How to Create a Very Simple Do-It-Yourself Root Cellar

Preserving the harvest

Backyard gardening isn’t just practical, it’s downright exciting! Imagine pulling fresh carrots or crisp apples out of the ground in the middle of a Maine winter. Pretty amazing, right? The tricky part, of course, is keeping all that goodness from spoiling once harvest season hits. That’s where a root cellar swoops in like a secret food‑saving superhero.

Think of root cellaring as nature’s refrigerator. No fancy gadgets, no sky‑high electric bills—just the earth doing what it does best: keeping things cool and fresh. And the best part? You don’t need to dig a Hobbit‑sized tunnel to make it happen. A simple galvanized trash can (or even a plastic 55‑gallon drum) can transform into your very own underground pantry.

Curious how it works? Check out this YouTube video, Building Barrel Root Cellars, which shows an easy way to install a plastic root cellar:

With harvest season in full swing, now’s the perfect time to give root cellaring a try. Picture yourself next spring, still enjoying those crunchy veggies you tucked away months ago. It’s like a little time capsule of flavor waiting for you underground!