Before refrigerators were commonplace in American homes, root cellars were the way many families stored their harvested food for the winter. From the 18th century through the early 20th century, root cellars helped preserve potatoes, squash, garlic, carrots, onions, cabbages, kale, beets, Brussel sprouts, apples, and other crops.
Typically a below-ground excavation, the root cellar was usually located adjacent to the house or barn. Sometimes these storage areas were just a few feet square in size, and, other times, they were large enough for an adult to stand in and move around.
This type of cold storage doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. There are many advantages to having an energy-free, low-cost place to store your harvest over the cold weather months. But what if you don’t have a lot of space? Are there any options for cold storage?
Here are 10 root cellar alternatives that really work.
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1. Bury a Trash Can
A buried trash can doesn’t take up much space and serves well as a root cellar. Either a metal or plastic trash can (with a lid) can work, but some homesteaders prefer heavy plastic since metal cans can rust fairly quickly.
First, drill some holes in the bottom of the can. Then, dig a hole large enough to hold the trash can, place the can upright in the hole. Fill in around the can with dirt and straw. Then, layer your root vegetables in the can with straw. Close the can with the lid and more straw and cover the entire area with a tarp.
Here’s a video that shows the easy and inexpensive process:
2. Use a Bucket
You can also go a step easier – and smaller – by burying a five-gallon bucket to use as a root cellar. After digging the right-sized hole for your bucket, follow the same process as with a trash can.
Be sure the bucket has a snug lid and is made of durable plastic (preferably food‑grade). Drill at least two or three drainage/ventilation holes near the bottom to allow cold air exchange and avoid moisture pooling.
Place a layer of coarse gravel or fist‑sized rocks at the bottom of the bucket before adding your straw or burlap layering. This helps prevent root vegetables sitting in damp conditions and encourages airflow, which is crucial for long‑term storage.
Position the bucket so the lid sits slightly below ground level to maintain a consistent cool temperature, and consider adding a short length of PVC pipe from the vents up toward the surface to promote passive ventilation.
Check out these instructions from Mother Earth News. Here’s what it would look like:
3. Sink a Cooler
Another root cellar alternative is to bury an insulated cooler, which has better thermal buffering than a bare bucket. Choose a cooler made of rigid foam or thick plastic, preferably with a gasketed lid.
Dig a hole deep enough to sink the cooler leaving the lid level with or a little below the ground surface, which helps stabilize the temperature. Surround the cooler with 2–3 inches of sand or fine gravel to encourage thermal exchange, then cover the top with straw, boards, or a sod layer for insulation.
Use louvered vents on opposite sides (one lower intake, one higher exit) to assist airflow without forcing cold air out too quickly. Because of the cooler’s insulation, you’ll get slightly slower temperature change and may find your stored produce stays in the 35–45 °F range for longer.
Regularly check for condensation or moisture build‑up in the cooler and remove any damp straw to prevent rot. Watch this video to see how easy the process is:
4. Repurpose an Old Chest Freezer
Or a refrigerator on its side. This alternative root cellar requires a bigger and deeper hole than the previous ideas. Still, it does the double duty of holding your harvest and saving the landfill from another old appliance. Be sure to layer your produce with straw inside the freezer or fridge.
Check out this video for instructions:
5. Build a Pallet Root Cellar
Many businesses give away their leftover pallets. All you have to do is ask. You’ll need six to eight pallets for this project.
Start by selecting pallets in good condition (no broken boards, minimal chemical residues). Lay one pallet flat for the floor in a hole large enough that the pallet floor sits below ground level. Then stand four pallets around as walls and use the remaining pallets for the roof/cover.
Line the interior with heavy‑gauge plastic sheeting to act as a moisture barrier and surround the pallet box with loose earth or additional insulation material. Drill an air intake near the floor and one exhaust near the ceiling to promote steady, passive convective airflow; this helps manage humidity and temperature gradients.
For small families, a pallet root cellar measuring roughly 4’x4’x3’ can store dozens of bushels of squash or potatoes. Because pallets are wood‑slatted, they allow ambient air to circulate while the surrounding soil helps regulate temperature.
You can learn more in this video series. Part one is below:
6. Make a Zeer Pot
People have used clay pots for thousands of years to store food. All you need are two clay pots (one smaller than the other), sand, and duct tape.
A zeer pot operates on the principles of evaporative cooling: the outer porous clay pot is filled with moist sand around the inner pot, and evaporation of water from the sand draws heat away from the inner chamber. In dry climates you can achieve interior temperatures several degrees below the ambient temperature.
To build one, select an unglazed clay outer pot and a slightly smaller inner pot; ensure the outer pot is porous so evaporation can occur. Fill the gap with dry sand, then moisten the sand thoroughly. Place a damp cloth over the inner pot lid and keep the assembly in a shaded, well‑ventilated spot. For best results, re‑wet the sand daily.
Note: the system works best in low‑humidity environments. High relative humidity reduces its chilling effect. This video shows you the steps:
7. Construct a Springhouse
Do you have a creek, spring, or another natural source of running water on your property? Then you have a perfect spot for winter food storage.
A springhouse uses naturally cool, flowing water to maintain a stable low temperature for storage. Build a small enclosed structure over a spring or shallow stream where the water remains near 50 °F year‑round. The structure should have stone or wood walls, a vented door, and shelving above the constant flow of cool water.
Stow root crops in ventilated crates on shelves. The water temperature keeps the air above cool and humid, creating “basement‑grade” conditions without digging. Position the structure on the north side of the water source to minimize solar heating, and include drainage to prevent water from flooding the storage area.
This article details the process. And here’s a video:
8. Make a Storage Clamp
Clamps are holes you dig below frost level, and all you need for this root cellar method is some level ground and some straw to store your harvest. Use hay in between each vegetable and cover each layer with straw. Topping the straw with wood or a tarp can help keep out pests sand moisture.
This video shows how to use this method for potatoes:
9. Store Food in Your Garage or Shed
You also can use your detached garage or outbuilding as a root cellar. The main factors to consider are temperature, humidity, and ventilation.
Look for a corner that stays dark and insulated from direct sunlight. To moderate temperature swings, you can add thermal mass such as placing jugs of water or sandbags around your crates to help buffer heat and cold. Elevate your storage bins off the concrete floor using wooden pallets or boards, which helps reduce condensation and allows air circulation beneath.
If the space tends to get too cold, hang heavy blankets or install a small ventless propane heater with a thermostat to maintain above-freezing temps. On the flip side, if the garage gets too warm during sunny days, consider installing a vent near the ceiling or cracking a window slightly to allow hot air to escape. A digital thermometer/hygrometer combo is an inexpensive way to track conditions.
This article explains the how-tos. And here’s a video of someone using an unheated room in a detached building as a root cellar:
10. Use an Unfinished Basement or Attic
Dark and cool is the best environment for a root cellar, and sometimes you can put a part of your home to work. You can store your produce in wooden crates or cardboard boxes that you place on shelving units in an unfinished basement or attic.
This article offers information on the best temperature ranges and other conditions for this root cellar alternative. And here’s a video of a family that used their basement to store potatoes:
Check Your Stored Veggies Often
You can’t just store your root vegetables and then forget about them until spring. You’ll need to check on them regularly for signs of spoilage.
The sooner you remove a moldy or rotting vegetable or fruit, the better the chance of saving the rest of the stored food. Keep in mind the old adage: “One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel!”
Here are some other tips for root cellar food storage, no matter what methods you use.
- Since you’ll be checking on your veggies throughout the winter, it’s a good idea to choose an easily accessible location.
- Check your produce for damage before you store them. Veggies with nicks and dents in them will spoil more quickly than unblemished ones.
- Fill your root cellar as late in the fall as possible.
- Chilling your produce in the refrigerator before putting it in the cellar gives it a leg up in the cold storage process.
- Shake off loose dirt from your fruits and veggies rather than washing dirt off before storage.
- Mark your spot. Leaves or snow can make finding your alternative root cellar a challenge. Use a metal plant stake or another weather-resistant marker to help you find your stash.
- Root cellars may not be an option in some warm, humid environments. The cellar must be able to hold a temperature of 32 degrees to 40 degrees and a humidity level of 85 to 95 percent.
- Areas with a high water table or a nearby septic system are not suitable locations for root cellars.
- Choose a root cellar location that is a good distance away from a large tree. Not only can tree roots be hard to dig through, but growing roots can crack the cellar walls.
- It’s a good idea to use both a thermometer and a hygrometer to measure temperature and humidity in your cellar on a frequent basis.
For more information on root cellars and how to get the best results from your cold storage system, you might want to consider this book: Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mark Bubel and Nancy Bubel. The easy-to-understand guide offers advice for building a root cellar and storing food for the best results.
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