Don’t forget to add a root cellar to your self sufficient home

Posted by Kevin Quinlan ADD COMMENTS

A functional homestead will include some type of basement area. With a basement area, you can convert some, or all of it, into a root cellar. Creating a root cellar is not as hard as you might think, and it will definitely be worth the investment!

What is a root cellar?

A root cellar is a place where you can conveniently store certain types of perishable foods. There are certain foods that you will grow that can’t be saved through more traditional methods, such as canning or freezing. Things such as onions, potatoes, beets, turnips, and even carrots can easily be preserved in a root cellar so that you have access to these delicious foods year round.

How does a root cellar work?

The temperature in a root cellar is much lower than the temperature of your house. This is because root cellars are typically dug deep into the dirt under your home. With the depth of the dirt, the sun can’t penetrate and the temperature is kept low. The temperature never gets cold enough to destroy your valuable foods because the dirt acts as insulation and provides protection from the cold.

Will my root cellar flood?

There are some cases where root cellars can be prone to flooding. In these types of scenarios, you will want build a root cellar that has an elevated floor. This will protect your foods if the rain happens to flood the basement of your home.