Simple Ways to Store Food Longer, Even Without a Root Cellar

By Jawad, Time Saver Labs

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Before every home had a fridge and a freezer, people still kept food through long winters. They used cool corners of the house, salt, vinegar, drying and a bit of planning. A lot of those ideas still work today, and they help you waste less food and spend less.

Here's how to use them in a normal home.

Find the coolest spot you have

Most produce keeps longer somewhere cool, dark and dry. That could be a closet on an outside wall, under the stairs, a garage that doesn't freeze, or a cupboard away from the oven. Use it for potatoes, onions, garlic, squash and apples.

One thing to remember: keep potatoes and onions apart. Stored together, they both tend to spoil faster.

A root cellar without a basement

You don't need to dig one. A few simple versions:

1. A bucket or bin in sand. Layer carrots or beets in damp sand in a bucket, and keep it somewhere cool.
2. A buried container. If you have a yard, a clean trash can or barrel buried most of the way into the ground, with a lid and some straw on top, keeps root vegetables cool through winter.
3. An unheated room. A spare room or porch that stays cold but above freezing works for squash, apples and cabbage.

Dry what you can

Herbs dry well hung upside down in small bunches somewhere warm and airy. Fruit like apples can be sliced thin and dried in a low oven. Dried food takes very little space.

Pickle the extras

A quick pickle needs vinegar, water, salt and a jar. Cucumbers, onions, carrots and green beans all work. It's a good way to save a glut from the garden or vegetables that are close to turning.

Freeze smart

Blanch vegetables like green beans and broccoli in boiling water for a minute or two before freezing. They keep their texture much better. Freeze herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays.

Want to go deeper?

Two books cover this in much more detail. The Self-Sufficient Backyard has whole sections on root cellars and preserving everything you grow. The Lost SuperFoods focuses on old time foods that keep for a long time without refrigeration, with recipes and step by step methods.

And my free guide below has 25 easy ways to cut your grocery bill to go with it.

Food safety note: when pickling, canning or storing food long term, follow tested methods and throw out anything that smells or looks off.