Food Storage

Scotty

New Member
Messages
291
Points
0
We grow a garden every year and I've been thinking about taking some of the more long storage vegetables and some supplies and storing them in a root cellar. I know I've got a lot of work to do, but I've seen some root cellars that are fantastic storage areas and that will keep the food safe for an extended time. I want to just use earth with some cement blocks under an earthen roof. The door would be at ground level and you would have to go down stairs to get to it. What do you thinK?
 

Scotty

New Member
Messages
291
Points
0
Thanks guys. I won't be the one digging it, but I will be the supervisor of the building. I think this just may be the year we do this and have things ready for the long haul.
 

Cappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,746
Points
113
Location
South Louisiana
No cellars in South Louisiana. Dig a hole more than a couple feet deep in my yard it quickly fills with water. Cellars, like empty swimming pools tend to either crack and fill with water nor pop outa the ground and float. Das why we bury our dead above te ground in cripts. For us storing game, fish and garden goodies include canning, dehydrating, smoking, salting, packing in lard, and pickling.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
 

Pathfinder1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,716
Points
48
Location
Liberty, N.Y. Lower Catskill Mountains.
Cappy;
No cellars in South Louisiana. Dig a hole more than a couple feet deep in my yard it quickly fills with water. Cellars, like empty swimming pools tend to either crack and fill with water nor pop outa the ground and float. Das why we bury our dead above te ground in cripts. For us storing game, fish and garden goodies include canning, dehydrating, smoking, salting, packing in lard, and pickling



Hi...


What more can you tell me about "packing in lard" food storing?
 

Cappy

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,746
Points
113
Location
South Louisiana
Here is the short version cause its hard to type rocking at the dock. Small pieces of meat were seasoned fried dry then seasoned again. Placed in a crock and filled with lard to cover the meat. Kept as cool as possible it kept that way till lent or so. You would remove the wooden lid and cheese cloth covering spoon out the top layer of lard exposing the pieces of meat. The meat exposed was removed then the lard smoothed over and recovered. Lard was used to make a roux and other uses in the house. Once a gravy was made the meat was added and it would kinda reconstitute in the stew. Add potatoes , turnups or carrrots and ya have a hearty stew. Cajuns call the small fried pieces of meat Griods. We would butcher in te fall and the griods would be used and kept till spring temps started warming. They couldnot take the summer heat and lard would rancid so they hadda eat them up fore it got too hot. Usually for mardi gras whick translates Fat Tuesday:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
 

BGreen

New Member
Messages
183
Points
0
Location
east us
I recall a novel I was reading recently. They were putting away vegetables for the winter and talked about storing potatoes and other root vegetables in sand. I had never heard of this before. Has anyone else done this?
 

wvbreamfisherman

Active Member
Messages
1,977
Points
38
Location
West Virginia
My Mom's family used to butcher a hog and cold pack sausage cakes and other cooked meats in Lard. Can't beat lard for shortening in baking, either. It makes the lightest, flakiest pie crusts ever.

They also cured and smoked hams and pork shoulders. Other meats smoke well too- fish is excellent for smoking.

For long-term storage dried and/or jerked meats keep very well and and light and mich reduced in volume.

You can also preserve meats by packing them in rock salt. This is how they used to do it on naval vessels- if you've ever read any of the Horatio Hornblower novels, you'll have heard of this. Works really well with fish too.

Many vegetables keep well in a cool, dry environment like a root cellar. Of course canning and drying are other options.
 

ponderosa

Active Member
Messages
911
Points
43
Location
eastern idaho
I recall a novel I was reading recently. They were putting away vegetables for the winter and talked about storing potatoes and other root vegetables in sand. I had never heard of this before. Has anyone else done this?
I've lived in the middle of Idaho potato land all my life. Around here, we just store spuds in a cool, dark spot and they generally keep fine for several months. It got colder than crapolla for the entire month of january this year, and a bunch of my garden potatoes froze in the garage. It was a real bummer.

Carrots, on the other hand, I store in sand or dry garden dirt, in a big plastic bin with a good lid. The first few weeks, it's necessary to open the lid a bit to vent the condensation from the carrots. If it gets too moist in there, they will rot. After a few weeks, the carrots seem to stop "sweating," and they keep really well if the weather is cool enough. Sadly, during that cold snap, my carrots froze as well, even though they were packed in lots of dirt. They were still fine for cooking, until they thawed out. Then they had to be thrown out. Also a bummer. I've got to figure out a way/place to keep stuff cool, but protected from those weeks that are -20 for days on end. Maybe move a couple hundred miles south, lol.
 
Top