Did Our Food Supply Last Through Winter? | Earthbag Root Cellar
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- We take you down into the root cellar to see what root crops have stored through an entire winter and what canned foods we have remaining. We give our thoughts on how the root cellar has held up and what changes we plan to make this upcoming growing season.
Building the Earthbag Root Cellar:
Part 1 - • Earthbag Root Cellar B...
Part 2 - • Earthbag Root Cellar B...
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Well, for the last couple of weeks, I went through all of your videos and I must say I love you guys. Watching Arielle gardening is what made me decide to start again my garden this year and we already started building the raised beds, went and got the soil for them and now we are waiting for the weather to warm up in order to start planting. So thanks a lot for everything that you post, for me you are an inspiration! Best wishes from Romania!
DAMIANA ILINCA that is so awesome! Thank you for tuning in on our journey and we are so glad to inspire you 😀
for the tomatoes try to grow san marsanos, they should like the amount of sun u get during the summer, you may have to seed then fist so they get a head start for the growing season but the realy make the best "sause" tomato, i grow a lot of them on my balcony in sweden, oh and try to grow piri piri peppers or thai peppers, piri piri make great sambal and thai are the best for making anything hotter
@@SimpleLivingAlaska Was thinking of you today when I saw this video from Al Lumnah over at Lumnah Acres in New Hampshire th-cam.com/video/AwlyWZk6n0Y/w-d-xo.html Biscuits homemade on a wood stove.
B
I started small with a herb garden with my very not green thumb but I've been drying the herbs and using them in fresh cooking. I started fermenting some foods and def trying to use foods up before they go in new ways. This fall I am going to rough-in a vegetable garden and hopefully start some seeds over winter. Wishing you luck!
It must be frustrating to look down in your comment section and find out all the ways you're doing things wrong. There's more than one way to skin a cat. You do you.
You guys are doing great. Keep it up!
Terny exactly!!
So true! Personally I look at these type of videos because I enjoy them, but also in order to see if there are any tips and tricks I can pick up on and apply to my own gardening etc. I’m not here to teach two strangers on how to live their lives. Good rule of thimb is, if someone you don’t know didn’t ask for advice don’t give it! Part of the fun is to actually figure things out on your own.🙂 /Scandinavian viewer
@@soilgrasswaterair but if you don't know something is wrong why would you ask for advice?
Somebody who gives unasked advice may just say something that makes a lot of "sense" and you'd think "oh, that never occurred to me!"
Although that's very different from criticism.
Why would anyone be annoyed if you learn to improve?
This guy had to dig deep..
I think these guys are the bees knees
Building a wood burning block or brick “rocket stove” outside, as an alternative to a propane stove, for canning purposes would help reduce the overall cost. Thanks for the good videos.
Chef Jeff yes! I pressure can on a rocket stove made of stacked bricks. It’s economical for sure! Plus I love being able to can outside.
Even the Eco Stove that was shown could be used with very little fuel/cost.
Ariel you can always replant your carrot tops by cutting 1 inch below green top and they will regrow for seeds. So you can get your seeds for other years
The Amish can on wood stoves all the time,my in laws do this way.
Good shout Jeff. Heat control on a rocket stove is pretty good. And economical with fuel!
There is probably not 1 in 1000 couples that could do what you guys have done. Your videos are very informative and entertaining, thanks, and keep it up!!!
Get the book "Putting Food By" by Ruth Hertzberg. Tells how to cold store fresh veggies and fruits in a root cellar. Love your videos.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!
@@joeygibbs4775time and a place
Something to know about freezing celery is that when it freezes, it bursts all of the cells of the celery because it is so full of water. Much more so than leeks. Once it thaws, it is literally just completely limp mush. So you may want to consider dehydrating it instead. It reconstitutes well in hot liquid.
Sweet tip! Youre awesome too!😉
Thats amazing to know!
All vegetables and fruits. When frozen, the water expands (peculiarity of water). The expansion bursts the cells forming the structure. Once thawed, without the structure, they are limp and soggy.
Ive got a better idea. Dont eat celery because its gross! I jest mostly...
I freeze chopped celery. I hate celery and only use it in soups/sauce/cooked so limpness made it easier to consume. But dehydrating sounds great!
When canning lids became scarce a few years ago, I decided to carefully lift off them off the glass and save them. If you use a spoon or nickle, you can ease the lids off without warping them. Then reuse them in the waterbath process. I wouldn't reuse them in the pressure canner. They can be reused time after time. 🤗
The jar opener she's using looks like the same one I have. It is very gentle on the lids,rarely bending them at all.
I have wrapped green tomatoes in newspaper and they lasted until after Jan.
Yes they will ,we did this when I lived at home,we would do it when a frost was coming and that would be the end of the garden.lisa in East Central Ohio
My mom stored them in cardboard stackable fruit boxes when green and they take months to ripen and stay great. When she wanted them soon she would put them in a fruit basket with bananas and apples etc and they ripened faster from the offgas
@Rebecca Conn I plant 24 plants and then make marinara sauce before canning. That way, I can add meat (or not) later, stretching the volume. I also make salsa, so part of my tomatoes are for that, plus green onions, peppers, cilantro, oregano and garlic. Five tomato plants would probably only serve my raw tomato consumption...we all have different ways to make it work.
Old school
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!
I dehydrate Onions, Celery, Tomatoes. They extend soups and casseroles tremendously without taking up so much space. Your root cellar is amazing. Great Job!
Obviously impressive and a clear demonstration of what 21st century marriage partnership and foundational education for young people should entail.
I was waiting for a root cellar update. Amazing how much food can be stored.
Don’t reduce your canning too much though. You will want ready to eat food available for convenience but also for emergencies when you might not be able to cook. If you get feeder pigs you can feed the leftovers to them before canning your new batch. Nothing goes to waste.
Try to record numbers from planting, harvest, canning, fresh storage and inventory throughout the winter - I’m very curious about those :)
Keep it up and stay healthy !
They won’t go to waste just eat older jars first.
I was wondering if they kept a grow journal
I can and dry food. I like to make sure I do enough to last at least 18 months, in case we have a bad growing season.
Ida, built that cellar under the cabin, and use it for a safe bunker also, it would stay a little warmer.☃️
And, they are months away from any harvest this year. What appears as excess is yet to be consumed before fresh harvest.
I love that you talk about what doesnt work. Life isnt all rainbows and butterflies.
I save the boxes that the jars come in and then when I store them I store them in their own boxes which allows me to stack them.
I'm thinking it's to damp down there to do that🤔
@@503rpf yeah but they have a few storage places. I bought a shelf on amazon and I keep all my canning jars on that
@@503rpf clear spraypaint
@@tinsoffish1810 😂😂good luck with that one😂😂 90% humidity down there. I would use milk crates or build pressure treated crates. But I'm pretty sure they got it figured out😉
@@tdewtx I personally keep mine in the boxes too. But it looked like they wear storing the empty jars down there? And they always talk about how much storage they don't have. So who knows?
I came across a video the other day of a man who dries his kale and then adds it to his soups and stews and they rehydrate that way. May be a way to save by not having to can the greens!
We do this. Dry, pulverize, a 5 gallon bucket of kale will store in a main jar. And we add it to everything! Dehydrate carrots, onions, celery... None of it takes a new canning lids... But does require some system.
Nice! I was thinking of dehydrating greens for soups, smoothies, etc. Good to know it works.
I like that idea. Home canned greens scare me because of botulism risk.
I was gifted a huge bag of kale. Not sure I'd like it. I dehydrated it and crushed it down I've been using it in almost everything. Just a TB in anything makes it healther. All soups n sauces and the grandkids don't notice.
Autumngypsie I just did two big bunches of kale in my vitamix with a little water. Stems and all. Just three or four bursts. I then fill up ice cube trays with the mixture or small 2" containers and freeze . Setting trays etc on a baking sheet to freeze. I tip the cubes out of their containers into freezer bags ready for soups, smoothies or adding to casseroles, quiche for nutrition. I got the idea from Phyllis Stokes channel , she said to always add an orange to a smoothie and you won't taste the greens.
World is changing. Maybe it’s not the time to scale down.
Lu my thoughts
@@SnowinSummer37 or just get the reusable lids. then all you have to think about is fuel.
@@SnowinSummer37 I actually like her idea on things she might not need to can which frees up more jars for things she could can. With all the wood resources around them, canning on a rocket stove might be a good choice. A bit more fidgety I am sure, but if you are trying to be self sustainable, nothing better than wood heat and being able to use those branches that fell in the woods rather than letting em rot.
Rocket Stove Pressure Canning
th-cam.com/video/7Un5482jFkA/w-d-xo.html
You have so much more preserves in your root cellar than the preserving and embalming
of King Tut's body, or mummification process on his way to the Ancient Egyptian afterlife.
Love, Light, Peace & Gratitude.
Outstanding work. From germination, seedlings, harvest, canning, preserving, cooking and eating. Bravo from a huge fan.
Great video. That salad looks so good. Enjoy
If those jars of greens were mine, I would use them up quickly in curried chicken and vegetable dishes, and my favorite, zuppa toscana. The soup is mostly green and white vegetables. I make it using my own beef broth with some pieces of beef in it, onions, garlic, small cubed white potatoes, cabbage, cannellini beans (added at the end), lots of greens (any of beet, kale, cavolo nero etc.) salt, pepper and Italian spices. I have also made it with Herb de Provence instead of Italian herbs. A bit of a left turn on the Italian dish, but it works. I also use olive oil and some butter for flavor. My particular thing for my health that I do with this soup is this. After I have my serving in my bowl, I add 2 tablespoons of malt vinegar. Any vinegar would do. Then I stir that in. Buon appetito!
You should try the soup it was based on 'caldo verde' itsmore simple, but really easy to change according to whats on hand.
If you get a Sun Oven, you can dehydrate throughout the summer and fall without using any fuel. Lunch looks delicious! I'll be over soon ;)
I like that this is focused on how well your Pantry stood up to your family's ACTUAL needs! This way you can narrow down your planting (or purchasing) to ensure the stuff you really do eat a lot of gets laid in or grown in abundance in it's season. Plus, it's honest & straightforward & says 'Really guys, we do eat what we store!' lol!!!!
The simplest method of canning is I use my fireplace then put the stainless steel 50 liter pot on top of a simple steel rod welded triangle with rod footings 6 inches above the fire brick floor. I wait for the coals to burn down then add a stick or two to keep the fire and pot hot and going. It is an art and may need a little practice but works everytime. The jars I collect from people who do not use them anymore or when I buy tomato sauce. Alot of elderly people have jars and junk that they do not use. Nice vid I enjoyed watching your root cellar and cooking! :)
I live in Sask. Canada, we can't plant outside 'til June 1st. I love that you all had so much food to keep you through the winter! How satisfying is that? I'm just starting, yet my goals are similar. 👍❤
I hear you! I'm over in Northern BC and we can't plant outside until after May long weekend. But I always start plenty of seeds indoors every year.
Hey, Saskatchewan here as well. SE area. I think we might be able to get into the garden mid May this year. Hope it gets warm where you're at!
Same here in Nova Scotia, last frost is sometime in June and then in September again. You need a greenhouse+root cellar + meat is important (turning grass into meat.. grass grows well here and frost is no issue). Also a few freezers to freeze blueberries, meat, etc.
Same I’m up in northern Alberta and we can go plant until almost June and then by September it starts to freeze again
My salute to all the work canning, and the quality of storage. I thought boy, that's cold when I saw the frost on the walls going down. When I saw the liquid in the jars, I thought WHAT?! The cellar must really work.
have you thought about a small hut over the top of the root cellar, with some insulation you could store more things for drying out like the herbs or maybe items that need a cold but dryer air
I was just thinking that myself. We have plans for a new 8 x 10 shed to be built this spring or summer. A root cellar underneath would be a great start.
A small greenhouse might work....
Awesome. I'm off grid in Wasilla. Not far from you all. I've got milk cows,beef cows, chickens and a garden and greenhouse etc. I've been wanting to build a root cellar for years. You guys are motivating me to finally do it. Thanks for the video!
University of Alaska has an extension program for master gardeners, they would have a lot of answers to your questions abt your crops, storage etc. Just a thought
For us, canning is very cost effective; because we buy jars on sale and I can on a wood cookstove and use the wood from our land of 40 acres of woods! I have been canning for 20 years, so my jars have been paid off a long time ago. Great video by the way!
I wanted to write a long and impressive review but I can’t even find the words to sum up the way I felt about watching your videos you guys have done such an impressive job you took us on such a journey I felt like I was there with you I did everything apart from literally tasting the carrot 💓💓💓🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🤗
Seeing this after seeing the root cellar being buried just hits different 😢
The root cellar did very well. very impressive!! I am impressed with carrot and beet storage - will have to maybe try the shavings. Being a new build, things are obviously settling - hopefully it all rectifies itself. I do reuse some of the snap lids, but they have to be perfect before I will reuse. I reuse the snaps on jams and jellies but I have used on other stuff as well. I do old school and still use glass tops with rubber rings on certain things like tomatoes, fruit, etc. , which keeps costs down as well. But the big saving for me is I have everyone save their spaghetti sauce, pickle, or any type of jar that has a self sealing lid...as long as the enamel on the inside of the lid is not damaged and the rubber is in good shape, I use them for everything (I wouldn't pressure can with them but no problem hot water bathing) and they work absolutely great. Added bonus is that it keeps them out of the landfil. I have alot and I am always on lookout for more! LOL. Good job you two!
yes, olives, pickles, gardeneria, jams/jellies, ... inspect, try it for water bath canning and if it seals, it's fine.
You should consider using earth bags to redesign your entrance into your root cellar. Pretty simple, dig a slope down, it doesn't have to be very long. Use your tracker to backfill and cover. Then you will be able to lower the humidity even better because of that slope entrance and more vents or larger vents. Remember warm air rises and root cellars are warmer in the winter. Exterior drainage is key for humidity and flooding. Hope to see you build a root cellar on high ground, dig down and use material to keep water draining away from cellar exterior. Remember you can always bury a cellar and avoid the frost line. It's just a matter of thickness which you can control with that tractor.
I migth be throwing a wild guess here, but I think, Arielle loves potatoes 😆
Who doesn't!?
Love your root cellar tours! Great content as always 👍
About storage of the selleri and leeks. I found this info from a Swedish farmers journal from 1989. As you probably know, big parts of Sweden have similar climate to yours.
"About storing vegetables: Leeks and cauliflower are ground in boxes, ie put with the roots in moist sand or peat-mixed sand. On the celery, the outer leaves are removed and the roots are shortened, while the inner leaves can be left if you appreciate them. The roots of the leek are shortened so that it does not start to grow again. The outer leaves will dry out, but when they are removed, the rest of the leeks will turn out fresh. The outer leaves of the cauliflower are removed and the rhizome is removed for the most part. Cabbage and red cabbage are freed from their large outer leaves and roots. They are stored upside down on shelves or even better hanging, two and two tied together in the rhizome over a pole. Onions are an exception and must be dried thoroughly before placing them in a cold room for winter storage. A cellar that is good for root vegetables is too moist for onions."
Looking forward to seeing how you change things up for your root cellar this year!
that is so interesting!
Have you looked at tattler canning lids and gaskets. They are reusable. They are more expensive to start but should be much cheaper over time.
The regular lids are reusable, but I didn't tell you that.
They are only guarantee for 1st use. But, if removed carefully, can be used many times.
I like the tattler lids. I feel like there's a learning curve and I don't feel like they seal quite as tightly as the metal lids, but I haven't had any problems with them.
Rings and lids combined yes... but the rings/gaskets are meant to be replaceable..I bought 2 boxes of replacement rings for under $5.00..The website offers 3 dozen each size(rings and lids) for $54-57 so the actual cost is about 80 cents each unit..Shipping however might be prohibitive.. but as you said already they are reusable.. Get ten uses out of a ring and it averages out to 8 cents each.
That's an awesome way of life ! Learning that you go through nearly 500 cans as two for 6months is insane ! That's like 2-3 per day ?! A prepper who wants food storage for at least 5 years would need a warehouse underground !
Fermenting vegetables in large crocks was once a popular way to have edibles through the winter. Its a better way to preserve the nutrients that canning destroys.
You mean like sauer craut?
@@pheart2381 Yes, but you can also ferment most others too. Cucumber, onions, garlic, beets, peppers etc.
@@The411 didnt know that,thanks.
I love watching your videos. I lived in Oregon (Eugene, Go Ducks) for 20 years and now live in Colorado. Learning lots that I may never apply, but love to know!
Great canned cellar. With Markalot marker put the date on each jar so you know over the seasons as to when you made it. To Practice “first in first out!” You will find it a good idea. Took me a couple of years to figure this out! I am in my early 80’s and spent years raising a large family. Everything you have you ca save a couple of years but don’s go 3-4 years. Good luck!!
Great video Arielle and Eric you both are so comfortable in front of the camera that someone you think we TV pros!
Why don't you write a book that starts with a planting guide, canning guide and your recipes??
SUPER MOM I’d especially like to see the ratio of family to groceries and lessons learned.
If you want to have a freezer/refrigerator in summer build a second root cellar and open it during winter to allow the ground to freeze. Lining it with plastic jugs full of water will help as well - the additional mass will keep it cooler longer.
Yay, time for a sitback and a coffee!
Excellent video. Still viewing all your videos from 2 - 3 years ago. Best wishes to you both. Very inspiring videos.
Arielle, how did you get so smart, young lady? I’m just so amazed with your knowledge. And, I learned so much from you and still learning. Keep going, girlfriend👍
I hope your journal, diary and scrap book are growing as well as those vegetables. I'm looking forward to the book.
PS take lots of still shot photos too.
As always your videos are sooooooo helpful. Your canning, storing, growing, shelter structure, planning , and cooking are alllllll so helpful. I am grateful for your videos.
Thanks for sharing the stored carrots and beets.
I recommend celeriac root! It makes plenty of (strongly flavored!) celery leaves that you can store as a dried herb, and the celery flavored root should store just as well as any other root. It's stalks are thinner and more stringy than "normal" celery, but the flavor is much stronger and more herbal, so little sliced fresh on a salad would go a long way!
You really did good over the winter and now you know what and how much to plant this spring.
We dehydrate 90% of the celery that we grow, it rehydrates really well and we use it in alot of our soups and stews and stir frys.
You guys are my heroes.
For the long term celery storage - you could look into celeriac. It makes a great celery-tasting root veg for long term storage, and you can eat/can the stalks and leaves just like celery. It's a good multipurpose veg an might solve the storage problem - i'm not sure how the fleshy stalks would last in sub-freezing temperatures.
This is what we have here in Romania all year long, celery not so much. Is very productive, tasty and you can keep it very long time . Also we have 2 types of Parsley cultivated for root part. The size of those is similar ro carrots.
Why not dehydrate your celery? I've heard you need to blanch it with a bit of soda in the water to retain the color and quality.
You are by far my favorite channel right now, your happiness and attitude is contagious! 🇺🇸
I am so happy I just found your channel!! I just moved to Alaska and have recently started my own channel about Alaska and our adventures here. I can't wait to check out all your videos!
Welcome to Alaska!
Observe, think, adapt, observe, think, adapt... survive. You guys are on to something. Stay strong.
If you haven't already done so, I'd love to have you do an overview of the big projects/timelines for this year. Love your channel!!
You will love dehydrating in an excaliber dehydrator .I dry celery , onions, peppers, carrots, garlic, tomatos I dry and make some of them into powder in my vita mixer.
Now that you have the mason jars, I would think the bulk of the spending is done? I am impressed with your food storage collection
The price of lids has risen dramatically over the past few years. And they technically should be replaced every use. 700 lids at 0.25 is close to $200 in lids per year. Which is actually pretty cheap food...
@@jenniferr2057 I never did the math with all the jars you have. I wonder there is a cheaper alternative or if anyone has re-use the lids. When I was younger, my neighbour used wax and/or mold to seal her jam. Thanks for getting back to me and letting me know.
@@heatherkaye242 Lots of people reuse lids. I just don't. I figure better safe than sorry.... If you use regular sized lids, instead of the wide, I can get lids for less...
In Europe they use jars called Weck... They have glass lids. You just replace the rubber seal as needed. The jars are VERY expensive in the states...
I am trying to findd the jars with bails... Again just need to replace rubber seals.
That is a deeply impressive root cellar.
If you just want it for stock celery dries really well.
I even do this with celery I buy...I always look for the plants with the most leaves on them, Chop leaves, put on cookie sheet and leave in my oven for a couple of days with light on (or pilot). The smell is wonderful...when papery dry, just place in empty spice jars and use for anything with a broth...
@@deemail100
I never have leaves to do that with; I like them too much in salad 🙂
You can reuse those lids especially for jelly’s Tatler lids work great! Turn your empty jars upside down helps keep them easier to clean.
look into fermenting things as the asians do for preservation.
Awesome video 😀 lots of good info which probably is very applicable to our Finnish conditions.. plus i really like all the food storage and preserving videos 🤣
Now that you have a feel of what you'll use over winter, couldn't you trade off the extra produce for things like apples or something else. Grandpa used to trade a bushel of peas for a bushel of corn or whatever depending on who's garden grew what well that year. Of course they knew everyone in them parts back then too. Yeah, grow, trade. It's a commodity. Seems like people would be super interested in spices.
You can store carrots fresh, just have a box with sand that you burry them in, they say good for long like that. You can make sauerkraut, ferment it in a big big bucket or barrel, that can also stand for many many months in the cellar, all through out winter and when you need some, just go and pick out of the barrel and into a bowl or a pot, saves time and space. You can ferment cucumbers in similar manner. Stuff like pumpkin and ripe squash ( like big one with hard peel and ripe seeds inside) you can also store as is through winter, not in the cellar tho, that needs to be in the house ( we usually put it on top of the wardrobe or something ) and then you can just eat them one by one through winter.
I do lots of canning on a rocket stove, highly recommend, even pressure canning. Of course I have much easier access to firewood than propane, hopefully you do too! I’m always surprised that your canning is so much liquid. I have jars of “broth concentrate” but never can any liquid I am able to evaporate/cook down using wood. Why waste jars/space for water I’m able to add later?
My rocket stove is just stacked bricks btw 🤷🏼♂️
As I understand it, the more dense the 'mix' in the jars, the harder it is for the temperature to reach the safe level - so you may have the right temp close to the side of the jar, while the centre hasn't got to the safe temp. Especially important for any meat/protein canning. Not sure if this THEIR reason, but it's why I am happy to have a bit of leeway with the liquid.
The next roof you do, put 2’’ closed cell foam board on the roof, under the dirt. it will prevent the frost from forming on the roof, same applies anywhere else you have frost. The frost line penetrates roughly 3 feet as you’ve discovered
Have you tried to can using wood fire instead of propane?
Storing your veggies in the wood chips is great. I am thinking the dried wood chips is drawing the moisture out of them and that's why they are staying so fresh and nice without mold.
I wonder if you built a small building over the opening of your root cellar if it would help keep more of the frost out. Just a thought.
I was thinking the same thing... or insulation on the underside...
It is all about cost and time.
Would be really cool to make it a whole little outbuilding, where you could have some freezers plugged in as some more economical (because they mostly could be turned off) winter storage, and racks for air drying food on inside as well.
It would act as an excellent "thermal break" very effective
Yeah, maybe pour some Air-Crete over the roof. Maybe a small geodesic dome or even a small hoop house.
I slice/shred & freeze my vegetables - peppers, carrots, celery, parsnip, leeks, greens, cabbage (I leave them whole & thaw out only the # of leaves I need at one time for cabbage rolls), beans, peas & they taste great! Slicing or shredding makes it convenient to just put them into soups, on pizza, casseroles, etc. I do can my jams/jelly, chili sauce, etc. For me, I only do up what I enjoy having to eat & do it to make my life easier to live ... maybe you can get an extra freezer & put outside like you do for meat, but use it just for your veggies & broth... Love watching your video's- keep it up!
Have you tried Tattler lids? I have been using them for almost 8 years now. Every jar in my house has a Tattler lid and ring. They pay me back within the first two years of use. Currently our only expense was that we expanded our garden this year, so we had to get more started soil. We have heirloom seeds, jars, lids, compost bins, and pretty much now not spending more money than it would be to gas up the car and buy from a store. Just saying, sometimes the cost later is lower.
We live north of Whitehorse and I so enjoy your videos keep up the positive work God Bless you with continued bounty 😃
My suggestion: expand your solar power system and use electric heat. No more need to burn money on propane. I would still keep it as just a backup in case the electric system is having issues.
My guess is that upgrading solar would be far more expensive than just using propane. Solar is pretty inefficient in the far north, and electric heaters use a lot of power. It would take a lot of extra panels to generate enough power to heat with.
A very efficient way to conserve carrots is to bury them in coarse sand after harvesting! For example here in Portugal we have chestnuts and are also kept buried after being bagged in a tightly closed black bag!
Your storage is so cool. Lol hope you harvest well this year. All your ideas seem doable. Stay well and stay home. Tyfs
Why don't you store your jars open side down to keep out dust and drips as the ice melts?
I agree. Why make it hard on yourself? Diane in NC
10-4 on that. When spring finally comes, it's going to rain down there.
I think it may be more of a
Chip the rims on the glass. Although they need something over them so crap doesn't get dropped on em.
Why would you bother? They have to be washed and sanitized before canning anyways
Good you have a sump pump! Looks like lots of frost up on the ceiling. You guys are great. I did stuff like this in Quebec, in my late teens - 20s. I don't regret one day of that time. Ok, when we were living in a tipi and I was pregnant. I moved back to the city for a time...
How about curing meats like hams, wild animals, etc... salting, smoking, etc...???
Sandra Crockett most Alaskans have a ton of protein compared to vegetables stored. These guys have the opposite although they did score that moose. We try to get a lot of salmon and moose and caribou to last winter and don’t get much for vegetables. We do have stores here though lol. In summer though I eat from the garden and I build my dinners around what is harvested. So we eat lots of protein in winter but summer we go hard on greens and vegetables. I already have lots of starts going like kale and Swiss chard plus herbs and tomatoes etc. I do a lot early and also plant later so by June I have harvests of things all the way till September.
Well done to the two of you,I don’t normally comment but just a heads up,what a fantastic job you are doing,thank you for sharing your life with everyone.thank you for your precious time.kindest regards tam ❤️🏴❤️🏴
Sorry, never too many carrots. I see carrot slaw, carrot cake, honeyed carrots, etc...in your future. :) Leeks freeze great so you are good with those too. Did you try growing any rutabaga? Definitely grow more cabbage. It dehydrates well as does celery. Fried cabbage is a favorite here. Your temps are similar to the Midwest where we cannot grow anything in the winter unless we have lots of $ to heat a greenhouse but even that is not very plausible in Dec/Jan/Feb. If you aren't learning something new each day, then you are dead. ;) That cellar would be a great place to hang meat for a short period of time. Time will tell on the cellar for sure. Spring thaw could bring an excess of water, I guess you will find out soon enough. If you turn your jars upside down, the melting frost will run off and not settle in. I am looking forward to more vids as usual. :)
You two are an inspiration! Such great information!
Have you ever tried the Tattler reusable lids?
Didn't know they made reusable lids. Thank you for this information gonna order some and wish I had money back for all the metal ones that I threw away over the years. Thank you again for this info!!!
@@tinarutherford6239 you can get them in bulk from the Tattler website. They may be a little backlogged with their shipping though
Wow. All I can say is wow. You guys are amazing.
How do you store the red onions for 8 months - I can't get mine from the grocery store to last more than three weeks in the fridge
Lauren Gabrielle keep them out of the light, make sure they are dry when you store them, and keep them in a cool place.
Also, the onions at the store aren't usually fresh from the ground. What you get at the store has a limited shelf life already due to prior aging and temperature changes from transportation.
Excellent! Have you considered grafting tomatoes and potatoes together to reduce your garden footprint?
Also, I love how you guys add condiments to make salads different! Making room-temp-safe ghee from butter is amazingly easy! Shelf storable plus higher smoke temp - hard to beat!
Have you maintained weight over the winter? You guys look beautiful but I am just curious if you have lost much weight over the winter..
Dave Bowers I think we are doing pretty good, we also have that moose in the freezer :)
In some areas of North Carolina they grow collards just to make kraut.
A GREAT WAY TO USE UP ALL THOSE GREENS!
When it starts to thaw, how will you keep from having a problem with water in the storage area?
Rebecca O they have a sump pump to pump out water.
Wonderful ideas for canning and store the potatoes . I learn from you many things and also English evry time I watch your video dear sister . I save my cans and try to homemade like you . Thanks for your hard work to make video for world and me .
Put insulation on the roof of your Root Cellar
Hi guys ,I’m following you since you got to Alaska,you are very hard working .some times
I feel I do nothing ,because I’m living in city,except working normally every day.anyway ,thank you for taking time and share your life experience with us . Take care 🌺
Kid: "mom, please please can we have some mcdonalds today" Mom: "no, stfu and get me a jar of celery from the cellar"
Klamath falls Oregon is listening and watching
Don't you think you should be stocking up more being that our economy is collapsing.
I envy and dream about your lifestyle. You guys are so awesome. Life is so tiring but looking at how you live gives me light at the end. I would love to move to Alaska. Nothing but RESPECT and love you guys.
From: Malaysia
I helped a friend with a root cellar similar to yours. Before we covered it with dirt we put down 2" DOW board and the covered it up. Really seemed to help cut down on the frost. You're doing a great job and enjoy watching your videos. Keep living the dream.
U people rock!!!! I was raised in manitoba canada.? We used to make root cellars in the northeast corner of the basement
I am an avid canner too and found that my big hits are homemade HP Sauce (brown sauce), peach salsa, peach hot sauce, assorted jams, assorted chutneys, and assorted pickles.