The idea of moving to the country, living off the land, growing your own food, and choosing to live more sustainably are ideas that are gaining traction in today's world. There are a few people actually doing this and, while some people are only dreaming of changing the way they live, an even larger number are actively taking steps toward accomplishing these goals in their own backyards. If you are reading this book you probably fall into any one of these categories.
Deciding to grow some of your own food or choosing to buy bulk items for processing are great reasons for having a root cellar or other cold storage areas. The root cellar offers a practical place to store your fruits and vegetables during the winter months, allowing you to bring fresh, healthy foods to the table while saving money on your grocery bills. Traditional underground root cellars are easy to construct; the soil offers natural insulation and maintains the proper temperature and humidity needed for keeping stored foods fresh over several months.
If you are interested in learning about root cellaring, storing, canning, freezing, and drying some of your own foods, this book has some great tips and information to help you get started. The book is divided into chapters focusing on specific topics so you can find what you need quickly and easily. Feel free to jump from chapter to chapter as you come up with questions while you go through the process of building, maintaining, and filling your root cellar with stored fruits, veggies, and preserves.
If you do not want to or are not yet ready to construct a root cellar, this book also offers some great suggestions for finding unconventional cold storage areas in your own home. Don't hesitate to get started no matter where you live, how big of a garden plot you have, or how much food you want to store. Just canning a few jars of pickles or salsa and storing them in your pantry can be a great accomplishment for a beginner.
There is no better reward than going into your root cellar in the middle of January and pulling out some veggies and fruit for your evening meal that you placed there in the fall. Can you imagine the joy of opening a jar of preserves and tasting the fresh sweetness of the fruits you picked months before? Give root cellaring a try, and you will never want to go back to buying all of your produce from a store's shelves!