THE
EVERYTHING
ROOT CELLARING
BOOK
Learn to store, cook, and preserve fresh
produce all year round!
Catherine Abbott, author of The Everything
Grow Your Own Vegetables Book
Foreword by Meghan Shinn, Editor,
Horticulture Magazine
Copyright 2011 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
Includes material adapted and abridged from:
The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book by Catherine Abbott, copyright 2010 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-4405-0013-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0013-8.
The Everything Canning & Preserving Book by Patricia Telesco with Jeanne P. Maack, copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-59869-987-3, ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-987-6.
The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook by Nancy T. Maar, copyright 2006 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-59337-581-6, ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-581-2.
The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook by Linda Larsen, copyright 2005 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10:1-59337-323-6, ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-323-8.
The Everything Soup, Stews, & Chili Cookbook by Belinda Hulin, copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10:1-60550-044-5, ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-044-7.
The Everything Soup Cookbook by Jeanne Hanson, copyright 2002 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-58062-556-8, ISBN 13: 978-1-58062-556-2.
ISBN 10: 1-4405-0468-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0468-6
eISBN 10: 1-4405-0469-5
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0469-3
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Abbott, Catherine.
The everything root cellaring book / Catherine Abbott.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4405-0468-6 (alk. paper)
1. Vegetables Storage. 2. Fruit Storage. 3. Root cellars. 4. Food Storage. 5. Cookbooks. I. Title.
TX612.V4A23 2011
641.48 dc22
2010040104
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
THE EVERYTHING ROOT CELLARING BOOK
Dear Reader,
My first book, The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book, was recently published, and I felt the topic of root cellaring and storing food would be the perfect follow-up book. I talked with my mother and other women who are all well into their seventies and eighties when I started writing this book, asking them about their experiences in preserving and storing foods. For them, this had been a necessity. As they grew up and raised their families, preservation techniques had been passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers. Today, we no longer need to rely on our gardens to feed us, and most of the skills and tricks of the trade around root cellaring, canning, and preserving foods are in danger of becoming obsolete.
The good news is there is a current trend toward more of us wanting to return to our roots and live off the land. Maybe we don't need to grow and preserve our own foods, but we want to some of us for our own health or the health of our children, many of us for the health of our planet. Whatever the reason, being able to choose homegrown veggies and fruits from your own root cellar is the only reward you need. So what are you waiting for? Get started now!
Happy root cellaring,
Welcome to the EVERYTHING Series!
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.
You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you're done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!
Answers to common questions
Important snippets of information
Urgent warnings
Quick handy tips
PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITOR Jacob Erickson
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katrina Schroeder
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ross Weisman
EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com
This book is dedicated to everyone who is committed to growing some of their own food and is willing to take the steps toward becoming more self-sufficient.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my friends and community of fellow gardeners for the encouragement and support given me while writing this book. You gave me the inspiration to keep going when things got tough and to always see the bigger picture. Blessings and gratitude!
Top 10 Things to Remember When Using Your Root Cellar
Find a hillside location for building an underground root cellar that is north-facing and has good drainage.
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