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Keep your produce fresh this winter using these DIY root cellar methods
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Your garden has come in and the bounty of it has been dispersed to family and friends. However, you still have more produce than you can consume. What to do? You can process some of it in a pressure canner or freeze it. Some vegetables, though, and a few fruits do not do well canned or frozen. Perhaps it is time to build an underground root cellar.

  1. Keep these three details in mind and the cellar can be built using just about any method.[1]
    • Building material options include native stone, concrete cinder blocks, earth-packed tires or cedar logs for walk-in root cellars. The most common of these is to use concrete cinder blocks. This material is readily available from a DIY store.
  2. [2]
    • Use a fiberglass water tank. These will be easy to modify and bury.
    • Bury a 50 gallon (189.3 L) plastic drum in the ground.
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  3. Ideally, this would be on a hill side facing north and limiting exposure to the opening of the cellar.[3]
  4. Ten feet (3.05 meters) is even better.
  5. One pipe must enter the root cellar low to the floor to let cool air in, and the other one needs to be near the ceiling to vent out hot air.[4]
    • The vent pipes will need to be screened to keep out pests and to protect the produce from weather that is too cool or too warm. Remember, cool air settles and warm air rises.
    • Ventilation is also important to remove ethylene gases that fruit and vegetables produce as they ripen. Venting ethylene gases slows down the ripening process.
    • The door to the root cellar plays a double roll -- to keep the varmints and unwanted visitors out and to keep the cool air in.
    • Most root cellars have 1 door at the surface and a second at the wall that opens to the root cellar (if this exists). This entry way acts as a little extra insulation in the form of dead space to keep the cool air in.
  6. Either one can be wet down to help raise the humidity when you need it.[5]
  7. Metal transmits heat, warming up faster that wood. Wood helps you keep the temperature more in control as a result.
  8. This will help you to track how effective these numbers are and reflect the best way to maintain your root cellar.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Would a sea-land container work as a root cellar?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, make sure to read about burying it directly and the issues with weight on top.
  • Question
    What should the ideal temperature be in a root cellar?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The ideal temperature is between 32°F and 40°F. Any colder or warmer than that will damage the food inside.
  • Question
    Is it possible to build one if you have no hill?
    Peyton Schmiege
    Peyton Schmiege
    Community Answer
    You don't need a hill and can simply make an underground ramp. The ramp will access the door and allow it to be submerged.
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Tips

  • Verify with local authorities that there are no underground utilities that might conflict with the excavation.[6]
  • Check your local building codes and homeowner's regulations to make sure there isn't a conflict with your root cellar. It would be a shame if you had to undo all that work because you didn't have a permit or build it to code.
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Warnings

  • Always set back the sides of the hole on a slope when excavating in order to prevent you from being trapped in a cave in.
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Things You'll Need

  • Concrete cinder blocks - optional
  • Cedar logs - optional
  • Earth-banked tires - optional
  • Native stone - optional
  • Fiberglass water tank - optional
  • 50 gallon (189.3 L) plastic drum - optional
  • PVC pipe
  • Temperature and humidity gauges
  • Gravel or concrete for floor
  • Wooden shelves

About This Article

Murphy Perng
Co-authored by:
Certified Wine Consultant
This article was co-authored by Murphy Perng. Murphy Perng is a Wine Consultant and the Founder and Host of Matter of Wine, a business that produces educational wine events, including team-building experiences, networking events, and private parties. Based in Los Angeles, California, Murphy has served as a Wine Educator for clients such as Google, Buzzfeed, Tiktok, Snapchat, and Equinox and been featured on National Geographic and The Somm Journal. Murphy possesses her WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Advanced Certification. This article has been viewed 259,270 times.
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Co-authors: 11
Updated: October 1, 2024
Views: 259,270
Categories: Basements and Cellars
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 259,270 times.

Reader Success Stories

  • Ruth Teerlink

    Ruth Teerlink

    May 5, 2016

    "The pictures! I am such a visual person, and to see how it is done is great!"
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