER'S GUIDANCE
A root cellar is a must for any latitude, even in the
far south where temperatures within it may not reach ideal levels between
32 and 40 degrees F. The fact is, even under the warmest climate conditions,
the colder you can keep any food (with few exceptions), the longer it will
last. Even if some manage to equip their shelters with refrigerators and
freezers, they can not be sure that they'll have the electricity to run
them? Therefore, for bulk storage under unreliable tribulation circumstances,
a large root cellar or two is the wisest choice. If they can keep food
edible
for even a month longer than the case would be without them, cellars will
be indispensable additions to all our efforts. Include at least one in
your plans like you would include your food, because much of your food
will depend upon it.
A root cellar and a cold cellar are the same
thing. If there is a difference, it would merely be that root cellars are
often separate units from a house, often dug into the side of a hill and
buried fully on three sides except for the front. Also, a root cellar does
not usually have, as basement cold cellars do, a concrete floor. The main
purpose of a root cellar is to keep fresh vegetables fresh as long as possible
into the winter or spring months. Therefore, it calls for a high humidity
of 80%- 90% in order to keep vegetables from losing their moisture and
shriveling up. A damp soil floor provides this condition best. A concrete
floor will provide a lower humidity, but this is a better condition for
some vegetables. Some root cellars wisely include two rooms, one with,
and one without, a concrete floor. When storing dried vegetables, they'll
need the driest and coldest conditions possible, which is why a root cellar
will have importance far beyond its ability to keep fresh vegetables. Although
a root cellar is not by any means dry, with or without a concrete floor,
it's cool temperatures will make it an ideal place for dried foods if they
can be stored in air-tight containers or bags.
Therefore, if some of us are destined to be in arid
lands where humidity is low and soils are dry, make sure to build a root
cellar anyway. Though fresh vegetables and fruits won't go as far in them,
dried ones will more than make up for the fact. And since the arid regions
are ideal for drying foods in the sun, there will be plenty of dried foods
to store in a root cellar.
While the ideal root-cellar combination for fresh
foods is low temperature and high humidity, the worst situation is not,
as we might first expect, high temperatures and low humidity. The worst
would be high temperatures and high humidity because this combination is
best for nurturing bacteria, molds and yeasts. Therefore, in the ideal
conditions, the valued high-humidity factor is actually best for the growth
of infectious micro-organisms. However, there is a trade-off because humidity
maintains freshness, and freshness is important to the modern consumer.
Low temperatures (above freezing) are then needed to counter the bacteria/mould
problems created by high humidity. If we dropped the humidity level somewhat
and sacrificed some freshness in the process, the rot factor would be reduced
also, creating a better survival situation, in my opinion. Indeed, the
best combination for dealing with rot becomes low temperatures and low
humidity, where at 32 degrees F. and zero humidity we would net rot-free,
albeit, completely dried (shriveled) foods. Although nature does not provide
zero humidity conditions in any region, very low levels of water in cellar
air would be just fine if we take into consideration that shriveled foods
can always have their water re-instated during cooking or soaking. But
so what if an apple shrinks some? The only thing it will lose is water,
but the nutrients and the edibility, which are of utmost importance to
us, are not affected. When we are hungry, safe-to-eat shriveled foods will
taste
mighty awesome! Understand that there is a difference between infected
and shriveled.
Now, I'm not trying to suggest that you aim for shriveled
foods. The point I want to make is that not all is lost if a cellar has
fairly high temperatures and low humidity, as would be the case in Texas.
The rotting induced by the higher temperatures will be offset to a point
by the lower humidity. Great root-cellar difficulties lie in hot southern
states where regional humidity is also high. Unrefrigerated food storage
in these areas will be difficult in most months of the year, and this might
be reason enough to spend the tribulation elsewhere. However, don't take
my word alone for it; research the possibilities yourself.
For hot, dry regions like western Texas--if you
are after freshness for garden produce--you'll want to expolit as much
soil dampness as possible so that you don't want concrete floors. Indeed,
having no walls at all would net maximum humidity, but be aware of the
problems. A mere hole in the ground to act as a root cellar will allow
rodents to get in and seize your treasures. If you could properly drape
chicken wire on the soil walls, that might keep them out. You can always
carry your own water into the cellar and dampen the soil.
If you want a dry cellar for dried foods, a cheaper
and easier alternative to stone or concrete walls is plywood and wood studding.
To keep rodents with sharp teeth out, metal screening tacked to the plywood,
and overlapped a good distance at the joints, would work fine. To keep
the plywood from rotting, it should be sealed with an exterior-grade varathane
or a coat of hard-drying tar. Take precautions with the toxic chemicals
in pressure-treated plywood. By using the studding method, you can easily
insulate (between some, or all, studs) if it becomes necessary to altar
humidity/temperature. You might buy the insulation and install it anyway,
whether you think you'll need it or not, as you can always take it out
at will, but you won't likely be able to buy it in the tribulation. The
only drawback to this method is that water may get in through the joints
of the plywood, especially at ground level. Heap dirt above/around it so
that rain water drains away and no pools form nearby. Figure a way to seal
the plywood joints and don't treat this job with too little care. Standing
water in your cellar will spoil food sitting on the floor and will be a
major headache to deal with. If you caulk the studs at the joints before
applying the plywood to them, then caulk directly in the joints afterwards,
and finally adhere a 4-inch wood strap to each joint using the caulk as
a glue, you should be water-tight for the few years that you'll need the
cellar. But frost can do a lot of damage, so screw, rather than nail, the
plywood to the studs to prevent joints from opening, and while you're at
it, screw the 4-inch straps to the studs.
To avoid freezing of cellar foods, build a pantry over
the root cellar, and let the pantry be larger by a few feet all around;
the more northerly the location, the further out from all cellar walls
it should span. Keep in mind that this will also keep the root cellar drier,
which may or may not be what you want, and that it will help keep rodents
out, which is exactly what you want. Indeed, the size of the over-head
pantry (or whatever else you want to call the structure) as it relates
to the root-cellar dimensions will affect the cellar in various ways. Apart
from mimimizing frost and rain moisture, it will reduce the heat from the
sun's rays, which, in most cases, is what you want. Whereas the soil around
the cellar may receive less rain moisture, whatever moisture it does get
will dry less quickly since the sun's heat will also be kept a distance
from that soil, while the over-head pantry floor will reduce the evaporation
of soil water even further.
Create a perfectly flat ceiling in the cellar. The
more protrusions there are in building materials (i.e. joists and beams),
the more area there will be for condensation to form. This means more drips
and puddles on your shelves and in your food baskets. You want humidity
for fresh vegetables, yes, but in the air, not pools in the containers.
If your ceiling or roof structure is wood beams or rafters, nail unfinished
plywood (definitely not pressure-treated) to the inside of them. Leave
it natural, and clean it up so that whatever drips you do get won't come
with unwanted germs.
The root cellar needs temperature control pipes,
which are a simple matter to install. Because hot air rises, put an exhaust
pipe 6 inches in diameter at the top of the room, going straight out the
ceiling into the pantry. Screen the top of the pipe to keep flies and mice
out, and add a dust cover suspended an inch or two above the screen. A
second pipe for intake through a wall near the floor will allow
cold air to come in as hot air rises out the exhaust pipe. Since the location
of the intake pipe's hole in the wall will be underground, the pipe will
need to rise to the atmosphere above the surface of the ground. Of course,
this pipe must reach the atmosphere outside the pantry. Put an elbow
on the end of this exterior pipe (but don't glue it on) and point it north
to receive the coldest air currents when you need them. Turn the elbow
away from the north if you need to warm things up in the cellar, or if
you need winds from other directions for cooling. But don't plug it for
long periods because you need the constant air circulation in the cellar
to remove air-borne molds. When you build shelving, do not let the back
of shelves contact the cellar walls, as this restricts air circulation
around shelves and promotes molds on foods. Leave a 3-inch gap.
Some root cellars are completely buried and must
be entered by stairs. If the cellar is built on the side of a hill, however,
the front wall may be left completely unburied so that it can be entered
without stairs through a standard door. If coolness is a priority, as it
will be in Texas, then bury the cellar completely. A stairwell can be dug
just outside a cellar wall with a landing at the bottom, where an insulated
door can be installed leading into the cellar. Alternatively, the stairs
may lead directly into the cellar with a door on the ceiling/roof.
Much of the information I am using here is from
the book, "ROOT CELLARING" (Mike
and Nancy Bubel, Rodale Press). Their latest books can be obtained from
http://www.amazon.com. Though not intended for tribulation survival, I
have been able to get a good bit of pertinent information. The authors
claim that with proper management and air conditions, the following foods
(in the upper latitudes of the US) can be enjoyed in the following months:
"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).
For tribulation survival, it is not necessary that we
have "tender," "savory," and "crisp" vegetables. Therefore, under the same
climatic circumstances, we could have the above-named vegetables one or
two months later and still be pleased. And if this is the sort of success
story that Mike and Nancy got with exposed plants, imagine what we could
do with plastic containers, plastic bags, and dried foods in the same cool
conditions. We should easily be able to sustain ourselves with crops alone
until the next harvest. Yet, we could plan to store foods that last much
longer than vegetables in the first place. In all, the authors say they
could keep 33 different vegetables in open storage, and that spells variety
on top of survival.
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FRESH
FOOD LONGEVITY
It is important to harvest vegetables at their peak,
"neither underdeveloped nor past their prime," for best longevity results
in cold storage. It is also important to treat them all with special care
because the slightest bruising invites molds and bacteria, and these then
spread to others vegetables. As soon as you see a rotting or molding section
of any vegetable, get rid of it. Slice off the bad part and eat the rest,
or throw it into the compost heap. Inspect the foods often.
For trib' survivalists, the longer into the winter
or spring we can eat our produce, the better. Therefore, it is important
to time the harvest at the latest possible date. As well as planting vegetables
as early as possible in the spring to be able to eat them as soon as possible
in late summer or early fall, plant a sizable crop later than usual so
that their peak arrives only in the nick of time before the killing frost.
This late crop will represent your fresh supply of food in winter, so don't
skimp. Plant lots of cool weather crops in this later phase, not
just because they can survive some frost and last longer in the soil than
other vegetables, but because, as any good gardener knows, many cool-weather
crops taste better after frost has nipped them. Among these are parsnips,
salsify, kale, Brussel sprouts, collards, and Chinese cabbage. What's more,
rooted vegetables can safely stay in the ground past the first frosts too.
Every vegetable has its unique period of growth, and you'll need a good
book on gardening to know the lengths of each one in order to time their
harvests as late as you can. Take into consideration that vegetables planted
later will grow slower in the cooler months of fall. Have a garden expert
with you in the tribulation!!! Take him on board for free. (All you Christian
gardeners without money of your own to buy and build a tribulation refuge,
others who are without your skills might give you a room in exchange.)
Some factors in the gardening department add
to storage life. For example, potatoes grown in sandy soils last longer
in storage than those grown in heavy soils. According to studies, both
fruits and vegetables grown in soil with high potash levels store better
and longer than others. Wood ashes, which should be in abundant supply
for most trib' survivors, are a good source of potash. Manure is also a
good source of potassium. So store the ashes all winter long where the
wind won't blow them away, and any manure your animals provide can be collected
at the first thaw, but don't over-dose your garden soil. You might think
that adding plenty of fertilizer is good, but whereas you will get a larger
yield, high levels of nitrogen will increase the rate at which some vegetables
age, even after they've been picked, thus reducing their cellar shelf life.
Therefore, you have the choice between larger vegetables with a reduced
shelf life, or smaller ones with an increased shelf life.
Understand that by adding plenty of nitrogen
to the soil apart from adding plenty of leaves, grass, food scraps, vines,
etc., you're doing more harm than good. The soil's nitrogen content is
required by the bacteria which eat up organic matter, and it is very desirable
if there's an organic target in the soil other than the roots of your vegetables.
As the organic scraps (compost) in the soil are broken down by bacteria,
heat is released. This is the magic pill that makes plants grow. For as
the heat expands in the soil, it forces its way into roots. As it does
so, it pushes along all water and nutrient contents in the soil so that
they too are forced into the roots. The heat-energy then rises up the plants
and propels all water and nutrients to rise with it. The more heat in the
soil, the more water and nutrients enter the root and pass through the
stems, and the bigger and more succulent the plants. Remember this key
for your greenhouse, and keep the soil warm. Elevated tables, off the floor,
are ideal. If there is not enough nitrogen in the soil, or not enough organic
matter, heat production will be stunted, and growth of plants will suffer
accordingly. Don't overdose the soil with fertilizer, or too much heat
will be produced, leading to root burn. If plants take in too much water
in relation to nutrients, they will not last as long in the cellar, stressing
the importance of a garden soil that drains well. Don't over-water. Clearly,
aside from root-cellaring information, you must get a book which discusses
soil preparation, for the two are, surprisingly, related. Many books on
vegetable gardening will include a section on preparing soil.
The whole idea of cold storage is to decrease
the natural metabolism of the food so that it doesn't age itself into mush.
If adding heat causes plants to grow, removing heat causes growth (and
all chemical reactions) to be suspended. Aside from infections, fruits
and vegetables can be destroyed by their natural respiration process, as
the addition of oxygen changes their chemical states into something we
don't care to eat. In some cases, vitamins are also lost with the process.
Blanching (dipping in hot water), or other treatments, will retard/stop
aging. Peas only require one minute in boiling water to stop the aging
process, but corn on the cob needs 10 minutes. Most other veghetables fall
between these two extremes. Blanching is a good way to save foods that
are about to go bad, when no other preservation method is available to
save them. However, if you like fresh carrots and apples as opposed to
cooked, or partially cooked, ones, build yourself an excellent root cellar.
Freezing is fine for some fresh vegetables and destructive
to others (e.g. potatoes). However, you'll want to avoid completely, with
all vegetables, the repeated freezing and thawing that can take place in
root cellars from week to week. Build your cellar so that you can prohibit
freezing if you so desire, but it wouldn't hurt to have a second cellar
where foods are deliberately kept frozen in winter, to be unthawed and
used as desired.
Common fruits like apples, peaches, plums, pears and
tomatoes release ethylene gas in storage, and while small amounts will
not affect other storage foods, it speeds up their aging process somewhat,
not to mention that it makes some vegetables, like carrots, bitter. Keeping
temperatures below 45 degrees F will keep the release of this chemical
to allowable limits, but it is best to store large amounts of these fruits
separately if the longevity of other shelf foods is the goal. If your roots
are sprouting in a cold cellar, this chemical may be the cause.
Cold weather at the garden site at harvest time
is a positive factor because vegetables are prone to store more sugars
and starch and less water in these periods. Having a lower water content,
they are made of more stuff, and this keeps their water content
from evaporating as easily on the shelf. Mike and Nancy suggest leaving
the vegetables in the soil as long as possible by covering them with 12
to 18 inches of mulch (dried leaves, grass, straw, etc.) to keep them from
freezing. As they can be kept in the ground for two to four weeks longer
by this method, not only are they skirting deterioration all the while,
as would be the case on a cellar shelf, but they are storing up more sugars
and starch so that they last longer on that shelf when ultimately they
need to move there.
With so much time on our hands in the tribulation,
there's no reason why we couldn't reap additional benefits by replanting
some vegetables in the cellar, after the winter temperatures become too
hazardous for their outdoor existence. Of course, don't replant them in
the hardened soil floor, but in cases filled with sand or loose soil. This
will keep some rooted vegetables for up to one month longer. Or, you can
simply heap the vegetables on the cellar floor and cover them with damp,
loose soil.
We'll have lots of time to wrap all fresh foods
in water-tight plastic bags or containers, and you'll net crispier carrots
as opposed to rubber ones. To keep cellars fully moist, just hang wet towels
or keep pots of water on the floors. For drastic action, wet the floors.
If there is a layer of loose gravel over a dirt floor, not only will the
water splashed over it evaporate more quickly and for a longer period,
but the floor will be cleaner for the treads of your shoes. Mike and Nancy
bury some vegetables in moist saw dust, and we'll have plenty of that from
chainsaw shavings. They also drape moist cloths over-top of the bushels
or crates of food when needed.
Bring most vegetables and fruits into the root
cellar immediately after harvesting. Some vegetables, however, such as
onions and garlic, need to be dried in the sun for a week before dry
cellar storage. Squash and pumpkins need two weeks in the sun to develop
a hard rind, and they need a warm cellar. Sweet potatoes also need
to be cured. If you didn't know these basic things, then you need an appropriate
book before you spoil your first harvest learning the hard way. Go to amazon.com,
and search for Mike and Nancy Bubel.
Do not clean the vegetables before storage as
this will risk bruising. Leave them covered in a layer of dirt if that
is how they arrive. Shake off large clumps of dirt, of course, but be gentle.
To reduce the clumps, harvest in dry weather. Do not cut the tips of roots
off or slice any parts of perfect vegetables as this will invite bacteria
to form colonies. Cut off most of the leafy stems of root vegetables to
inhibit the escape of water, but leave an inch to keep bacteria from getting
into the tops of roots. The tops of beets and parsnips are themselves edible,
so take advantage.
If 33% or more of the cellar food is spoiling,
something is very wrong. It's likely humidity, temperature, or ventilation
that is the cause. Clear out the cellar air routinely using the intake
and exhaust pipes, even if a temperature change is not needed. This will
remove air-borne molds and other unwanted, invisible creatures. A small
percentage of waste is expected so that we should plan on it by growing
more to offset it. As there will likely be a lack of food in the tribulation,
eat the foods that are spoiling first. Cut out the bad parts, or cook them
if they are merely bruised. You can even make a nice syrup, sauce, or juice
by squeezing any fruit/vegetable that is just beginning to go bad. There
are fewer cases of food poisoning from vegetable-based bacteria, though
dangerous toxins can be produced from some molds. Beware the deadly botulism.
65% who get it don't live through it. This micro-organism grows where oxygen
is absent, and that means there's a chance that every vacuum-packed jar
or plastic wrap might contain it. If the can or lid is bloated, don't eat
it. If it smells bad, don't eat it. If you're going to die, try to die
peacefully.
Make your cellar at least 12 x 12 feet. You might
make two of them that large, side by side, one drier than the other. Remember,
root cellars are keys to survival. Plan on storing enough preserved foods
to live on for one entire year, until the next harvest, and view the fresh
produce as a bonus. Plan twice as much food as you think you'll need, both
as insurance, and in case someone comes knocking on your door for aid.
Consider anyone who comes knocking as your laborer. If they won't work,
why should you feed them?
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The following are root-cellar products that are
best stored in cold and very moist conditions (32-40 degrees F and 90-95%
relative humidity):
Beets, collards, broccoli,
Chinese cabbage, carrots, turnips, radishes, rutabagas, parsnips, Jerusalem
artichokes, celery, salsify, celeriac, parsley, Brussel sprouts, leeks,
and kohlrabi.
The following products do best in the same temperatures
but a slightly reduced humidity (80-90%):
Potatoes, endive, escarole,
cabbage, cauliflower, quince, apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, and grapes.
The following do best in 40-45-degree cellars with a relative
humidity of 85-90%:
Cucumbers, cantaloupe,
eggplant, tomatoes, watermelon, and sweet peppers.
Reduce the temperature and humidity of the following vegetables
(35-40 degrees and 60-70%):
Garlic, onions and green
soybeans in the pod.
The following need high temperatures and lower humidity
(50-60 degrees and 60-70%):
Hot peppers, sweet potatoes,
pumpkins, winter squash, and green tomatoes.
You're not going to have a separate root cellar for every
different category, but you can work around the less-than-ideal conditions
in a number of ways. If the temperature is too cold for some foods, take
them out and put them in the attic or an enclosed porch. You can also section
off the pantry to have two different temperature conditions. Use your wit
to create different places around your house which provide the best possible
endurance conditions for various crops, and don't forget you'll have prayer-power
at God's disposal when all else fails, so long as you make reasonable efforts
of your own.
The following list provides the near upper limits of
preservation times for vegetables kept in their ideal conditions, so long
as they are kept in air-tight wraps or covered with a damp material (saw
dust, towel, dirt, etc.). If you know temperature and/or humidity conditions
will not be ideal, reduce their shelf life accordingly. Remember that they
will often remain edible longer than the times given. Although every case
will not be exactly the same, use this list as a guide for determining
how many vegetables of certain kinds you will plant. For example, the guide
makes it plain that you should plant lots of potatoes and carrots as they
might last 4-6 months, while you wouldn't plant too much broccoli since
it keeps in a good condition only for weeks. Where specific times were
not available, I have entered "long keeper" or "good keeper," and you can
plan on growing lots of these with confidence. Leafy vegetables are not
included as they are generally not good keepers in their fresh states,
not at all meaning that you shouldn't plant any (you can always preserve
them in other ways). Remember also that you can extend the upper limits
by keeping them in the garden longer while protecting them from freezes,
or by replanting them on the cellar shelf/floor. Don't be fooled by writers
who give carrots, for example, a mere 7-14 days in the refrigerator,
even when wrapped in plastic bags. If your not the queen, you can handle
eating carrots after months in a cool spot, and if they are rubbery after
a certain time, you can boil or fry them up to gather in their vitamins.
You can preserve them as relishes in vinegar at any time if you don't like
how they have come to taste in the fresh state, or cook them in broth/stews.
-
Beets 4-5 months
-
Broccoli 1-2 weeks
-
Brussels Sprouts 3-5 weeks
-
Cabbage (long keeper)
-
Chinese Cabbage 1-2 months
-
Carrots 4-6 months
-
Cauliflower 2-4 weeks
-
Celery (long keeper)
-
Chives (not a root-cellar crop)
-
Collards 1-2 weeks
-
Cucumbers 2-3 weeks
-
Eggplant 1-2 weeks
-
Horse Radish (long keeper)
-
Jerusalem Artichokes 1-2 months
-
Kohlrabi (long keeper)
-
Leeks N/A
-
Onions (good keeper)
-
Parsnips 1-2 months
-
Pepper (good keeper)
-
Sweet Potatoes (long keeper)
-
Potatoes 4-6 months
-
Pumpkin (good keeper)
-
Radishes 2-3 months
-
Rutabagas 2-4 months
-
Salsify (good keeper)
-
Soybeans (long keepers)
-
Squash 4-6 months
-
Tomatoes 1-2 months
-
Turnips (long keepers)
A good idea is to get a spare refrigerator in the basement,
and set it to the temperature that you expect your root celler to maintain
in winter, and then do some testing of store-bought fruits and vegetables,
keeping records of how long they last, etc. On a smaller scale, you could
do this in your regular refrigerator.
The following lists give you an idea of how long certain
vegetables can keep in the garden soil before the cold weather demands
their removal indoors. Generally, the less susceptible they are to frost,
the longer you can keep them in the ground past their maximums using a
12-18-inch covering of mulch. You'll need a good book on gardening to tell
you what their maximum outdoor stays should be. If you incorporate a greenhouse
in your tribulation plans, you'll be able to go further into the winter
before shelving vegetables in a root cellar or cool pantry. In fact, a
greenhouse could assure winter-long fresh foods apart from a root cellar,
but don't rule a cellar out of your plans by any means; you never know
if you will always be able to keep the greenhouse warm enough to work.
Very Susceptible to Frost:
Cucumbers, Eggplant,
Lettuce, Squash, Sweet Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pumpkins.
Moderately Susceptible to Frost:
Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage
(young), Carrots, Cauliflower, Escarole, Garlic, Onions, Celery, Spinach,
Parsley, Peas, Radishes.
Least Susceptible to Frost:
Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage
(mature), Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Salsify, Turnips
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