Early Winter Crops from the Root Cellar

After the first heavy frosts, most of the root crops have been moved to the root cellar for winter storage. Several barrels of apples and pare’s line the walls, and bins are filled with potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, beets carrots, cabbages and parsnips.

There are also crocks filled with sauerkraut, pickled corn, pickled beans, salted cucumbers and other types of pickles. At the far end of the cellar pumpkins, cushaw’s, and other types of winter squash are piled high to the ceiling. There are also shelves of canned goods, including corn, beans tomatoes, soup mixes and peas, just to name a few.

In the early years of farming in this region, the root cellar played an important role in the family’s survival of the long winter months. It was a good feeling to visit the root cellar and see it filled with the many varieties of farm produce that would last until the early spring months, when a new farming season would begin again.

John Coykendall, Master Gardener