Update on your root cellar...

[glen hartle]

Good morning :)

I just watched a video of your root cellar construction of a few years back and am planning my own. I was wondering if you had any updates or improvements or changes you would have made now that yours has been in use for a while...

Glen

[Prof. Kent]

Glen,
The exterior wall of the root cellar is not insulated. Last winter there was frost 1/2" thick on the blocks and and 1" thick on the doorknob after weeks of nights below -10"F temperatures. Canned fruit in jars on shelves near the center and back of the cellar did not freeze. I am sure they would have if they had been placed near the door. So the door/wall needs to be insulated. We plan on adding a second door or adding insulation to the existing interior of the door. Electrical (lights) would be nice but cellar is 200 feet away from the house. We use stick-on battery powered lights. Other than that it has worked extremely well in preserving apples. I didn't make applesauce from my apples until January and they didn't freeze in the cellar.

- Kent