Brian’s Experiment of Rotting Foodness

The Bosque needs a root cellar!

We don’t use refrigeration, so our menu is planned carefully to use fresh veggies early in the week and save potato soups, beet salads, and long-lasting vegetables for later on.

With a root cellar, we’ll be able to buy vegetables and fruits in season, and store them for a very long period of time.  Carrots that normally last 2 weeks could extend their life-span to 2 months.  Same for potatoes, onions, apples, and most of our other veggies that we buy locally.  We will also be able to store what we grow here at the Bosque.

In preparation for the Great Root Cellar Dig, Brian has done two things:

1.  He bought a book called Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables.  A very comprehensive book, well recommended for those interested in building their own root cellar.

2.  He put fruits and vegetables into three different locations throughout the Bosque to see how well they do in different temperatures.

Location 1: The Black Rock Lodge library.  Currently all of our food storage is in the Lodge.

Location 2: The Bliss Point.  Our best potential location for food storage, cheese aging, beer and wine aging, and mushroom growing.  Cool, dark setting.

Location 3: The Studio.  Our expected worse location for food storage – a test case for rapid spoilage.  Transparent roof means sunlight hits the veggies, and the studio gets quite warm during the day.

Let the experiment begin!  The results will be obvious.  Cooler conditions will slow the rotting of vegetables and fruits.  But, it is always interesting to see it for yourself.

2 comments to Brian’s Experiment of Rotting Foodness

  • Jen B

    Another great old-time food storage technique is what I’ll call a drying cupboard. Essentially it’s a tall narrow cabinet (Typically floor to ceiling), with mesh shelving. There’s an opening for air on the bottom, and another on the top. The design takes advantage of the natural rise of air as it heats to create circulation. Items that can take higher heat levels, such as grains, can be stored at the top of the cabinet, while cooler temps are maintained at the bottom.

    While not as effective at cold-storage as a root cellar, it’s common in older homes in Southern California, and provides a great dry storage location.

  • Marie

    great idea – maybe we will do that in the meantime

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