The Root Cellar

       Just before the first frost the men of the farm pulled the turnips and cabbage, dug the potatoes and other vegetables and carried them into the root cellar. The root cellar was built partly above, partly beneath ground. It was walled with brick or stone and earth was heaped around it. A solid roof, sometimes also made of earth, protected the contents from the frost. The proper humidity and temperature were maintained for the perfect preservation of roots until late in the spring. The mixed odors of apples, wet earth, potatoes, and the other fragrant roots were inviting and told an eloquent story of the fruitfulness of the rich earth. There were bins and shelves in the root cellar; the shelves usually held cans of fruits and vegetables and jars of preserves if these were not stored in the cellar beneath the house. Today root cellars are rare. Modern transportation brings an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables to the crossroads grocery and much that was formerly stored as it came from the ground and tree is now processed for canning. Quick freeze units have also had a part in outmoding the root cellar, once indispensable on every farm.

• Return to The Good Old Days

Timelapse Root Cellar Build by Bri From Scratch.