I LOOOOVE the idea of keeping the freezers with the rest of your food storage. Also, DEFINITELY make the basement your canning kitchen! It’ll be a great food storage sanctuary😁
I think that’s a brilliant idea. All canning in the basement, bring produce in through those doors direct from the garden. Would you be able to have an island in the middle with a stove top on it so you can do ALL the canning there? Even the water bath and pressure canning? That would be my goal I think. Saves all that carrying up and down stairs too.
Agreed! Also, since Becky stores her meat in bulk in those freezers, in case of a power outage the cooler basement would maybe keep the freezers cool for juuuust a tiny bit longer
Excellent point. I was just thinking it makes sense to store all the food together. Looks like plenty of room to also do a canning kitchen down there as well.
If I could I would store my freezer in my basement for energy efficiency. That being said I can't. There is a turn my freezer won't make. PS my garage doesn't get very hot
Whoever suggested keeping all things together in the basement & creating a canning kitchen is your new best friend! That is the voice of experience. It will make your life SO much more organized and easy (in time). Keep in mind this is your forever home. You have time. Little by little it will all come together.
FYI: for wine bottle with corks, be sure to store them horizontally in a wine rack (bottom of bottle slightly higher the cork end). Keeping wine on its side helps keep the cork moist, which is key for long-term storage, as a dried-out cork can cause seepage and premature aging. Screw top bottles it is not necessary to store on their sides.
yes and away from light as much as possible. this is true especially for white wine which comes in lighter coloured/transparent bottles and generally does not age well.
I was just coming here to say the same thing. As handy as Josh is, he could make some horizontal cubes. Just keep the wine in the coolest part of the basement - away from the furnace, water heater and even the ductwork if possible.
Becky, if you're making a canning/prep kitchen in your basement, don't give away extra kitchen gadgets or utensils to the Goodwill just yet. You just may need to duplicate all those things as they'll keep you from going up and down from your upstairs kitchen to your canning kitchen in the basement. This video was fun to watch!👍🏼
Seriously! I'm getting into soap making and I'm trying to save any old bowls and silicon spatulas for the soap making adventure 😂 doesn't make sense buying new items like that for the project!
My advice as someone who has bought 3 properties that I have renovated: Take your time figuring out which spaces you want to use as what. Live in the house a few months before committing to large reno, as you may end up wishing you did something different after living in the space long enough. I'm loving watching your new journey in this house. Thanks for sharing with us.
Although, ideally, that sounds wise and my husband used that logic on me; ten years later we still do not have desired renovations as I have not had the time or, due to a few injuries, the ability to take care of it myself. Also, every company we tried to arrange to do the work wanted to do it their way and not what we wanted and they required that we move ourselves and all our furniture and belongings out while they did the work, which was just not feasible for us. So, I really wish we had held off moving in until after we finished all desired renovations.
Freezers in the basement to save energy, for sure. And a canning kitchen in the basement is a great idea. Also,living in your current kitchen is a good idea. If you replace cabinets and appliances someday, the old ones could become your basement canning kitchen.
I would give my eye teeth (well almost, lol) for those boxes that she is going to recycle! They are so great for making no till beds and keeping weeds down in the walkways.
Having a canning kitchen in the basement is a great idea. Along those lines, I would also make a produce watching station outside the basement door. I've always wanted some type of countertop with a deep sink and sprayer along with draining racks outside for cleaning produce before bringing it inside. You could also store all the items you need for harvesting there.
Loving the reno/moving videos. So fun to be apart of this journey with you guys! My 2 cents: 1. Turn all of your shelves so they are perpendicular to the wall. That way you can have walking space in between them, you will get more light to see both sides and you can fasten them to the wall to decrease the chance of falling over. The will also take up much less space. 2. Definitely the freezers and all food prepping equipment downstairs. It’s so convenient, close to the garden and kind of your messy preserving area. Upstairs for day to day cooking, living and entertaining. 3. Reinforce your shelves. All of your time, money, energy, love and hardwork is at stake. I wouldn’t want to risk losing it all due to a shelf sagging and ending up breaking under the weight. Definitely not worth the risk and heart ache. 4. Add a bungee cord or something to the sides of the shelves so jars can’t fall off either side. Would hate to see you put a jar on the shelf and one fall off the back and vice versa. But Becky, I truly love all your videos and your humility. You are incredibly genuine and I feel like we can all relate to you in some form or another. People will always have opinions, myself included, doesn’t mean you have to listen to any of them. But love that you ask!!!! PS - I pronounce/ say stuff incorrectly all the time, who cares, we all knew what you meant otherwise no one would know to correct you hahahaha xxx
@MsErinMT - I agree with your comments about the shelving COMPLETELY! The idea of them freestanding, away from ANY walls made me nervous from the start. I'd need them supported, attached & protected from tipping & jars sliding off the opposing side. The idea of losing jars & contents is a big deal these days for several reasons & well worth the extra effort to avoid that kind of accident. I REALLY like the idea of being able to access from both sides, but w/support. I've even brought down support from the rafters to be sure they can't tip. 😁 I just really like organized, high function areas like this part of their new basement. Nice when you get to do so many things before moving in.
The reinforcement is really needed with those shelves. I bought the same shelves, a couple weeks later they were sagging. You would think paying 125.00 for each shelf u it they wouldn't sag. I ended up buying better shelves. Sad when you have to pay 300.00 to get decent shelves.
Becky, when we built our home, we made a kitchen in the basement with a regular refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and sinks. That is where I did all of my canning. It was so convenient to be able to bring in the garden produce through the door in the basement. I also stored my canned items in the basement. You will find this is such an efficient plan as well as extra refrigerator space during holidays when you need more refrigerator space to prepare food in advance. As far as I am concerned and having already done this, it is the way to go. My kitchen downstairs was totally equipped so I saved steps with not having to bring cooking utensils and pans downstairs then taking them back up when finished with them. Good luck
Becky, I agree with Pat Spears. I’ve had my kitchen upgraded. So we used the cabinets in the basement as as the dish washer and refrigerator. Great canning kitchen and also keeps all that extra heat in the summer out of the main part of your house! Love, love, love you and your vlog! Thanks for being a great teacher!💗💗♥️♥️
As I am aging, I am finding the thought of a pot filling faucet over the stove a genius idea....food for thought! 😊 So exciting to be on your adventure with you!
Hi, coming of a Wine producer Country, Chile, I recommend for the wines that has corks if you want them to last, you can never put them in a vertical position. You need to put them in horizontal position. Is mandatory that the cork keeps the contact with the wine to preserve all the good condition. The Wines with synthetic or plastic lid are usually fresh and jung wines for a short term intake so it does not matter if you put them vertically.
Yes! This! All corks need to stay wet to preserve them. If a cork dries out, it will crumble when you try to pull it. Hence ruining your wine. Store them horizontal or at an angle at all times
I'd keep the freezers along with the other food items. Just makes sense to have everything food related together. Freeze dryer included. Or you'll have 3 rooms to move between, storage, main kitchen and garage. Finishing that lower area would be a high priority for me personally, kitchen, food(freezers and pantry) laundry and bathrooms are always the first things to complete after a move. I've moved a lot in my life and I don't mind sleeping on a mattress for even a year, as long as we finish those first
Another option would have been to put each shelf perpendicular to the back wall instead of one long shelf parallel to back wall. It will be more space efficient and will not create a drak space in the walking area behind the shelf.
The basement stays cool and the temperature won't swing much vs. the garage; therefore, it would be better for the longevity of your appliances to keep it in the basement.
@@uzmaawahid 100% agree. Like library shelving. Much more space efficient and easier to access. Also can be fastened to the wall so they aren’t freestanding.
What if you arranged the shelves perpendicular to the wall? You'd have front & back access, still be able to access your ducting when needed, and you could fit more shelves in the same amount of space.
@@jacquesmalan67 I would also get more shelves for possible perpendicular placement and make plans for food and flower drying and ferments including cheeses. I would also be giving some advance thought about the easiest, most efficient way to cart all this back and forth to the kitchen and patio area. If possible, I would have a rolling cooking, counter, storage unit that could go just outside on a paved area and expand to butchering meats if that's in the plan. Also a work space to design floral and other arrangements to go into the house.
Basement is an EXCELLENT idea for a summer canning kitchen! I would put one freezer in the garage for immediate meals and one in the basement for longer term items.
I just wanted to reiterate the importance of replacing the press board of those shelves to something much stronger as I bought the same shelves and they promptly sagged, adding an intermediate bracket underneath is also a great idea! I'd hate for you to experience a preventable tragedy.
Used the same shelves in my garage. The front and back bars began to bow and the shelves were falling thru. Had to add a brace in the middle, front to back.
I buy the plastic shelving units from Home Depot (5-Tier Plastic Garage Storage Shelving Unit). They're easy to assemble, no tools required. Each shelf supports 200 lbs and 1000 lbs. overall. I have about 25 of them in my garage, kitchen and storage room. The only drawback is that each shelf is a fixed height. But none of them have ever broken from the weight and I even store gallons of water on them.
Becky, you are so motivating! I think you two should build a dumb-waiter for the basement; even if it is as simple as a basket on a pulley system. Love your channel! Thanks
Hey Becky, I would definitely put all the freezers and freeze dryer in the basement. The basement would be prefect for a canning kitchen. I can’t wait to see how your new home comes together.
Completely agree. Everything in one spot, more efficient. From garden, to canning or freeze drying to storage. Less up and down from your main living area. I was planning on this method as well, you are just beating me to it. Great job!
Hi Becky when you want to build those two shelves that have no panels anymore, just go to Lowe's or Home Depot to get plywood that matches and have Josh cut to size. That way your not wasting the extra shelving.
The units also have no shelf brackets...not just shelf boards...but replacement or extra shelves may be available...I would check manufacturers website
I’ve read almost all the comments and such wonderful advice. A few more thoughts. Yes - to having a commercial kitchen in the basement. Yes- to freezer and extra fridge in basement rather than garage. Yes- to your shelf placement 26” away from back wall. Easy access for restocking newer items in the back rather than having to shuffle things from the front. Yes - to replacing shelves and adding metal supports to prevent shelf sagging. ***. My suggestion is building a floor to rafter frame around the shelves. 4x4 posts at the four outer corners plus where each shelf unit meets. Bolt the shelf units to each other and to the 4x4s. Add 1x2 horizontally 2” - 2-1/2 inches above each shelf; front and back and outside ends. Sounds like a lot but This will save everything from Mother Nature shaking things up and from any accidental falls or pushing on the units. Yes - to your organization of your ‘store’. Perfect! You might even need more shelf units as you continue to move from the original house. Yes - to outside washing station to wash off garden dirt after harvest. Keeps dirt out of your basement kitchen. *** Add vent fans and dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture from steam produced from cooking, water bath, and pressure cooking. THANK YOU! Thank you for taking us along on your garden, cooking, and now, moving adventures. You’ve encouraged me to can on a smaller scale. Spending a day or two non-stop canning is no longer an option for me. But I am able to can a few jars of soup or beans when I make a pot. 2 boxes of Peaches are coming soon and I look forward to canning and dehydrating, If don’t eat them all first. You’ve encouraged me greatly. I appreciate how genuine you are, the team work between you and Josh, your willingness to share your lives. Thank you.
I think having the canning kitchen in the basement along with your freezers is a brilliant idea. This will save you from having to move from place to place and it's really convenient when harvesting from your garden. I also completely agree with waiting to remodel your kitchen. When I moved into my house I waited to see what was needed and how I used my kitchen before remodeling and I am so happy I did. (Just the placement of light switches alone was worth the wait!)
Looks great! My 2 cents is I would have all food-related items together in one space! It is just easier, you don't have to remember what is where and what inventory you have. And it is just generally more efficient for you in the long run.
One huge suggestion. I know it will be repeating some work you’ve already done but move those shelves away from the walls. Instead place then with one short end against the wall. Basically on right angles to the walls. It’s a total game changer. You will utilize your space better but more importantly, you will be able access your food from both sides. Totally makes access and rotation easier. You don’t have to worry about moisture or spiders getting behind your goods. Please try one. You will be amazed.
I am 75 and I had no idea that going up and down the stairs all day would become very difficult for me the older I got. Having things on the main floor is something I wish we would have taken into consideration when we moved into this house, but at 50 I had no idea that might be the case at 75. I know you are still young but keep it in mind, you never know when things might change! Love seeing how organized you are!
Amen! We bought a second house (townhouse) close to our kids so we don't have to stay in hotels when we visit.. We've only owned it for a year and are already wanting to sell. We can't handle the stairs up to the bedrooms. At 70 and 73, we're spoiled living full-time on one level.
It's a permaculture principal. It actually applies to everything in life. I would definitely turn the basement into your stores and processing kitchen and working space. Closer to the garden and easy to access from the house
Yes, the shelves will definitely sag and warp. We bought the same ones from HD and they warped BADLY! I’d put some kind of support under each one or replace them with something more sturdy before you get too far into getting things settled. It will be a pain to unload all those gorgeous shelves so soon after you e gotten them all loaded!
This is EXCELLENT advice as I bought the same shelves, promptly loaded them up and they sagged. I am trying to send you ESP messages as I watch you add more weight to the cheap press board!
Please get the shelves reinforced ASAP. I would hate for you to have your shelves start sagging asks u not prepared for it. It will go bad/break/sag fast because u have do much weight on them.
Another option is to double up the shelves. We did that with some Gorilla racks and with double particle board shelves they have been fine for the past 15 years.
Absolutely put your canning kitchen in the basement plus freezers. More cost efficient in running them and so much more comfortable canning and keeping the mess in one place. Canned goods go right on the shelves. No running them to their storage place.
Hey Becky. I’m sure someone else will say this too but watch for your wines that have a cork. They need to be stored on their sides. That cork needs to stay wet to maintain the integrity of the seal.❤️
I thought about that, too, during the video! Screw tops and artificial cork will be fine, but natural cork will dry out and ruin the wine. That's why, historically, wine shelves were mostly horizontal. :)
Came here to say just this. It's easy to build some boxes with an "X" in the middle for cheap easy horizontal storage. Bet Josh could put some together with scraps in minutes.
Something else to consider. On the shelves, be it these or different ones in the future. I would put a 'lip" on the back side. That way it greatly lessens the risk of things accidentally being pushed off the back since they aren't up against the wall. It wouldn't have to be very tall, maybe a 1" x 2". Which would also be short enough that you could easily add things from the back side.
I was also wondering about tremors, seeing as they are in the PNW. Many make a guardrail around each shelf to prevent them from falling in case of tremors or earthquakes. :D
When I moved into my current home, the previous owner left in the basement three huge ceiling to floor, solid wood shelves that are bolted to the walls! I was so grateful for that.
Becky, I am from Oregon City, but now live in South Carolina. I have two masters degrees in education including phonics, and you pronounce "caulking" accurately. It is a regional pronunciation. People always think the way they pronounce things is the correct way... ignore them. I love your channel, thanks for encouraging me and others to really think about food production and preservation.
I have to apologize for saying you had the incorrect pronunciation of caulking. In my defence, I googled it and it said the "L" is silent. I guess Google can be wrong. What else do "I" pronounce wrong.lol
My grandma had a canning kitchen in her basement and I always dreamed of having everything on one place. So far at 68 it hasn't happened. But I think it's a perfect plan. Add your freezers, freeze dryer, etc and put in a small kitchen, even with a small apartment size fridge. You want ice nearby when you blanch things. Butter for adding a pat to your jelly making. Etc
We make our own wine and you shouldn’t store your wine sitting up because it dries out the cork, which should always stay wet. There are lots of wine racks on Amazon that would fit into your storage area. I also like the idea of putting the freezers downstairs because the freezer won’t have to work as hard since it is a cool area.
Basements tend to stay cooler even in the summer so if your electric would ever go off from an outage, the temperature in your freezers will stay colder longer than if it is in a garage thus keeping your food safer longer. Besides not having to run as frequently, saving energy and cost.
I love the idea of having all your canning, freeze drying and dehydrating goods down in the basement. Freezers down there also would be great. Love the look, so exciting to see it all in one place.
Hello just a warning on the shelves. No matter how you place your canned goods on those shelves they still bow. We placed 2 2x12 in the shelf and that works really well. It may be a little overkill but we were not risking all that work.Congrats on the new house!
Love the idea of everything being in the basement: shelves, chest freezers and canning Station. Maybe get plumbing into there so you have an area to wash produce from the garden too?
I've been following this series of your "New House" vlogs and I remembered you mentioned in one of your previous vlogs that Josh wanted to use some basement space where he could practice his drums. Now that you've mentioned that you may turn this basement into a food prep and storage "facility" then maybe Josh could make use of the shop upstairs for his music studio? You could soundproof the room so his music noise doesn't disturb the rest of the house or the neighbors. It gives both of you ample workspace where you don't have to sort of get in each other's way. I love your vlogs and I just want you to know that you're living my dream. Much love to you!
Josh's drum setup could also be in the shop rather than the basement. Really like the garden bounty trotting into a summer kitchen in the basement. Cooler temp is really beneficial to freezers and prepping food. Good job...being open to suggestions. Might think about under the stairs being enclosed for root veggies in a no-light area.
I've been reading many of the comments. Becky you have built such a great community of people who really want to help you succeed and be so efficient. I agree with most that the canning kitchen in the basement would be so practical. Deep freezers and the whole nine yards all in one convenient place. Also the basement in most houses are the safest places to be. I don't know what your area looks like as far as weather and natural disasters etc. but Im thinking storms, power outages, fires, and so forth. I live in Tornado alley so thats always on my mind. Loved this one and dang girl you hit the strawberry jackpot. I bet the previous homeowners are missing those.
FYI, a couple members on one of my homesteading pages did in fact lose hundreds of jars on those exact shelves. I also have those shelves and haven't had any problems but will be replacing with plywood soon.
A basement canning kitchen sounds like a great idea, especially with a walk out basement. You could put a high BTU propane burner or three, like a turkey fryer burner, right outside the basement to quickly get your pressure canner(s) up to pressure without heating up the canning kitchen.
Keep everything together in the basement. It's such a big space and will be so convenient for you. I'm a prepper as well and I hate that all my freezers are in the garage. If I had a basement I would definitely utilize the space. Heck girl, you could set up area for you to sow your seeds before planting outside.
I would keep everything together, due to the freezers being cooler down there and all the food you will freeze dried will be in the freezer and will keep you from having to run up and down the stairs with everything. I like how you have things set up so far. Keeping things together like that is a good idea. I got to get some shelves for my laundry room to put my stock items on and containers for flour and meal, sugar, and bread flour.
I'm old; the old timers didn't have ac, so a basement "summer kitchen" was the bees knees. That way the main house isn't getting heated up. It works so much better. Dedicated space for preserving. Leaves the normal kitchen to be just for normal cooking. I would do 3/4 ply for shelves would support better
I'm an oldie as well and yep the basement kitchen is a dream. Only thing that would make it more perfect would be a hole through the. Foundation down there for a below ground root cellar 😁 that would be the bees knees AND the cats meow👍
Where I'm from they had the summer kitchens separate from the house but connected by a hall. You'd see these long old houses of boxes of different sizes, someone once pointed them out to me and said it was "front house, back house, kitchen, shed." And explained it was the summer kitchen separated so as not to heat up the whole house.
We bought our house from an elderly farm couple and as I shared above, it was her summer kitchen as they had no a.c. Summertime in my upstairs kitchen could reach well over 100* and was unbearable. Canning downstairs made living upstairs a lot more tolerable. Once we got air conditioning canning downstairs kept our cooling costs MUCH lower. I had forgotten just how much hot the kitchen can get until I got down here to Ecuador last week, where we have no air conditioning. Quite a difference.
the processing kitchen in the basement is just the smart move. Flow of life is the way to make those decisions and it sounds like that would be the natural flow.
I agree with the basement canning kitchen. It makes a lot of sense to have everything together. Since this is considered your forever home it will be easier long term. As you age you will probably like having everything together on one level and not having to make unnecessary trips up and down the steps. Your making such a beautiful home. Josh is doing an amazing job on the trim as well.
I recently did an overhaul of my basement. I put my freezers in the basement with my food storage and I love it. I made a canning section downstairs in my basement as well. I feel so organized! A canning kitchen in the basement is am amazing idea! Go for it!!!
Canning kitchen in the basement would be a dream! So much less shuffling, keep the heat of everything out of your main living spaces, if you dehydrate something smelly like onions you could have it right outside of those doors.. whoever suggested it is SO smart.
I love the look on your face when you ate the first strawberry! It is truly the little things in life that bring the most happiness. As for the freezers, I would keep them in the basement. If the garage gets hot, it will run up your electricity bill while they try to keep things frozen. I love the idea of the freeze dryer in the basement, but it depends on if you are able to prep all of your food down there too. If not, I would put it upstairs so that it is easier to prep and maneuver food to it. So happy and excited for you both!
if the sellers of the home see this, they will probably have a good cry (or drool) seeing all of their strawberries,.. But they are certainly not going to waste!! and they'd be Happy about That!!
Freeze the leftover strawberries and make jam later on. I love the storage area. I would put the freezers in there as well. A food prep kitchen would be awesome.
My opinion is the basement for the freezers. For two reasons, the bulk food all together like you said, and the freezer will run more efficiently in the basement with less external fluctuation of temperature. That is inherently cooler, so if you ever lose power, you have more time to be patient.
LOVE the idea of having a canning kitchen in the basement. Seems like you’d e able to organize a great layout for full/empty jars, as well as be able to keep your other canning supplies close.
I am loving these moving videos for several reasons 1) it's really cool and I learn a lot watching other people utilize their spaces, 2) your house is absolutely amazing 3) it's not me having to move 🙃❤️
Your freezers would keep frozen longer during a power outage in the basement than they would in the garage. Your freeze dryer would benefit from the cooler temperatures down there too. The canning kitchen being in the basement directly beside the garden would be a ✨ DREAM ✨
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I’d keep everything together for ease. Maybe you should get a shopping basket when you go down there and do your own home shopping when it’s time to cook! Loving the setup!
As someone who has used those shelves for storage for years: 1 replace the 3/8" shelf particle boards with 1/2" plywood asap - the weight will bow the shelves until they crack and any humidity in the air will absorb into them and accelerate the process 2 cover them with contact paper to "seal" them from liquid spills and easy cleaning 3 turn them 90 degrees to stick out from the wall so that they can be secured to the wall 4 put the freezers with the shelves so all your food is in one area
We have those same shelves, and used them for our pantry for years. After a mouse infestation, we decided to put everything in glass jars (no bags that can be eaten through). We also replaced the shelves at that time. I believe we used 3/4" plywood, and covered them with shelf liner to keep cleaning easy. It worked great! The original particle shelves didn't ever break, but they did sag enough to make me pretty nervous. I would replace the shelves with the heaviest loads asap. Also....chair rail, or panel cap. That trim you couldn't remember the name of. It was originally designed to keep chairs from hitting and marring the plaster walls. Kind of like a bumper.
You and Josh are such hard workers! Having a basement to store all of your extras is going to make so much room in your kitchen. I made Cowboy candy yesterday and actually canned it. My first attempt at canning and it was so easy. Thank you so much for all of your canning recipes and tips!
The idea on keeping all freezers and prep items in the basement is the best way to go, to help keep it all in 1 area and save the steps up/down to carry wherever. Any freezers/refrigerators kept in a garage/carport have to work harder to keep cool when in a warm/hot enclosed space. I will say this as for colors of paint, if the room is small and you want to make it look bigger then go with light/neutral colors. If the room is big/huge and you want to make it appear smaller, then use darker colors. I learned the "hard way" not to use dark colored paint in small rooms...it made the room appear as if it had shrunk drastically! Other than that, y'all are doing a great job on your new place!
I would put your jars back in the jar boxs or low costco boxs so you can see what is in them and put a label/date on Metal part of the shelf right below the food box like at the groc store and bungie cord the front and back of each shelf in front of the boxs to secure them in case they get Bumpt, Earthquake, Mount Saint Helen's eruption or something of that sort just to be on the safe side with all your hard work and investment! Love you we are so proud of you both congratulations on your new home 🏡
The basement is shaping up! It sounds like it would be a good place to put all of your food prep equipment and your chest freezers so that you have everything in one place. I think that would simplify your processing efforts. Then you are right next to your shelves to load them on when they are done being processed. The transition wood in the powder room is called a chair rail. They were installed back in the day to prevent chairs from hitting and marking the walls, hence, chair rail. You got so much done!!! Congratulations, Becky!!!!! It's looking good!
Oh, man, I’m kinda jealous that you have the space to put a canning kitchen so close to your future garden! What a fab idea! I think putting the freezers and freezer dryer down there is the right move, too. In the event of a power outage, they’ll stay cool longer and risk a lot less food loss if your power is out for several days. (I live on the east coast. It’s not unusual to lose power for up to ten days during a particularly bad hurricane season or after a long nor’easter.) As a bonus, if you eventually get a generator or set up your own solar farm on the roof, it would be really easy to lay the infrastructure out to power that one essential space, rather than running appliances all over the house in different locations. Cheaper to run it all to one primary location, too.
Growing up on a farm, our 2nd kitchen in the basement was a lifesaver for my mom. Also during the holidays both kitchens were used to prepare food. You have an awesome homestead!
A table in your "grocery store " will be really helpful when you are adding or subtracting large amount of food products, gathering items for a preserving project, bringing down cases of filled canning jars and many other things
I agree with everyone else. I'd keep ALL the food related things in the basement: freezers, canning kitchen, feeze dryer, etc. Just makes more sense and the freezers wouldn't have to work as hard as they would in the garage. The house is really shaping up
That was my suggestion to turn the basement into your preserving kitchen. I would put your freezers, freeze dryer etc down there as well - not only is it naturally cooler so more energy efficient on those appliances, but it also ties in with your preserving efforts. Like you said you can eventually bring veggies straight in, prepare them, then preserve them either in the freezer, the freeze dryer, the dehydrator or via canning. I would probably put a propane and water hookup just outside the basement doors so you could can out there and keep the heat (and some of the initial dirt from your produce) out of your main preserving areas.
Becky you gave me inspiration! I bought 2 chrome shelves with wheels. I moved all my canned foods, canning jars to the basement for those shelves. My dry goods (flour, sugar, yeast, etc) into 5 gallon food safe buckets. I’ll order gamma lids for them. My adult kids visited and saw the set up in the basement. They said Hey mom has a grocery store downstairs. Thanks Becky again for the inspiration. I Love everything in one place ! So easy to restock as I use.
I like the idea of the canning kitchen in the basement. Also freezers, food dehydrator and freeze dryer all downstairs. That would be more efficient! Especially because you have access to your garden. It is cooler in the basement.
I think the idea of everything together is a good idea. I'd definitely have the freezers in the cooler part to save on energy consumption. I can't believe how hard you guys are working AND you're making time to share your progress with us all too! Thank you.💐💐
Keeping the freezers in the basement is the best bet energy wise, unless the garage is temperature controlled. Generally a garage can be super hot in the summer, making the freeze work harder to stay cold. I LOVE the Canning Kitchen in the basement idea!
It seems like a great idea to keep everything food related together. The one thing I would be concerned about would be all the steam and moisture that is put out with traditional canning. If you could vent all that moisture then keep everything together!
Hi, Becky! I bought shelving from Lowes that are heavy duty with heavy wire shelves that hold 600 lbs. Like you, I don't want my jars on wire, so I put 1/4" plywood sheets on the 2' x 4" shelves. This is working great!
Your freezers will run more efficiently if they are in a somewhat climate controlled area. I am so jealous of your basement! What a wonderful space for your food prep, storage, etc. I would put everything down there and make it a food prep haven! This could not happen to a better person. You are such an inspiration!
Wow! How nice this will be to have all your food storage in one space and not in several room, cupboards and spaces! I would set your things up where ever it is most convenient. If you are in your freezers a lot then have them close. Same goes with your freeze dryer. Your bathroom is going to be gorgeous!!
I agree put all your freezers and canning kitchen down in the basement. Along with your freeze dryer. That way you can use a wheelbarrow or a wagon to bring your vegetables directly into the basement. Sounds like you have a good plan there. I also like that your bring over your stuff a little at a time this way you don't feel overwhelmed. It's nice that you don't have to move all at once. Don't forget to make a video for your last day at your old place. Where you started TH-cam channel and then your new journey in your life.
The amount of space you have is just amazing. Love the "store" area. I think putting most of the food preserving in one area would be such a blessing. I remember in the first tour you mentioned a canning kitchen. If that's close to the basement, that would be perfect for you. This new homestead has so much potential for you & Josh.
I would suggest your freezers and freeze dryer down in the basement because it will save on energy and the freeze dryer likes to operate in lower room temperatures. Once you get over 75 degrees in the room with the freeze dryer it takes a bit longer to freeze the food and cool the chamber down. I would definitely do the basement as a preservation kitchen that would be awesome! Happy preserving, Rebecca.
Lol. Becky, I’m addicted to these blogs! Your basement sounds like a great place for processing, canning and dehydrating in a large, cool place. I watched one canner even had a stove in her canning room. She washed, prepped, canned and stored in one spot.
Becky - I have those same shelves and the particle board sags over time. I would suggest reinforcing them now or replacing with plywood BEFORE you put all of your canned goods on them 🙂
I love the idea of the basement being your prep kitchen, etc. That space upstairs could be his own area for the drums, etc. You could even sound proof it!
Highly recommend replacing the board for the shelves. We had the same ones at my old office job for closed file storage and they cracked within three months and were basically useless after that. Love the new house!! Congrats y’all!! 😊
@@hoperay6967 but would you risk all your hardwork and food storage? I would definitely be reinforcing just in case. Then she can focus on other things instead of constantly worrying if her shelves will give or not :-)
Love the progress! I would suggest storing your wine collection on its side as there is the risk of the cork drying out and turning it into vinegar if left upright too long.
A kitchen in the basement is an Italian tradition here in Southern Ontario. You can always tell when Italians have lived in the house. It is so practical. It's cooler, it doesn''t have to be fancy smancy because you never invite company there. You can make a mess and walk away for the rest of the day. When the day comes that stairs become an issue, you will also probably be doing less canning anyway. It's a win win all around. Best of luck in your lovely new home.
We have some of those shelves for our pantry and they do bow in time. I end up flipping the board over once a year to try to keep it relatively flat which has worked for several years. Adding an extra support bar underneath each shelf would help with the bowing, too.
I would keep everything in one spot. So much easier to have a whole area for preserving. Love the idea of making a kitchen in the basement and having it all together.
I couldn’t agree more about living in the space for a year first. I was adamant about removing a wall when we moved to our new homestead … but I made myself wait for a year … and I learned I absolutely loved the more closed off 80’s separation to my kitchen … so glad I didn’t tear the wall out!
I have my freezers in my garage and I had my freeze dryer there too. However, when it got hot outside, my freeze dryer had a message on it warning that it was too warm to run it and running it could damage the vacuum pump. I had to move it inside. And the heat in the garage makes the freezers run more, using more power, which is so expensive right now. I don't have a basement to put them in but I would suggest the basement for those things.
I LOOOOVE the idea of keeping the freezers with the rest of your food storage. Also, DEFINITELY make the basement your canning kitchen! It’ll be a great food storage sanctuary😁
I think that’s a brilliant idea. All canning in the basement, bring produce in through those doors direct from the garden. Would you be able to have an island in the middle with a stove top on it so you can do ALL the canning there? Even the water bath and pressure canning? That would be my goal I think. Saves all that carrying up and down stairs too.
Canningin the basement will be great
I’d think keeping everything downstairs would be best, more climate controlled than the garage
great idea 💡
I like the idea as well but I don’t see any electricity or electrical outlets for the freezers
I think the freezers would use a lot less energy if they were in the cooler basement, might be something to consider :)
Agreed! Also, since Becky stores her meat in bulk in those freezers, in case of a power outage the cooler basement would maybe keep the freezers cool for juuuust a tiny bit longer
Excellent point. I was just thinking it makes sense to store all the food together. Looks like plenty of room to also do a canning kitchen down there as well.
I agree basement is best to keep the freezers cool and save energy.
If I could I would store my freezer in my basement for energy efficiency. That being said I can't. There is a turn my freezer won't make. PS my garage doesn't get very hot
good piont
Whoever suggested keeping all things together in the basement & creating a canning kitchen is your new best friend! That is the voice of experience. It will make your life SO much more organized and easy (in time). Keep in mind this is your forever home. You have time. Little by little it will all come together.
Yes, absolutely. Totally agree.
FYI: for wine bottle with corks, be sure to store them horizontally in a wine rack (bottom of bottle slightly higher the cork end). Keeping wine on its side helps keep the cork moist, which is key for long-term storage, as a dried-out cork can cause seepage and premature aging. Screw top bottles it is not necessary to store on their sides.
I did not know this, thanks for the info 😊😊😊
Yes! Especially if you plan on keeping some for a while.
yes and away from light as much as possible. this is true especially for white wine which comes in lighter coloured/transparent bottles and generally does not age well.
I was going to say something similar. I don't drink wine, but my parents do! Their whole cork collection is horizontal.
I was just coming here to say the same thing. As handy as Josh is, he could make some horizontal cubes. Just keep the wine in the coolest part of the basement - away from the furnace, water heater and even the ductwork if possible.
Becky, if you're making a canning/prep kitchen in your basement, don't give away extra kitchen gadgets or utensils to the Goodwill just yet. You just may need to duplicate all those things as they'll keep you from going up and down from your upstairs kitchen to your canning kitchen in the basement. This video was fun to watch!👍🏼
Great thinking!
Seriously! I'm getting into soap making and I'm trying to save any old bowls and silicon spatulas for the soap making adventure 😂 doesn't make sense buying new items like that for the project!
You can also use your kitchen cabinets down there when you remodel the kitchen if you get new cabinets upsatirs
Good suggestion!!
@@colleenmanning8664 perfect!!! We did a similar thing but many cabinets went into my husbands garage shop. They worked wonderfully.
My advice as someone who has bought 3 properties that I have renovated: Take your time figuring out which spaces you want to use as what. Live in the house a few months before committing to large reno, as you may end up wishing you did something different after living in the space long enough. I'm loving watching your new journey in this house. Thanks for sharing with us.
Although, ideally, that sounds wise and my husband used that logic on me; ten years later we still do not have desired renovations as I have not had the time or, due to a few injuries, the ability to take care of it myself. Also, every company we tried to arrange to do the work wanted to do it their way and not what we wanted and they required that we move ourselves and all our furniture and belongings out while they did the work, which was just not feasible for us. So, I really wish we had held off moving in until after we finished all desired renovations.
Survival diy projects 😊
Freezers in the basement to save energy, for sure. And a canning kitchen in the basement is a great idea. Also,living in your current kitchen is a good idea. If you replace cabinets and appliances someday, the old ones could become your basement canning kitchen.
Yes, having the freezers in the basement would definitely save energy.
Such a good idea to reuse the old kitchen cabinets!
I would give my eye teeth (well almost, lol) for those boxes that she is going to recycle! They are so great for making no till beds and keeping weeds down in the walkways.
Excellent idea 💡
Having a canning kitchen in the basement is a great idea. Along those lines, I would also make a produce watching station outside the basement door. I've always wanted some type of countertop with a deep sink and sprayer along with draining racks outside for cleaning produce before bringing it inside. You could also store all the items you need for harvesting there.
Loving the reno/moving videos. So fun to be apart of this journey with you guys!
My 2 cents:
1. Turn all of your shelves so they are perpendicular to the wall. That way you can have walking space in between them, you will get more light to see both sides and you can fasten them to the wall to decrease the chance of falling over. The will also take up much less space.
2. Definitely the freezers and all food prepping equipment downstairs. It’s so convenient, close to the garden and kind of your messy preserving area. Upstairs for day to day cooking, living and entertaining.
3. Reinforce your shelves. All of your time, money, energy, love and hardwork is at stake. I wouldn’t want to risk losing it all due to a shelf sagging and ending up breaking under the weight. Definitely not worth the risk and heart ache.
4. Add a bungee cord or something to the sides of the shelves so jars can’t fall off either side. Would hate to see you put a jar on the shelf and one fall off the back and vice versa.
But Becky, I truly love all your videos and your humility. You are incredibly genuine and I feel like we can all relate to you in some form or another. People will always have opinions, myself included, doesn’t mean you have to listen to any of them. But love that you ask!!!!
PS - I pronounce/ say stuff incorrectly all the time, who cares, we all knew what you meant otherwise no one would know to correct you hahahaha xxx
@MsErinMT - I agree with your comments about the shelving COMPLETELY! The idea of them freestanding, away from ANY walls made me nervous from the start. I'd need them supported, attached & protected from tipping & jars sliding off the opposing side. The idea of losing jars & contents is a big deal these days for several reasons & well worth the extra effort to avoid that kind of accident. I REALLY like the idea of being able to access from both sides, but w/support. I've even brought down support from the rafters to be sure they can't tip. 😁 I just really like organized, high function areas like this part of their new basement. Nice when you get to do so many things before moving in.
I agree about moving the shelves.. It would save wall space.
Great ideas!!
The reinforcement is really needed with those shelves. I bought the same shelves, a couple weeks later they were sagging. You would think paying 125.00 for each shelf u it they wouldn't sag. I ended up buying better shelves. Sad when you have to pay 300.00 to get decent shelves.
The bungee cord is SUCH a good idea! I would totally accidentally overfill a shelf like that.
Yeeeeeees! Maybe put a perpendicular piece of wood between each shelf as well.
Becky, when we built our home, we made a kitchen in the basement with a regular refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and sinks. That is where I did all of my canning. It was so convenient to be able to bring in the garden produce through the door in the basement. I also stored my canned items in the basement. You will find this is such an efficient plan as well as extra refrigerator space during holidays when you need more refrigerator space to prepare food in advance. As far as I am concerned and having already done this, it is the way to go. My kitchen downstairs was totally equipped so I saved steps with not having to bring cooking utensils and pans downstairs then taking them back up when finished with them. Good luck
After living in your kitchen a year, when you upgrade it use reuse your cabinets and any appliances in the basement!
Becky, I agree with Pat Spears. I’ve had my kitchen upgraded. So we used the cabinets in the basement as as the dish washer and refrigerator. Great canning kitchen and also keeps all that extra heat in the summer out of the main part of your house! Love, love, love you and your vlog! Thanks for being a great teacher!💗💗♥️♥️
As I am aging, I am finding the thought of a pot filling faucet over the stove a genius idea....food for thought! 😊 So exciting to be on your adventure with you!
Hi, coming of a Wine producer Country, Chile, I recommend for the wines that has corks if you want them to last, you can never put them in a vertical position. You need to put them in horizontal position. Is mandatory that the cork keeps the contact with the wine to preserve all the good condition. The Wines with synthetic or plastic lid are usually fresh and jung wines for a short term intake so it does not matter if you put them vertically.
So much this!! I was gonna comment this!
Yes! This! All corks need to stay wet to preserve them. If a cork dries out, it will crumble when you try to pull it. Hence ruining your wine. Store them horizontal or at an angle at all times
Perhaps they don’t have corks? I’m not a wine drinker, so I have no idea about those bottles.
I'd keep the freezers along with the other food items. Just makes sense to have everything food related together. Freeze dryer included. Or you'll have 3 rooms to move between, storage, main kitchen and garage. Finishing that lower area would be a high priority for me personally, kitchen, food(freezers and pantry) laundry and bathrooms are always the first things to complete after a move. I've moved a lot in my life and I don't mind sleeping on a mattress for even a year, as long as we finish those first
Another option would have been to put each shelf perpendicular to the back wall instead of one long shelf parallel to back wall. It will be more space efficient and will not create a drak space in the walking area behind the shelf.
The basement stays cool and the temperature won't swing much vs. the garage; therefore, it would be better for the longevity of your appliances to keep it in the basement.
@@uzmaawahid 100% agree. Like library shelving. Much more space efficient and easier to access. Also can be fastened to the wall so they aren’t freestanding.
@@MsErinMT Exactly even if the shelves are super sturdy, just having the short side is flush to the wall makes it a bit more secure.
What if you arranged the shelves perpendicular to the wall? You'd have front & back access, still be able to access your ducting when needed, and you could fit more shelves in the same amount of space.
My thoughts exactly!
Great idea!
I also thought about that 👍
@@jacquesmalan67 I would also get more shelves for possible perpendicular placement and make plans for food and flower drying and ferments including cheeses. I would also be giving some advance thought about the easiest, most efficient way to cart all this back and forth to the kitchen and patio area. If possible, I would have a rolling cooking, counter, storage unit that could go just outside on a paved area and expand to butchering meats if that's in the plan. Also a work space to design floral and other arrangements to go into the house.
YesI was also wondering that.
Basement is an EXCELLENT idea for a summer canning kitchen! I would put one freezer in the garage for immediate meals and one in the basement for longer term items.
I just wanted to reiterate the importance of replacing the press board of those shelves to something much stronger as I bought the same shelves and they promptly sagged, adding an intermediate bracket underneath is also a great idea! I'd hate for you to experience a preventable tragedy.
Yes, I have had some items leak onto the boards...now they are not as strong.
Used the same shelves in my garage. The front and back bars began to bow and the shelves were falling thru. Had to add a brace in the middle, front to back.
We used plywood cut to fit the shelves. Much stronger ❣
Listen to Kari a.
I buy the plastic shelving units from Home Depot (5-Tier Plastic Garage Storage Shelving Unit). They're easy to assemble, no tools required. Each shelf supports 200 lbs and 1000 lbs. overall. I have about 25 of them in my garage, kitchen and storage room. The only drawback is that each shelf is a fixed height. But none of them have ever broken from the weight and I even store gallons of water on them.
Becky, you are so motivating! I think you two should build a dumb-waiter for the basement; even if it is as simple as a basket on a pulley system. Love your channel! Thanks
Great idea.
Yes, perhaps from that little pantry room off the kitchen. If it lines up in the right spot in the basement.
Genius
P
That's what I was thinking. Going up and down stairs with canning equipment, food etc. Will be exhausting.
josh’s idea of living in the house and using the kitchen before doing reno’s is so smart. !
Hey Becky, I would definitely put all the freezers and freeze dryer in the basement. The basement would be prefect for a canning kitchen. I can’t wait to see how your new home comes together.
Completely agree. Everything in one spot, more efficient. From garden, to canning or freeze drying to storage. Less up and down from your main living area. I was planning on this method as well, you are just beating me to it. Great job!
Hi Becky when you want to build those two shelves that have no panels anymore, just go to Lowe's or Home Depot to get plywood that matches and have Josh cut to size. That way your not wasting the extra shelving.
Yes, this! My dad always built extra shelf boards for any cupboards, bookshelves, closets, everything. It’s life changing! Super useful!
Actually, they will cut for you also.
The units also have no shelf brackets...not just shelf boards...but replacement or extra shelves may be available...I would check manufacturers website
I’ve read almost all the comments and such wonderful advice. A few more thoughts.
Yes - to having a commercial kitchen in the basement.
Yes- to freezer and extra fridge in basement rather than garage.
Yes- to your shelf placement 26” away from back wall. Easy access for restocking newer items in the back rather than having to shuffle things from the front.
Yes - to replacing shelves and adding metal supports to prevent shelf sagging.
***. My suggestion is building a floor to rafter frame around the shelves. 4x4 posts at the four outer corners plus where each shelf unit meets. Bolt the shelf units to each other and to the 4x4s. Add 1x2 horizontally 2” - 2-1/2 inches above each shelf; front and back and outside ends. Sounds like a lot but This will save everything from Mother Nature shaking things up and from any accidental falls or pushing on the units.
Yes - to your organization of your ‘store’. Perfect! You might even need more shelf units as you continue to move from the original house.
Yes - to outside washing station to wash off garden dirt after harvest. Keeps dirt out of your basement kitchen.
*** Add vent fans and dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture from steam produced from cooking, water bath, and pressure cooking.
THANK YOU! Thank you for taking us along on your garden, cooking, and now, moving adventures. You’ve encouraged me to can on a smaller scale. Spending a day or two non-stop canning is no longer an option for me. But I am able to can a few jars of soup or beans when I make a pot. 2 boxes of Peaches are coming soon and I look forward to canning and dehydrating, If don’t eat them all first. You’ve encouraged me greatly. I appreciate how genuine you are, the team work between you and Josh, your willingness to share your lives. Thank you.
I think having the canning kitchen in the basement along with your freezers is a brilliant idea. This will save you from having to move from place to place and it's really convenient when harvesting from your garden. I also completely agree with waiting to remodel your kitchen. When I moved into my house I waited to see what was needed and how I used my kitchen before remodeling and I am so happy I did. (Just the placement of light switches alone was worth the wait!)
Looks great! My 2 cents is I would have all food-related items together in one space! It is just easier, you don't have to remember what is where and what inventory you have. And it is just generally more efficient for you in the long run.
One huge suggestion. I know it will be repeating some work you’ve already done but move those shelves away from the walls. Instead place then with one short end against the wall. Basically on right angles to the walls. It’s a total game changer. You will utilize your space better but more importantly, you will be able access your food from both sides. Totally makes access and rotation easier. You don’t have to worry about moisture or spiders getting behind your goods. Please try one. You will be amazed.
Becky, you always make us feel like a best friend is taking us along for the day! You are so sweet how you talk to your fans!
Putting an epoxy surface on the basement floor will help immensely with a future food prep/processing area. The place looks great!
I am 75 and I had no idea that going up and down the stairs all day would become very difficult for me the older I got. Having things on the main floor is something I wish we would have taken into consideration when we moved into this house, but at 50 I had no idea that might be the case at 75.
I know you are still young but keep it in mind, you never know when things might change! Love seeing how organized you are!
I can attest to that. 😬
Amen! We bought a second house (townhouse) close to our kids so we don't have to stay in hotels when we visit.. We've only owned it for a year and are already wanting to sell. We can't handle the stairs up to the bedrooms. At 70 and 73, we're spoiled living full-time on one level.
It's a permaculture principal. It actually applies to everything in life. I would definitely turn the basement into your stores and processing kitchen and working space. Closer to the garden and easy to access from the house
Yes, the shelves will definitely sag and warp. We bought the same ones from HD and they warped BADLY! I’d put some kind of support under each one or replace them with something more sturdy before you get too far into getting things settled. It will be a pain to unload all those gorgeous shelves so soon after you e gotten them all loaded!
This is EXCELLENT advice as I bought the same shelves, promptly loaded them up and they sagged. I am trying to send you ESP messages as I watch you add more weight to the cheap press board!
Please get the shelves reinforced ASAP. I would hate for you to have your shelves start sagging asks u not prepared for it. It will go bad/break/sag fast because u have do much weight on them.
Agree I have one that has warped really bad.
Another option is to double up the shelves. We did that with some Gorilla racks and with double particle board shelves they have been fine for the past 15 years.
Absolutely put your canning kitchen in the basement plus freezers. More cost efficient in running them and so much more comfortable canning and keeping the mess in one place. Canned goods go right on the shelves. No running them to their storage place.
Hey Becky. I’m sure someone else will say this too but watch for your wines that have a cork. They need to be stored on their sides. That cork needs to stay wet to maintain the integrity of the seal.❤️
I agree
Yes, was going to chime in with that!
I did not know that.
I thought about that, too, during the video! Screw tops and artificial cork will be fine, but natural cork will dry out and ruin the wine. That's why, historically, wine shelves were mostly horizontal. :)
Came here to say just this. It's easy to build some boxes with an "X" in the middle for cheap easy horizontal storage. Bet Josh could put some together with scraps in minutes.
Something else to consider. On the shelves, be it these or different ones in the future. I would put a 'lip" on the back side. That way it greatly lessens the risk of things accidentally being pushed off the back since they aren't up against the wall. It wouldn't have to be very tall, maybe a 1" x 2". Which would also be short enough that you could easily add things from the back side.
was thinking the same thing as I watched you loading
I was also wondering about tremors, seeing as they are in the PNW. Many make a guardrail around each shelf to prevent them from falling in case of tremors or earthquakes. :D
Glad I'm not the only one who was worried she was gonna push them off lol
@@chelseysiltman3067 IKR? I'm sure she knew where the end was, but I, myself, would have sent several "off the edge" I'm so clumsy! :D
I was thinking they could even use some of that old trim for now... some of those look long enough.
And heavier jars/items should be on the bottom.
When I moved into my current home, the previous owner left in the basement three huge ceiling to floor, solid wood shelves that are bolted to the walls! I was so grateful for that.
Becky, I am from Oregon City, but now live in South Carolina. I have two masters degrees in education including phonics, and you pronounce "caulking" accurately. It is a regional pronunciation. People always think the way they pronounce things is the correct way... ignore them. I love your channel, thanks for encouraging me and others to really think about food production and preservation.
I have to apologize for saying you had the incorrect pronunciation of caulking. In my defence, I googled it and it said the "L" is silent. I guess Google can be wrong. What else do "I" pronounce wrong.lol
Bless you! People talk how they talk.
My grandma had a canning kitchen in her basement and I always dreamed of having everything on one place. So far at 68 it hasn't happened. But I think it's a perfect plan. Add your freezers, freeze dryer, etc and put in a small kitchen, even with a small apartment size fridge. You want ice nearby when you blanch things. Butter for adding a pat to your jelly making. Etc
We make our own wine and you shouldn’t store your wine sitting up because it dries out the cork, which should always stay wet. There are lots of wine racks on Amazon that would fit into your storage area. I also like the idea of putting the freezers downstairs because the freezer won’t have to work as hard since it is a cool area.
Basements tend to stay cooler even in the summer so if your electric would ever go off from an outage, the temperature in your freezers will stay colder longer than if it is in a garage thus keeping your food safer longer. Besides not having to run as frequently, saving energy and cost.
I love the idea of having all your canning, freeze drying and dehydrating goods down in the basement. Freezers down there also would be great. Love the look, so exciting to see it all in one place.
Hello just a warning on the shelves. No matter how you place your canned goods on those shelves they still bow. We placed 2 2x12 in the shelf and that works really well. It may be a little overkill but we were not risking all that work.Congrats on the new house!
I'd definitely put the freezers in the basement with all of the other food. Love the idea of putting your canning kitchen in the same area as well.
Love the idea of everything being in the basement: shelves, chest freezers and canning Station. Maybe get plumbing into there so you have an area to wash produce from the garden too?
I've been following this series of your "New House" vlogs and I remembered you mentioned in one of your previous vlogs that Josh wanted to use some basement space where he could practice his drums. Now that you've mentioned that you may turn this basement into a food prep and storage "facility" then maybe Josh could make use of the shop upstairs for his music studio? You could soundproof the room so his music noise doesn't disturb the rest of the house or the neighbors. It gives both of you ample workspace where you don't have to sort of get in each other's way. I love your vlogs and I just want you to know that you're living my dream. Much love to you!
Josh's drum setup could also be in the shop rather than the basement. Really like the garden bounty trotting into a summer kitchen in the basement. Cooler temp is really beneficial to freezers and prepping food. Good job...being open to suggestions. Might think about under the stairs being enclosed for root veggies in a no-light area.
I've been reading many of the comments. Becky you have built such a great community of people who really want to help you succeed and be so efficient. I agree with most that the canning kitchen in the basement would be so practical. Deep freezers and the whole nine yards all in one convenient place. Also the basement in most houses are the safest places to be. I don't know what your area looks like as far as weather and natural disasters etc. but Im thinking storms, power outages, fires, and so forth. I live in Tornado alley so thats always on my mind. Loved this one and dang girl you hit the strawberry jackpot. I bet the previous homeowners are missing those.
FYI, a couple members on one of my homesteading pages did in fact lose hundreds of jars on those exact shelves. I also have those shelves and haven't had any problems but will be replacing with plywood soon.
A basement canning kitchen sounds like a great idea, especially with a walk out basement. You could put a high BTU propane burner or three, like a turkey fryer burner, right outside the basement to quickly get your pressure canner(s) up to pressure without heating up the canning kitchen.
Ask Hubby to build a wine rack (in that cubby by the 2 new shelves) for you. Bonus that the basement is so cool = ideal wine storage potential!
This is a great idea
Keep everything together in the basement. It's such a big space and will be so convenient for you. I'm a prepper as well and I hate that all my freezers are in the garage. If I had a basement I would definitely utilize the space. Heck girl, you could set up area for you to sow your seeds before planting outside.
I would keep everything together, due to the freezers being cooler down there and all the food you will freeze dried will be in the freezer and will keep you from having to run up and down the stairs with everything. I like how you have things set up so far. Keeping things together like that is a good idea. I got to get some shelves for my laundry room to put my stock items on and containers for flour and meal, sugar, and bread flour.
I'm old; the old timers didn't have ac, so a basement "summer kitchen" was the bees knees.
That way the main house isn't getting heated up.
It works so much better.
Dedicated space for preserving.
Leaves the normal kitchen to be just for normal cooking.
I would do 3/4 ply for shelves would support better
I'm an oldie as well and yep the basement kitchen is a dream. Only thing that would make it more perfect would be a hole through the. Foundation down there for a below ground root cellar 😁 that would be the bees knees AND the cats meow👍
Where I'm from they had the summer kitchens separate from the house but connected by a hall. You'd see these long old houses of boxes of different sizes, someone once pointed them out to me and said it was "front house, back house, kitchen, shed." And explained it was the summer kitchen separated so as not to heat up the whole house.
Oh my gosh, I love your property and garden!!!
We bought our house from an elderly farm couple and as I shared above, it was her summer kitchen as they had no a.c. Summertime in my upstairs kitchen could reach well over 100* and was unbearable. Canning downstairs made living upstairs a lot more tolerable. Once we got air conditioning canning downstairs kept our cooling costs MUCH lower. I had forgotten just how much hot the kitchen can get until I got down here to Ecuador last week, where we have no air conditioning. Quite a difference.
the processing kitchen in the basement is just the smart move. Flow of life is the way to make those decisions and it sounds like that would be the natural flow.
I agree with the basement canning kitchen. It makes a lot of sense to have everything together. Since this is considered your forever home it will be easier long term. As you age you will probably like having everything together on one level and not having to make unnecessary trips up and down the steps. Your making such a beautiful home. Josh is doing an amazing job on the trim as well.
I recently did an overhaul of my basement. I put my freezers in the basement with my food storage and I love it. I made a canning section downstairs in my basement as well. I feel so organized! A canning kitchen in the basement is am amazing idea! Go for it!!!
Canning kitchen in the basement would be a dream! So much less shuffling, keep the heat of everything out of your main living spaces, if you dehydrate something smelly like onions you could have it right outside of those doors.. whoever suggested it is SO smart.
I love the look on your face when you ate the first strawberry! It is truly the little things in life that bring the most happiness. As for the freezers, I would keep them in the basement. If the garage gets hot, it will run up your electricity bill while they try to keep things frozen. I love the idea of the freeze dryer in the basement, but it depends on if you are able to prep all of your food down there too. If not, I would put it upstairs so that it is easier to prep and maneuver food to it. So happy and excited for you both!
if the sellers of the home see this, they will probably have a good cry (or drool) seeing all of their strawberries,.. But they are certainly not going to waste!! and they'd be Happy about That!!
Freeze the leftover strawberries and make jam later on. I love the storage area. I would put the freezers in there as well. A food prep kitchen would be awesome.
My opinion is the basement for the freezers. For two reasons, the bulk food all together like you said, and the freezer will run more efficiently in the basement with less external fluctuation of temperature. That is inherently cooler, so if you ever lose power, you have more time to be patient.
Good point about them running more efficiently!
LOVE the idea of having a canning kitchen in the basement. Seems like you’d e able to organize a great layout for full/empty jars, as well as be able to keep your other canning supplies close.
I am loving these moving videos for several reasons 1) it's really cool and I learn a lot watching other people utilize their spaces, 2) your house is absolutely amazing 3) it's not me having to move 🙃❤️
The idea of the canning kitchen in the basement is an awesome idea. Having the food in one area is smart especially being pregnant.
Your freezers would keep frozen longer during a power outage in the basement than they would in the garage. Your freeze dryer would benefit from the cooler temperatures down there too. The canning kitchen being in the basement directly beside the garden would be a ✨ DREAM ✨
I’d keep everything together for ease. Maybe you should get a shopping basket when you go down there and do your own home shopping when it’s time to cook! Loving the setup!
As someone who has used those shelves for storage for years:
1 replace the 3/8" shelf particle boards with 1/2" plywood asap - the weight will bow the shelves until they crack and any humidity in the air will absorb into them and accelerate the process
2 cover them with contact paper to "seal" them from liquid spills and easy cleaning
3 turn them 90 degrees to stick out from the wall so that they can be secured to the wall
4 put the freezers with the shelves so all your food is in one area
We have those same shelves, and used them for our pantry for years. After a mouse infestation, we decided to put everything in glass jars (no bags that can be eaten through). We also replaced the shelves at that time. I believe we used 3/4" plywood, and covered them with shelf liner to keep cleaning easy. It worked great! The original particle shelves didn't ever break, but they did sag enough to make me pretty nervous. I would replace the shelves with the heaviest loads asap.
Also....chair rail, or panel cap. That trim you couldn't remember the name of. It was originally designed to keep chairs from hitting and marring the plaster walls. Kind of like a bumper.
You and Josh are such hard workers! Having a basement to store all of your extras is going to make so much room in your kitchen. I made Cowboy candy yesterday and actually canned it. My first attempt at canning and it was so easy. Thank you so much for all of your canning recipes and tips!
My sister has a canning kitchen in her basement. It’s amazing and so much cooler.
The idea on keeping all freezers and prep items in the basement is the best way to go, to help keep it all in 1 area and save the steps up/down to carry wherever. Any freezers/refrigerators kept in a garage/carport have to work harder to keep cool when in a warm/hot enclosed space. I will say this as for colors of paint, if the room is small and you want to make it look bigger then go with light/neutral colors. If the room is big/huge and you want to make it appear smaller, then use darker colors. I learned the "hard way" not to use dark colored paint in small rooms...it made the room appear as if it had shrunk drastically! Other than that, y'all are doing a great job on your new place!
Definitely make the basement into a “One Stop Shop”. All food processing/canning in the kitchen basement 😀
Think about how many times you will be going up and down the stairs.
I love the idea of a canning kitchen in the basement. The flow from garden produce to stored food looks to be optimal.
I would put your jars back in the jar boxs or low costco boxs so you can see what is in them and put a label/date on Metal part of the shelf right below the food box like at the groc store and bungie cord the front and back of each shelf in front of the boxs to secure them in case they get Bumpt, Earthquake, Mount Saint Helen's eruption or something of that sort just to be on the safe side with all your hard work and investment! Love you we are so proud of you both congratulations on your new home 🏡
The basement is shaping up! It sounds like it would be a good place to put all of your food prep equipment and your chest freezers so that you have everything in one place. I think that would simplify your processing efforts. Then you are right next to your shelves to load them on when they are done being processed. The transition wood in the powder room is called a chair rail. They were installed back in the day to prevent chairs from hitting and marking the walls, hence, chair rail. You got so much done!!! Congratulations, Becky!!!!! It's looking good!
Oh, man, I’m kinda jealous that you have the space to put a canning kitchen so close to your future garden! What a fab idea! I think putting the freezers and freezer dryer down there is the right move, too. In the event of a power outage, they’ll stay cool longer and risk a lot less food loss if your power is out for several days. (I live on the east coast. It’s not unusual to lose power for up to ten days during a particularly bad hurricane season or after a long nor’easter.) As a bonus, if you eventually get a generator or set up your own solar farm on the roof, it would be really easy to lay the infrastructure out to power that one essential space, rather than running appliances all over the house in different locations. Cheaper to run it all to one primary location, too.
Growing up on a farm, our 2nd kitchen in the basement was a lifesaver for my mom. Also during the holidays both kitchens were used to prepare food. You have an awesome homestead!
A table in your "grocery store " will be really helpful when you are adding or subtracting large amount of food products, gathering items for a preserving project, bringing down cases of filled canning jars and many other things
I agree with everyone else. I'd keep ALL the food related things in the basement: freezers, canning kitchen, feeze dryer, etc. Just makes more sense and the freezers wouldn't have to work as hard as they would in the garage. The house is really shaping up
That was my suggestion to turn the basement into your preserving kitchen. I would put your freezers, freeze dryer etc down there as well - not only is it naturally cooler so more energy efficient on those appliances, but it also ties in with your preserving efforts.
Like you said you can eventually bring veggies straight in, prepare them, then preserve them either in the freezer, the freeze dryer, the dehydrator or via canning.
I would probably put a propane and water hookup just outside the basement doors so you could can out there and keep the heat (and some of the initial dirt from your produce) out of your main preserving areas.
Becky you gave me inspiration! I bought 2 chrome shelves with wheels. I moved all my canned foods, canning jars to the basement for those shelves. My dry goods (flour, sugar, yeast, etc) into 5 gallon food safe buckets. I’ll order gamma lids for them. My adult kids visited and saw the set up in the basement. They said Hey mom has a grocery store downstairs. Thanks Becky again for the inspiration. I Love everything in one place ! So easy to restock as I use.
Keep it all together Becky ! Way cooler in basement space ...oh how I would love that area ! So very happy for you all !
Definitely keep the freezers in the basement where all your other food and supplies are. I'm so envious! Your basement pantry is so amazing!
I like the idea of the canning kitchen in the basement. Also freezers, food dehydrator and freeze dryer all downstairs. That would be more efficient! Especially because you have access to your garden. It is cooler in the basement.
I think the idea of everything together is a good idea. I'd definitely have the freezers in the cooler part to save on energy consumption.
I can't believe how hard you guys are working AND you're making time to share your progress with us all too! Thank you.💐💐
I love the idea of a whole processing storing freezing and working table area in the basement.
Keeping the freezers in the basement is the best bet energy wise, unless the garage is temperature controlled. Generally a garage can be super hot in the summer, making the freeze work harder to stay cold. I LOVE the Canning Kitchen in the basement idea!
It seems like a great idea to keep everything food related together. The one thing I would be concerned about would be all the steam and moisture that is put out with traditional canning. If you could vent all that moisture then keep everything together!
Dehumidifiers?
Hi, Becky! I bought shelving from Lowes that are heavy duty with heavy wire shelves that hold 600 lbs. Like you, I don't want my jars on wire, so I put 1/4" plywood sheets on the 2' x 4" shelves. This is working great!
Your freezers will run more efficiently if they are in a somewhat climate controlled area. I am so jealous of your basement! What a wonderful space for your food prep, storage, etc. I would put everything down there and make it a food prep haven! This could not happen to a better person. You are such an inspiration!
If the power goes, the freezers will stay colder, longer in the basement.
Wow! How nice this will be to have all your food storage in one space and not in several room, cupboards and spaces! I would set your things up where ever it is most convenient. If you are in your freezers a lot then have them close. Same goes with your freeze dryer. Your bathroom is going to be gorgeous!!
I agree put all your freezers and canning kitchen down in the basement. Along with your freeze dryer. That way you can use a wheelbarrow or a wagon to bring your vegetables directly into the basement. Sounds like you have a good plan there. I also like that your bring over your stuff a little at a time this way you don't feel overwhelmed. It's nice that you don't have to move all at once. Don't forget to make a video for your last day at your old place. Where you started TH-cam channel and then your new journey in your life.
The amount of space you have is just amazing. Love the "store" area. I think putting most of the food preserving in one area would be such a blessing. I remember in the first tour you mentioned a canning kitchen. If that's close to the basement, that would be perfect for you. This new homestead has so much potential for you & Josh.
I love the idea of having your processing room in the basement. That would be so much easier! Have everything down there and in one spot.
I would suggest your freezers and freeze dryer down in the basement because it will save on energy and the freeze dryer likes to operate in lower room temperatures. Once you get over 75 degrees in the room with the freeze dryer it takes a bit longer to freeze the food and cool the chamber down. I would definitely do the basement as a preservation kitchen that would be awesome! Happy preserving, Rebecca.
Lol. Becky, I’m addicted to these blogs! Your basement sounds like a great place for processing, canning and dehydrating in a large, cool place. I watched one canner even had a stove in her canning room. She washed, prepped, canned and stored in one spot.
Becky - I have those same shelves and the particle board sags over time. I would suggest reinforcing them now or replacing with plywood BEFORE you put all of your canned goods on them 🙂
I’m so scared for her canned goods! I’ve seen way too many horror stories on my FB canning groups 💔
I agree with you, those shelves may be better used in the garage for tools maybe.
Agree. . .we have them as well for storage, with nothing near as heavy as canned food, and they do sag. It's annoying actually!
I agree, we have these shelves and ours sagged really bad in the middle. We had to make an "T" shaped support between each shelf.
Good advice Steve. We have the same shelves and have had the same experience.
I love the idea of the basement being your prep kitchen, etc. That space upstairs could be his own area for the drums, etc. You could even sound proof it!
Highly recommend replacing the board for the shelves. We had the same ones at my old office job for closed file storage and they cracked within three months and were basically useless after that. Love the new house!! Congrats y’all!! 😊
I have had mine for over a year and have each shelf to its weight limit with no issues.
@@hoperay6967 but would you risk all your hardwork and food storage? I would definitely be reinforcing just in case. Then she can focus on other things instead of constantly worrying if her shelves will give or not :-)
Love the progress! I would suggest storing your wine collection on its side as there is the risk of the cork drying out and turning it into vinegar if left upright too long.
A kitchen in the basement is an Italian tradition here in Southern Ontario. You can always tell when Italians have lived in the house. It is so practical. It's cooler, it doesn''t have to be fancy smancy because you never invite company there. You can make a mess and walk away for the rest of the day. When the day comes that stairs become an issue, you will also probably be doing less canning anyway. It's a win win all around. Best of luck in your lovely new home.
We have some of those shelves for our pantry and they do bow in time. I end up flipping the board over once a year to try to keep it relatively flat which has worked for several years. Adding an extra support bar underneath each shelf would help with the bowing, too.
I would keep everything in one spot. So much easier to have a whole area for preserving. Love the idea of making a kitchen in the basement and having it all together.
Love your videos.those strawberries looked so good
You definitely need a kitchen in the basement
I couldn’t agree more about living in the space for a year first. I was adamant about removing a wall when we moved to our new homestead … but I made myself wait for a year … and I learned I absolutely loved the more closed off 80’s separation to my kitchen … so glad I didn’t tear the wall out!
I have my freezers in my garage and I had my freeze dryer there too. However, when it got hot outside, my freeze dryer had a message on it warning that it was too warm to run it and running it could damage the vacuum pump. I had to move it inside. And the heat in the garage makes the freezers run more, using more power, which is so expensive right now. I don't have a basement to put them in but I would suggest the basement for those things.
I am in the upper Midwest. Yes the freezer and extra fridge over works in the heat. Will never put them in the garage again.