Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Root Cellar Creation: Part 7

Jeremy said, “The cellar is mostly done. Let us now bring in crates and boxes of root vegetables. And let us bring in more shelving and also store all of our canned items. And we shall also provide a shelf for the family’s food.” And Aimee said, “It’s about time!” And it was so.


(onion crate under construction)

And Jeremy and Aimee said unto the fruits and vegetables, “Be happy fruits and veggies! Don’t even think about withering or rotting or spoiling or multiplying (potatoes!) - or it’s out to the compost bin for you!”




(southeast corner with family's apples, potatoes, and other goodies)



(northeast corner with our canned goods and apples)



(lots of canned food!)



(bins and boxes with carrots, turnips, potatoes, onions, flour, etc)



(some of our cool old wooden crates)

One or two evenings and mornings passed, and it was the seventh step done. Aimee and Jeremy looked around the cellar with pride and satisfaction and saw that it was good.

The lights were turned off and the door was closed, leaving the cellar pitch black - except the bit of light that filtered down through the damper.



And then, instead of resting, Jeremy said, “Now, let us build a chicken coop!”

7 comments:

  1. Of course you wouldn't rest! I love this series and I look forward to seeing what else you two come up with!

    --Ashley

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  2. Thanks Ashley! It was fun putting this together, and such a relief to finally consider the root cellar done! Although, I suppose it will never really be done. There is still a little bit of work to do on and we'll probably re-white-wash each year and maybe build better shelving in the future.

    We certainly have other fun things coming up - though I don't know when the chicken coop will get under way. We still don't have a place to put one!

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  3. Yeah, weird huh? It started in a bit of darkness (at least dusty and cobwebby and cluttered), then it got clean and really bright, then it got dark...and cold. That's root cellar creation for you. =)

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  4. It's like the undoing of all of God's creation...

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  5. Thank you so much for posting these root cellar stories! I have a very similar basement, and need to do the same.

    Where did you get the various ideas, like the window replacement? I've never seen that before. Brilliant!

    Also, thanks so much for the link to http://www.schererbros.com/ I've lived here in S. Mpls for 10 years, and I'd never heard of them.

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  6. Hi Allochthon, we looked at a number of resources:

    Stocking Up: How to Preserve the Foods You Grow, Naturally, published in 1973; a document we found online called Storing Vegetables at Home by H.C. Harrison; and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

    My husband thinks he got the window idea from the NCHFP, but I didn't see it there. So who knows! It was two years ago. =) It might have been in the HC Harrison document, that was the most helpful one - just do a google search.

    and - you're welcome!

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