Given that January is winter-time, it may seem silly to some to talk about keeping food cool should there be power-outages which interrupt refrigeration. But if you think about the typical weather in January, temperatures can be anywhere between -10F and +65F -- remember the term "January thaw"? Fluctuations between night and day can cause successive freezing and thawing day after day.

These are hardly the conditions under which to keep food safe. Most refrigerators run from the low 40's down to just above freezing. Freezers hold food well under freezing, and they stay there steadily not permitting thawing and refreezing, which can allow dangerous bacterial growth.

A Root Cellar at Walden I dug my cellar in the side of a hill sloping to the south, where a woodchuck had formerly dug his burrow, down through sumach and blackberry roots, and the lowest stain of vegetation, six feet square by seven deep, to a fine sand where potatoes would not freeze in any winter. The sides were left shelving, and not stoned; but the sun having never shone on them, the sand still keeps its place. It was but two hours' work. I took particular pleasure in this breaking of ground, for in almost all latitudes men dig into the earth for an equable temperature. Under the most splendid house in the city is still to be found the cellar where they store their roots as of old, and long after the superstructure has disappeared posterity remark its dent in the earth. The house is still but a sort of porch at the entrance of a burrow. Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Should there be interruptions in normal refrigeration/freezing, how can one practically keep food in safe storage? Well, what did your parents and grandparents do before the refrigerator was born? Chances are they did as people did for generations: they put food by for the winter in the then-ubiquitous root cellar or cold room. Even earlier than that, food was stored in pits, piled in heaped mounds insulated with staw or the like.

For many of us, pits and mounds may seem extreme measures, though certainly do-able if desired. But if you look in your house, or around your outbuildings if they were built before the age of modern refrigeration, there may still be vestages of a cold room or root cellar which you could easily use. And even if not, there may be a space like a closet, garage, shed, or a poorly-insulated room easily adapted to this purpose.

A Forgotten Art Easily Rediscovered
Many of us have never learned the ways of keeping a root cellar, or if we had, we have forgotten for years of using modern refrigeration techniques. But it is certainly not difficult if you keep a few things in mind. Most (but not all) fruits and vegetables like temperatures between 32-42F, pretty high humidity (80-90%) and low light (yes, the bulb in your fridge DOES go out when you close the door!). Additionally, since they are somewhat alive, fruits and veggies metabolize and give off heat and gases and therefore storage areas need some ventilation. Ventilation is also the way generally one controls temperature -- too hot air going out, and needed cool air coming in.

Additionally, cheeses and eggs can be kept in storage in this manner. And in drier conditions than enjoyed by most fruits and vegetables, seeds, grains and nuts may be stored, discouraging both spoilage and insect proliferation. And if you know how to do it properly, a smoked joint of meat, sausages or bacon can, too. However, it is not suggested an inexperienced person do this as these items can carry risk of illness if incorrectly prepared or stored.

Learning More
For specifics on where to locate your storage area, any modifications to it needed, what types and condition of fruits and vegetables store best, ask an older relative or neighbor for guidance as they may have experience to lend. Also, there are a variety of helpful books and websites available on the subject, some of which we list here (all these are in our public library).

Root cellaring: the simple no-processing way to store fruits and vegetables. Mike & Nancy Bubel, Rodale Press, 1979.

Making your summer garden last all year. Patricia Shannon Kulla, Lyceum Books, 1975

Preserving summer's bounty: a quick and easy guide to freezing, canning, preserving, and drying what you grow. Susan McClure ed. Rodale Press, 1998.

Walton Feed's The Root Cellar Webpage (contains a lot of the Bubel info above)