The Everything Root Cellaring Book: Learn to store, cook, and preserve fresh produce all year round!

296 Pages·2010·2.84 MB·English

by  Abbot

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
641.4′8 — 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
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.
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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 essentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject,
but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
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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
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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.
Contents
Top 10 Things to Remember When Using Your Root Cellar
Foreward
Introduction
01 Why a Root Cellar?
Your Health
Save Money
For the Environment
Back to the Farm
The Urban Gardener
Living like Grandma Did
02 Get the Most Out of Your Root Cellar
The Location
Does Size Matter?
Conditions
Shelving
What Containers to Use?
Maintaining Your Root Cellar
03 Building an Underground Root Cellar