I probably wasn’t aware, when we bought the house 40 years ago next year, how important the cold cellar under the house would be. It is largely unimproved since we moved here. It has allowed us to be self-sufficient in all our own fresh vegetables, root crops and fruit with minimal pre-processing. There are 4 full size rooms in the cellar which are kept dark (there are small windows which are kept covered) and without heating. Even though it is relatively early in the winter, it is at the moment just about as cold as it ever gets down there thanks to the freezing temperatures since the end of October. First are some pictures of the stairs and doors. Below is another album of pictures of the vegetables in storage; explanation with the pictures!
Steep stairs down to the cellar from inside the house
There’s an outside door in the only outside wall that is exposed to the air, leading to the first room being coldest, sometimes down to slightly below zero
The first room from the outside can freeze (just) ad is currently about 1C
The first iDoor to the middle room at the bottom of the stairsnside room to the left when you go in from the outside door is a plant and veg storage room behind this door). Currently about 2C
Door to the middle room at the bottom of the stairs
The door from the middle room into the warmest room where the previous owners stored potatoes. Currently +3C
Swiss chard (mangold)
Swiss chard (mangold) and pots with turnips and swedes, stored in slightly damp leaves
Onions (kepaløk) Allium cepa
Potatoes stored in sacks
Large amounts of apples – Aroma
Apples – Aroma with one of the old turnip varieties which will be grown on for seed next year.
Swiss chard (mangold)
Various less hardy edimentals
Various less hardy edimentals
Chicory (sikori)
Carrots in leaves and leeks (purre) behind
Turnips in leaves for eating
Various beetroot (rødbete og hvitbete) varieties …usually these would be stored in damp leaves
Burdock (borre) roots stored in leaves
Chicory (sikori) and dandelion (løvetann) ready to force for greens
Dandelion (løvetann) ready to force for greens; this one was moved up to the kitchen to bring on the greens as it’s too cold in the cellar
This week I harvested the beetroots and being more or less 100% self-sufficient in vegetables, seasonal food is the thing! My favourite way to use beetroot (both red, yellow and white cultivars) is to make vegetarian beetroot burgers (patties), known in our household as blood burgers! The beetroot is first steamed (I used the wood stove), then grated and mixed together with fried Egyptian onions (luftløk) bulbs and garlic with Himalayan balsam / kjempespringfrø (Impatiens glandulifera) seed. Chili, salt and pepper and golpar /ground seed of any Heracleum / hogweed species (instead of cumin) are then mixed in with eggs and 100% wholegrain emmer wheat flour (or any other grain) to bind the patties. Finally, we fried the patties in butter! Good wholesome slow harvest food!
From left to right: Boltardy and Rhondda, Albino white and Cylindra!
Allium x proliferum / Egyptian onion (luftløk) bulbs
