How To Build A Secret Root Cellar For Meat | Updated

The Perfect Survival Solution For Meat Storage And More!

Before refrigeration, there was no root cellar for meat, except a structure built underground or partially underground to store food.

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Table of Contents

• The Perfect Survival Solution For Meat Storage And More!
• How To Construct A Secret Root Cellar For Meat?
  • How To Keep Your Root Cellar For Meat Cool?
  • Get My Magic Pill Report To Start Your Own Home-Based Business!

When modern homesteaders think of a root cellar, they don’t automatically think of storing meat in it.

Basically, any root cellar can do the job of keeping various food supplies at a low temperature and steady humidity, which is why I have decided to start storing meat without refrigeration.

There may come a time when modern homesteaders are forced to go off the grid, so let’s get prepared.

Since a root cellar keep food from freezing during the winter, and keep food cool during the summer months to prevent spoilage, it is the perfect solution to preserving meat without refrigeration.

Although fresh meat can be stored in the root cellar, I intend to store salt meat, dried meat, canned meat and venison.

I have never tried to keep fresh meat without refrigeration, so I would not feel safe adding it to my long-term root cellar for meat storage, just yet.

The secondary use for your root cellar is storing all those vegetables you harvested such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, beet roots, onions, winter squash, and cabbage.

Jared preserves, jams, vegetables and fruits, water, bread, butter, milk, cream, and salad greens can be stored, too.

And, what better place to store Naked Wines (afflink) or other home-made alcoholic beverages.

My research revealed that a separate cellar is recommended for storing apples because they produce ethylene gas that other fruits may be sensitive too, which could speed up the ripening process, thus cause it to rot.

How To Construct A Secret Root Cellar For Meat?

Why the secrecy?

It’s just an option.

Today, root cellars are often attached to houses for easy access, though it can take some effort to create a cold basement or crawl space corner.

The best method is to use the foundation walls on the northeast corner for two sides (if possible).

If it’s a crawl space, dig down into the ground (if it is completely dry) for head clearance and access via a trap door or walk in.

Water can seep into a basement from elevated places nearby, such as a raised driveway, therefore, I would seek an alternative construction method if your basement or crawl space is damp or has moisture problems.

Build the other two walls in the basement with stud and board.

Insulate the interior walls, ceiling, and door (and any pipes or ducts) to keep the heat out.

Ensure there is a ventilation system that allows cool, fresh air from the outside to be brought into the root cellar and stale air to be exhausted out.

Using a window air conditioner is fine until you need to go off grid.

Then what?

Using a generator is very temporary, too.

If you already have a basement or crawl space like my house, you can easily retrofit it for a root cellar.

Here’s my plan.

My crawl space has two separate doors on opposite ends of the house.

I plan to put my root cellar for meat in the crawl space corner under the laundry room where it is already bricked inside with blocks and a brick exterior.

All it needs is an interior dividing wall and a small insulated door.

Add flooring, ceiling and wall insulation to keep cool air in and humidity out.

Install a cooling system, shelves and it’s ready to rock.

I will point out that it won’t have any head clearance, which means I won’t be able to stand up.

But for all intents and purposes, it will meet my need for ‘secrecy’.

How To Keep Your Root Cellar For Meat Cool?

You will create the best atmosphere in your root cellar for meat by considering the following:

• Complete temperature stability is reached about 10 feet deep.
• Don’t dig a root cellar near a large tree; the tree’s roots can be difficult to dig through, and they will eventually grow and crack the cellar walls.
• Inside, wooden shelving, bins, and platforms are the norm, as wood does not conduct heat and cold as rapidly as metal does.
• Air circulation is critical for minimizing airborne mold, so shelves should stand 1 to 3 inches away from the walls.
• Every root cellar for meat needs a thermometer and a hygrometer (to measure temperature and humidity, respectively), which should be checked daily, if possible.
• Heat is usually regulated using ventilation to the outside or an exhaust pipe (usually to allow cold air in, often on fall nights to get the temperature down).

Original photos to present visual ideas of pre-construction, post-construction, and the finished cellar were lost–my apology.

But, I have a better idea to keep your root cellar cold that you can easily visualize.

Turn an off-the-shelf digital air conditioner into a walk-in cooler compressor.

Transform an insulated room into a walk-in cooler to keep your vegetables, meat, flowers, and other products fresh and thermostatically controlled down to 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

It not only helps you save on installation and repair costs, but also electricity, reducing your operating costs.

It is very easy to install and maintain.

The performance is reported to vary based on room size and size of A/C unit.

Specific air conditioner models recommended are a 5,000 to 8,000 BTU.

What am I talking about?

CoolBot and CoolBot Pro (see ad below).

Eventually, we may have to rely on pie safes, cold pantries, French Fomager, cheese aging cabinet with chicken wire, French meat safe, and food safe. See images here.

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