# Old fridges for root crop *root cellaring*



## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

I'm not really sure where to post this thread, but since it involves food preservation, I'll post here.


I've been trying to think of alternative ways to preserve food..like maybe an old fashioned root cellar, but on a small scale and cheaply.

I mentioned this to my 75 yr old dad, who is just an old country boy. He brings up, people around here sometimes use their storm cellars, just make sure I leave enough room for us in case of tornados :runforhills:.He tells me they had a real root-cellar as a child, but they always wanted more space.

So apparently my grandfather dug a big whole in the yard.He then took the pump ,freon etc. out of one of their old fridges that didn't work. He laid the fridge on it's back in the big whole he had dug out-just enough so that it was flush with the ground with only the lid exposed. He then covered the fridge lid with hay.

Supposedly, they put potatoes(reg.& sweet) and other root crops in it.

Do you think this could work:shrug:, or do any of you have any thoughts or ideas on this?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Seems to me it would probably leak water and also end up rusting out....


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

The door seals would still be intact. 
I know this was a really long time ago,like 65 yrs ago. I hadn't thought about if it would work with a modern day fridge.

I just thought it might be neat to try for a season(I can forsee how the elements wouldn't allow it to work without dry rotting the door seals after awhile though).

Thank you for your input


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

You could probably seal up where you cut out the lines, but any more new fridges are made out of such thin metal I wouldn't expect it to last long before rusting through.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

True. I really believe they don't make things to last like they used to:awh:


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Nope.. they don't.. .I've got a 1920's Monitor Top GE fridge sitting out at the farm still chugging away keeping everything nice and cold.. and the real kicker.. it costs a lot less to run than new energystar fridges... Go figure..


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

This may apply or may not. I lost 200 lb of potatoes a couple years ago in an old fridg. The seals were still good and didn't allow air circulation.I thought everything was fine till I needed potatoes and opened the door to find a rotten mess.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Thanks 1shotwade. 
So did you just have the potatoes in the turned off fridge?


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Ya. the fridg quite working in the basement so I thought it would do just fine but i was wrong. Now I just leave them in buckets with a towel over them to block out any light and let them get air. Been working so far.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

Patriot Supply sent out an email with an article speaking of this. It mentioned drilling holes for circulation. Maybe Matt would know how.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Who is this Matt and how do I find the article, would anyone know?


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

redneckswife "Who is this Matt and how do I find the article, would anyone know? "


Matt is the owner or manager of Patriot Supply. About finding the article, I don't know. You could call him and ask.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Okay, thank you Possum


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/

866-229-0927


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Thank you for being so helpful Possum:goodjob:


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## Amadioranch (Jun 18, 2011)

FWIW, out here in Arizona our ground temps are too warm to root cellar. So I rigged up a top opening freezer with a external thermostat set to 60 degrees for storing out sweet potatoes long term. Seemed like a perfect solution but very quickly everything mildewed terribly in the closed environment. So word to the wise, make sure there is some sort of ventilation.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Possum I am calling them now. Once again thank you so much. I do want to try this at least once:bouncy:


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

redneckswife said:


> Possum I am calling them now. Once again thank you so much. I do want to try this at least once:bouncy:


Be sure and post what you find out. You never know, I may try it to.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

I called yesterday and they couldn't find it and asked me to call back:whistlin:. I called back this morning and they are emailing me the article:banana:.

I will definitely add the article as an attachment to a quick reply post when I get it, that way if anyone else wants to try it, they will have the information!

Thank you so much Possum:rock:


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

It needs some way to get rid of the moisture. We put a tube near the bottom (4" PVC) up through the roof in our fruit/vegetable cellars. We also put one about waist high, both with dampers. A closed room draws moisture, needs air movement. Dry straw or sawdust will help some. Our old fruit house had sawdust between the walls, inside and outside were wood, shiplap inside and siding boards outside, never had a moisture problem with it....James


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

jwal10 thank you, I'm showing hubby your post and the article:happy:


As promised here's the link,if you try this will you please update fellow members if it worked for you or not. Thank you all.Homesteaders are the best most creative people:bow:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact...w4A_D517c7AsTB1IHgvLMHgtHOQvknQd4Wlj8hd5zP_iO


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

Thank you Redneckswife 

The article above says to "Remember to drill a hole for a louvered ventilation shaft, to allow for air flow." 

I am not sure what a "louvered ventilation shaft" would look like. Any ideas?


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

The wind turbine on top of a house that turns with the wind blowing on it looks like a louvered ventilation shaft(per say hubby).

Okay, also if you have any metal pipe sticking out of the roof of your house that has a "hat" on it this is also a ventilation.

Or at the end of your house you should have a circled or square vent louvre to allow for air circulation.

Hubby says you could affix a metal pipe with window(type) screen across the top of the pipe and affix it to the pipe for ventilation. Just make sure you have 2 entries for air(one for air to come in and one for air to flow out).

I hope this makes sense:smack


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

redneckswife said:


> The wind turbine on top of a house that turns with the wind blowing on it looks like a louvered ventilation shaft(per say hubby).
> 
> Okay, also if you have any metal pipe sticking out of the roof of your house that has a "hat" on it this is also a ventilation.
> 
> ...


It does make sense. Thank you and Hubby.


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