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How do you define winter? Is it the period from the Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox? The span of the Holidays? Or is it when the temperature in the root cellar consistently drops to the range of refrigeration? By this standard, winter in Missoula runs from December 1st to February 22nd. I think I prefer this definition best. It neatly bookends winter at just shy of three months, a mentally manageable duration of time (although by this definition “Spring” does look a little like Winter…). But more than that, it sets the stage for the activities of the season.

Image Above: “Spring” in Missoula, MT 2/28/2025

For me, December 1st marks the time to prepare a large batch of duck confit and whole slabs of dry-cured bacon—just in time to give as Christmas gifts and with enough time to consume the rest before my extra fridge space gets whisked away by the arrival of spring. Early January is a good time to go into sausage production mode – taking advantage of the extra fridge space to hang the links before vacuum sealing them and filling the chest freezer. Then, by the end of January, it’s time to plan out my cured meats for the year: prosciutto and lomo—salted and ready to hang once the temperatures and humidity stabilize in the 60’s.

I missed these seasonal activities this year because I didn’t know when the cold would arrive—or if it would arrive at all. This was the first winter in the new house. I made a 12 ft x 12 ft root cellar in the basement built with concrete block. It was an experiment. One wall of the root cellar is part of the foundation with contact to the ground. The remaining 3 walls are inside the basement. Two adjustable vents allow air in and out. The root cellar stubbornly hovered in the 50s through Thanksgiving, despite my best attempts to cool it by pulling in the chilly night air. I thought perhaps it would stay in the 50’s all winter. But once the temperature dipped below 42°F in December, it stayed there

Next year, I’ll be ready. This spring, I’ll add insulation and plaster to the outer walls of the root cellar, hoping to extend the cooling effect and squeeze out a few extra weeks of walk-in refrigeration by keeping the cold air inside the root cellar (and out of the rest of the basement). I’ll clear out all the boxes from moving that I still need to unpack to free up the shelves for all these big winter projects.

Notes for Stocking the Root Cellar (for a family of 4)

In preparation for this first winter, I stocked up on the following items from a local farm stand in November, just before they closed for the season:

Carrots (25 lbs): This was not enough. I needed 50 lbs. I stored them in a thick plastic bag with holes, and they remained crunchy throughout the winter.

Cabbage (40 lbs): I still have 15 lbs left. I planned to ferment a bunch but didn’t get around to it with all of the new house projects. The cabbage is still good, although the outer leaves have dried out and need to be peeled off. They were stored on a wire shelf.

Winter Squash (20 lbs): I bought a variety including butternut, acorn, red kuri, delicata, and spaghetti squash. Most lasted until the end of January before developing black, soft spots—except for the red kuri squash, which is still holding up well. The Speghetti Squash was the first to spoil.

Leeks (5 lbs): I still have one leek left in the root cellar. The outer leaves are dried out, but about half of it is still usable. I stored this in a box on the wire shelf. If I stored them differently—perhaps in a bucket with the roots in a little water—I may be able to improve their quality and yield throughout storage.

These items I purchased at Costco/elsewhere throughout the winter:

Pomegranates (8 lbs): Bought around Thanksgiving, they lasted until the end of January. A couple of bad spots had to be cut out.

Potatoes: I bought potatoes throughout the winter in 10 lb bags. I estimate I went through 50 lbs in total with about half russet for baked potatoes and mashed and the other half red or yellow for soup and roasting. These were stored in the clear plastic bags that they were purchased in. Some turned green which surprised me because there isn’t much light in the root cellar. That is unless we accidentally leave the light on (which happens occasionally) and then it’s very bright. I’ll get a burlap sack or box to keep them in going forward.

Onions: I should budget for two onions per week. They seem to store best in the drier conditions just outside the root cellar, where the temperature stays between 50-60°F.

Apples: I bought apples throughout the winter in 5 lb bags. We typically go through about 5 lbs per week, so it would be wise to start the winter with at least 20 lbs of local apples in stock.

Beets (5 lbs): I started with 10 lbs of beets, and stored them on in a box on the wire shelf (no bag). They did get soft over time but I placed them in a bowl of water for about 1 day before cooking them and they firmed back up. Next year I’ll get 25 lbs and store them like the carrots.

Mandarins (20 lbs): Starting in January.

In addition to the fruits and veggies, I’ve also been using this space to store a bunch of other stuff:

Beer, white wine, sparkling water, quart-size cartons of shelf-stable milk, shelf-stable juice. Next winter I’ll store more fresh juice in the root cellar during this cold season.

I have my chest freezer filled with venison and other meats.

Other bulk foods that are stored in a sealed container where humidity won’t damage them, canned goods and emergency supplies.