A cold room for food storage comes with so many advantages. Other than saving you money when you buy foodstuffs in bulk, you as well have seasonal foods in storage for future use.
Different types to store in a cold room
When it comes to deciding on the foods to store in your cold room, a lot has to be considered one of the most important factors being the temperature of the room. If you keep your cold room above freezing point, but cool enough to destroy or slow down bacterial growth, it will be safe for almost all kinds of food.
You may want decide to have separate cold storage rooms in case you have products that easily absorb the flavors of products around them. For example, it is not advisable to store basil in the same cold room unit with other food because it easily absorbs the flavor of any produce surrounding it.
With the right considerations put into place, we only have a few products which cannot be stored in a cold room. These products include: Tropical and subtropical fruit these are fruits like avocados and bananas.
To add on that, it would not be wise to store items like onions, tomatoes, melons, potatoes and garlic in a cold room. Others include honey, fresh herbs and bread; will also not do well in cold storage rooms. Storing these products in a cold room normally affects their texture.
Points to consider when building a cold room for food storage
Proper Climate
The cold room relies a lot on nature’s temperatures. This is one of the reasons why they are mostly found in climates with colder winters only. Cold rooms perfectly fit in areas with “chilly season” that holds to freezing for a number of months.
Shelving & Containers
It’s vital to have an ample space- inside the cold room. Whether you store winter squashes, , cheeses, canned goods or anything else, make sure you have solid and reliable shelving. Check it early and do the necessary changes if any.
When you need to store root vegetables in soil, bins would make a wonderful choice. Although Rubbermaid totes might look artistic-less and old school, they might be a great choice. Give a chance to your Ugly-old gray totes and you will appreciate them. However, if you choose to use a different item ensure it is reliable and sturdy.
Thermostat
Produce, once frozen, will easily break down. A thermostat comes in handy for that reason, especially if you live in colder areas where the weather can go to below -40 degrees for weeks.
Should your winters basically sit around sub-zero (or less), thermostat will come in handy in keeping your food fresh and in good condition for long.
However, if you don’t have a thermostat in your house, you can opt to use other simple means. One of the most commonly used methods is a window and “feel.” Winters here mostly sit around freezing, with an irregular dip into the -20’s. When it is time for these reasons, it is always important to be cautious. Sometimes, you can open the window a hairline crack!
The cold room relies on whatever nature hands you. No setup is the same therefore, it is important to learn through trial and error.
Proper Space
When planning to build your cold room, ensure you leave enough space in between for you to maneuver through. Having a stack of appetizing and natural foods would be of no need if you are not able to access them.
Proper size depends on the amount and type of food to be stored in the room as well as the available space. Consider your current winter food preservation! Based the needed size on, what will be needed.
Also consider your goals. Is more fermenting in the near future? Canning? Root vegetable or fruit storage?
Before you build a cold room, take time and calculate amount you need, the size of storage bins and width of shelving. Once this is done, make sure you leave enough space to move with ease! A walkway of at least 3 ft wide if planning to put a substantial amount of produce would do.