Another Cool DIY Root Cellar Idea...

To make a nifty, mini root cellar right in the garden, simply bury a bucket and cover it with a straw bale.  For sweet, crisp carrots all winter, we always left them in the ground under a thick layer of leaves or straw to keep them from freezing. But going out in midwinter to dig carrots was not my idea of fun.

I wanted a better way to store the carrots, so I made a miniature root cellar right in the garden. First, I cut the bottom from a 5-gallon bucket. Then I dug a hole in the ground just big enough to hold the bucket with the top of it flush with the ground. I filled the bucket with just-dug carrots, placed the lid on the bucket and plopped a bale of straw on top for insulation.

The carrots stay sweet and crisp all winter — just as they did in the ground. -Mother Earth News