Experiment: Mini 'Root Cellar' from broken freezer (for storing potatoes)

UPDATE: Mini Root Cellar Experiment (after 3 months of potato storage)

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After successfully harvesting 337 lbs of potatoes, we only had one problem: Where to store them?!

Since we don't have a root cellar, I came up with another idea using an old broken chest freezer and some simple parts from the hardware store. Now to find out if it actually works...

For those wanting to skip the background information, here are some quick links to the content:

00:37 Curing freshly harvested potatoes
02:20 Root cellar basics
05:03 Constructing the mini root cellar
10:28 Limitations to this design

[mrsclfb]

This reminded me of something our Dad did when we were kids back around the mid-50s in the Kentucky mountains. He did it not so much because we had no other choice, but to teach us. That fall we had a lot of apples from an old orchard on the land we rented. He gathered us around out in a garden area and dug a fairly deep hole in a bowl shape. He lined it with clean straw and we began to layer the best apples in the straw until we had about a bushel of apples worked in. He covered them with another thick layer of straw, and then covered the straw with the dirt taken from the hole. Several months latter at Christmas time we went out and opened the apple bed. I still remember the smell of apples as we took them out. They were fragrant and fresh and crunchy. Precious memories... and delicious too. Thank you. Love your ideas and experiments.

[limojoy]

Be sure to put screens on the intake and outflow vents to prevent rodents and pest.

[AdlerMow]

You don't need the fan! You simply need to rise the exhaust tube a off the ground couple of feet higher than the intake tube, and paint the exhaust tube black (it will turn into a solar chimney). Also, you can put a 3 inch layer of wet sand on the floor of the freezer, so it acts as an evaporative cooler (like a zeer pot). That will greatly boost the efficiency of your system.

[lulabelle]

My grandparents stored Apple's and potatoes buried in straw in a smallish, unheated shed. I have an unused bedroom where I set up shelves(that I already had), closed the vent and drapes and store pumpkins and squash. Potatoes and tomatoes in paper bags, plus all the canning. There is a window ac incase the winter sun heats up the room. This is the first time using this system and so far it's working great! It's all about being creative within your skill set!

[ensignHim]

I hate when videos waste my time BUT having just discovered your channel and watching a half dozen of your videos, I am very impressed!. No endless chatter and brevity to boot. You are a great teacher.... Very helpful. Thank you!

[lindabarnes]

To preserve some of your harvest, you may want to consider canning some of your potatoes. After peeling 10 pounds of them, cut into chunks about 1.5 to 2 inches square, roughly, then place in a large stock pot adding water to cover. Once the potatoes are heated through, but not cooked, ladle them into a warmed quart canning jar, add the hot liquid from the pot, seal with canning jar lids and rings and process in a pressure canner. See the Ball Blue Book for specific canning directions. The finished project nets you potatoes firm enough to slice and fry, yet soft enough that if they were reheated, they could be mashed and served. 10 pounds of potatoes fit into 7 quart jars which is exactly the number of quart jars that fit into most pressure canners. These poatoes will keep for a minimum of 5 years if kept in a cooler, dark place like your basement. There is more to know about the canning process than described here so read the directions in the named book above for more specific info, especially if you have never used a pressure canner before. The only great canner to own is the All American. It is the safest.

[AliMuhammadAli]

I really Like your experimental approach to learn :)

[longgowhereto]

Tell you from Hungary. After one real farming season as a rooky, I used my rootcellar for potato, zucchini, pumpkin, betroot, melons. It is an old house and I try to keep it simple. Potatoes lay on the earthy floor. After weeks I came for a look and on top of the potatoes sat a toad. She did not move at all. She watched her food (isopods, woodlice) eating my food (potatoes). I like your title "back to reality", thats what I feel again and again.

[pathopkins]

Wish I had you as a teacher when I was a kid, I would have got better marks! 😉Excellent video! 👍

[StraitD]

Wow. I spent my entire life not understanding how root cellar ventilation worked. I had it wrong in my head all along. This was the simplest and best-explained example ever. I feel so dumb and much smarter now at the same time. Thanks!

[elwhitman]

so thorough and useful and without drama or distracting music. Thank you.

[plurmingo]

Florida here, I am using your idea about rolled over sod as planting beds, I just took it step further since I have moles. In layers, plastic ground cover, 1/4” hardware cloth, 3’x6’x2’ box, filled with compostables and turned the grass onto that, planted my garlic and covered with more grass/leaves clippings.
Thanks so much for the great, in-depth details that you put into your videos. I’m a visual learner so it helps me a lot. Thanks again.

[pieterbezuidenhout]

Watched your video on planting potatoes then this on storing them and absolutely enjoyed both. No nonsense and just down to facts.
I'm 66 yrs old with a bit of commonsense and you woke up my rusty old brain and l learned something. Thanks a lot.
Hope there will be more practical tips like this in future.
God bless from South Africa.

[Wendy_Blank]

Amazing little gem of a recommendation. Thank you Youtube. Not sure how I ended up getting this recommended from watching an UK documentary on homelessness; I'm glad I did. I've been wondering about storing my potatoes in an unused crawl space within my basement (used to be the spot where a fuel tank was housed). It may be too cold as there is no insulation just bare block walls similar to what you'd find getting into a basement through an outside bulk head. In any event this has given me an idea that may resolve my storage issue. Thank you!!!!

[zmdeadelius]

This is the second video I've seen so far and I must say I love everything about your channel. The logo, the name, the presentation of the videos and the empirical nature of the experiments. Wishing you millions of subs!

[gingerreid]

We are new to homesteading...just moved in about 4 months ago, so we missed being able to do a fall/winter garden - 9 horses and 6 dogs (rescues) had to be taken care of first...so now, Feb. 6, 2019, we have built our greenhouse and also want to plant tons of potatoes, tomatoes, and onions just to name 3...we don't have a root cellar but we do have a shed on concrete with a new window a/c that may be able to work the magic you have shared...thanks!

[piratepartyftw]

I love the side by side experimentation. This kind of content is great. It helps everyone learn.
Well produced video, too.

[tophinski]

This is the most satisfying video I've watched in a long time. Great job!

[michaellasiter]

Thank you. I live in Alaska and curently have the exact same conundrum and freezer idea as a solution. I am so very glad i watched your video first. Excellent execution on your part

[maccliff]

2 years ago I saw your 337lb potato 🥔 haul.
I just saw this video. I think it’s cool and functional. I think it was your channel and that video that gave me the confidence to start growing in my small backyard. And Derek, I greatly enjoy how you explain everything, I can follow it all the way through and the graphics are perfect. Keep up the great work. 👍🏼