Be like the pioneers, dig your own root cellar!

So often, when we talk about preserving food for the winter, we focus solely on canning and freezing. Rarely do we talk about the best ways to store those long-lived root vegetables and fall fruits so that they'll last you from harvest until early spring. However, for those of you with a bit of outdoor space and a little energy, you can devise your own root cellar that will keep your potatoes, pumpkins and apples fresh for months.

The inspiration for this post came from the Crunchy Chicken, who instructs her readers to dig a hole in the ground that will hold a lidded plastic container (garbage cans, coolers or storage tubs will work) and settle the container into the hole, leaving a few inches up at the top to protect from water runoff. Although the image above uses a garbage can, I imagine that for some, it might be hard to reach the bottom of the can. Crunchy Chicken recommends a longer, shallower container for ease in organization. For more detailed on a DIY root cellar, check out this post at Treehugger.