The Root Cellar

There is something magical about an old fashioned root cellar. Nature's way of storing and preserving fruits and vegetables for the long winter ahead. Sadly, I don't have one anymore, but I did have one for a long time, back when I lived in Canada. Bejeweled rows of cherished jams and jellies lined it's shelves....Spiced Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry Jelly, Applebutter, Crabapple jelly...too many to count...summer's bounty caught up in a kaladioscope of colour, sparkling and fresh.

 

Rows of pickles...Golden Mustard Beans, Sour Dills, Lady Ashburnhams, Bread and Butters, Pickled Watermelon and Pumpkin, Edna's Sunshine Relish, Chow Chow, Fruit Relish and Chili Sauce, just to name a few. The earthy smell of carrots, potatoes and beets nestled in their bed of sawdust, beautiful red apples wrapped in newspaper...waiting to be brought out on a cold winter's day as a delicious autumnal memory...pumpkins and butternut squash line up in rows....nylon stockings hanging, full of dried onions.

My grandfather had a root cellar. You got to it by lifting a trap door under the linoleum in their big old fashioned kitchen. My grandfather smoked his own hams and sausages. Those were hung from the ceiling rafters.   I often take trips down into it's depths cradled in the strong arms of my memories of him. There was a smoky smell, his pride and joy hanging from the rafters. He also made his own sauerkraut and kept it in a huge barrel down in the cool cavern. It was a real treat when he lifted the lid to give you a taste.
 

  

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My grandparents swore by the health properties of sauerkraut.  My mother often spoke of being given juice from the kraut barrel by the spoonful to cure her childhood ailments, and it working. My sister carries on the tradition of making her own kraut, although she does not make it by the barrel these days.  I have always wanted to, but the fear of giving us food poisoning by doing it wrong always outweighs my desire to make my own.

Not a lot of people do root cellars these days. Not a lot of people have gardens where they grow all of their produce for the winter months.  Most prefer to buy their food in aesthetic aisles of modern grocery stores. Something precious has been lost in the translation. Much of the love, thought and pride of putting up your own food for the Winter is gone . . .  and I think we have settled for second rate, over-priced goods.

Admittedly lots of us work full time these days and we don't have the time to grow our own food, let alone put it up for the winter. Over these past months I have not been visiting the grocery store because of the pandemic. Instead I have had to rely on on-line shopping.  I've been buying my fruit, veg, meat, cheese, butter, milk and eggs from the city market who have been doing online shopping and delivering right to your door.  Free of charge. For the rest I have relied on Amazon or an online grocery shop.  That is for the sundries like toilet paper, cleaning materials, pasta, toiletries, dog food, etc.  It took a while but I now have a permanent slot for those things, for which I am very grateful.

 

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To be honest I cannot see myself going back to the old ways of doing things. We are not spending near as much money. We are eating much better and there is a lot less impulse buying and waste. I do wish that I had the impetus and the space to grow and preserve my own fruit and veg for the winter, but sadly I just don't any longer. The thought of standing on my feet over a hot stove for hours on end doesn't fill me with the same thrill as it did when I was younger, and to be honest our needs don't run to jars and jars of preserved jams and pickles.  One jar of pickles might last us the whole winter these days.  

I do remember feeling a great sense of pride  when I was young, however . . . looking at my rows of preserves and pickles when I was all finished for the year. They were like rows of glittering jewels on my storeroom shelves.   Jewels mean to be enjoyed in the cold bleakness of shorter days and long winter nights.

Even now there are days when I long for the taste of a home pickled beet or green tomato chow. You can order green tomatoes from The Tomato Stall. Perhaps one day I will order enough to make me a small batch!!

I best get my skates on.  I have much to do before Todd gets up this morning and this isn't getting the baby's bottom washed. 

I'll leave you with a thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Once you carry your own water 
you will learn the value of
every drop. •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Grandmother's Roast Chicken and Gravy.  Delicious! 

Its raining here, yet again today  . . .  I have to tell you that the sour dough sandwich bread I baked the other day makes the most marvelous toast! We've been enjoying it as our supper in the evenings. (We have our big meal in the early afternoon most days.)  It did take me a while to save up enough sour dough discard to make it but it was well worth the effort!  Have a wonderful day and don't forget! 

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And I do too!