8/4/26 Gratitude has a quiet way of changing everything. Even on the hardest days, there is still something to thank God for.
Sunshine, breezy, 57 degrees. Sunshine all day, a light west wind, high 84, low 60. Sunshine tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 90, low 62. Sunshine Thursday, a WSW breeze, high 92, low 67. Scattered thunderstorms Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A WNW breeze Friday, high 91, low 67. A light west breeze Saturday, high 85, low 65. Brisk WSW breezes Sunday and Monday, highs 87, lows 63. Possible showers next Tuesday, a brisk west breeze, high 80, low 60. Partly cloudy next Wednesday through Tuesday the 18th with WNW breezes. Highs about 77, lows about 56.
With eight kids in the house we didn't get a lot of cleaning done. Maegin did a lot of baking. When she wasn't baking she played board games with the kids. The nursery order needs to go in this week, that is taking a lot of Behah's time.
I finished my fermenting class. I'll ferment cucumbers and cabbage first, that's what we have. I've never made good sauerkraut, hopefully this time I will. Today is the day the kombucha is ready to be sampled. I'm opting to only let the second ferment be a few days, I don't think I want it very strong. I used lemon juice for flavoring for the second ferment. Today I'm going to start more. Plain kombucha is used for a starter in most of the fermenting recipes.
I read this morning that for lots of blooms Christmas Cactus plants should go outside in indirect light for the summer. The article said to put the plant outside today if it wasn't already out. Water and fertilize it weekly during August. Stop fertilizing and cut back on water in September when it comes into the house. The article suggested using African Violet fertilizer. Christmas Cactus should only be repotted in late winter/early spring. I'm going to put mine outside this morning!
May your day be blessed, Sally
The Root Cellar
Before refrigerators, deep freezers, and grocery stores filled with produce from every season, many families relied on a root cellar to help carry the harvest through winter.
A root cellar was usually a cool, dark, slightly damp place tucked beneath the house, dug into a hillside, or built underground. It did not freeze the food, and it did not preserve it forever. It simply slowed down the natural process of spoilage and helped certain vegetables remain usable for weeks or even months.
After the garden had been gathered, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, apples, and winter squash were carefully sorted. Anything bruised, cut, soft, or damaged was used first. Only the soundest produce was chosen for longer storage.
That part mattered.
One damaged apple really could begin spoiling the apples beside it. A soft potato could quickly become a problem in a bin. Our grandparents did not simply put the harvest away and forget about it. They checked it regularly, removed anything beginning to spoil, and used the foods that would not last as long before touching the better keepers.
Different foods also needed different conditions.
Potatoes and many root vegetables preferred darkness and cool air. Onions and garlic needed a drier place with good airflow. Winter squash liked cool, dry storage and did not want to be crowded together. Apples were best stored apart from some vegetables because ripening fruit can cause nearby produce to age more quickly.
Families learned these things through years of experience. They knew which corner stayed driest, which bin was best for potatoes, and which apples would keep until Christmas—or sometimes longer.
Most of us do not have a traditional root cellar today, but we may still be able to borrow the old idea.
A cool basement, an unheated pantry, an insulated garage that does not freeze, a protected storage room, or even a cool closet may work for certain foods. A few crates, baskets, ventilated boxes, or sturdy shelves can create a small storage area without requiring a stone cellar beneath the house.
The important things are simple:
Keep the area cool, dark, and well ventilated.
Never store produce that is bruised, cut, diseased, or beginning to soften.
Do not wash potatoes, onions, or winter squash before long-term storage. Brush away loose soil and allow them to remain dry.
Keep produce off bare concrete floors, where moisture and temperature changes may cause trouble.
Do not pile everything together. Air needs to move around it.
Check the stored harvest often and remove anything beginning to spoil.
Use what you have stored. A root cellar was never meant to become a forgotten room full of shriveled vegetables. It was part of the household rhythm. Families cooked from it through the cold months, using potatoes in soups, carrots in stews, apples in pies and sauce, and squash roasted beside the evening meal.
The old root cellar reminds us that preserving the harvest does not always require jars, pressure canners, or a freezer full of bags.
Sometimes it simply means learning which foods will keep, giving them the right conditions, and paying attention to what we already have.
We may not all be able to build a true root cellar, but we can still bring back the wisdom behind it: grow what we can, store it carefully, check it often, waste less, and let the summer garden continue feeding the family long after the vines have gone bare.
Did your family have a root cellar, a basement pantry, or a special place where potatoes, apples, and onions were stored through the winter?
—Nana Banana
From a Simpler Time
Before refrigerators, deep freezers, and grocery stores filled with produce from every season, many families relied on a root cellar to help carry the harvest through winter.
A root cellar was usually a cool, dark, slightly damp place tucked beneath the house, dug into a hillside, or built underground. It did not freeze the food, and it did not preserve it forever. It simply slowed down the natural process of spoilage and helped certain vegetables remain usable for weeks or even months.
After the garden had been gathered, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, apples, and winter squash were carefully sorted. Anything bruised, cut, soft, or damaged was used first. Only the soundest produce was chosen for longer storage.
That part mattered.
One damaged apple really could begin spoiling the apples beside it. A soft potato could quickly become a problem in a bin. Our grandparents did not simply put the harvest away and forget about it. They checked it regularly, removed anything beginning to spoil, and used the foods that would not last as long before touching the better keepers.
Different foods also needed different conditions.
Potatoes and many root vegetables preferred darkness and cool air. Onions and garlic needed a drier place with good airflow. Winter squash liked cool, dry storage and did not want to be crowded together. Apples were best stored apart from some vegetables because ripening fruit can cause nearby produce to age more quickly.
Families learned these things through years of experience. They knew which corner stayed driest, which bin was best for potatoes, and which apples would keep until Christmas—or sometimes longer.
Most of us do not have a traditional root cellar today, but we may still be able to borrow the old idea.
A cool basement, an unheated pantry, an insulated garage that does not freeze, a protected storage room, or even a cool closet may work for certain foods. A few crates, baskets, ventilated boxes, or sturdy shelves can create a small storage area without requiring a stone cellar beneath the house.
The important things are simple:
Keep the area cool, dark, and well ventilated.
Never store produce that is bruised, cut, diseased, or beginning to soften.
Do not wash potatoes, onions, or winter squash before long-term storage. Brush away loose soil and allow them to remain dry.
Keep produce off bare concrete floors, where moisture and temperature changes may cause trouble.
Do not pile everything together. Air needs to move around it.
Check the stored harvest often and remove anything beginning to spoil.
Use what you have stored. A root cellar was never meant to become a forgotten room full of shriveled vegetables. It was part of the household rhythm. Families cooked from it through the cold months, using potatoes in soups, carrots in stews, apples in pies and sauce, and squash roasted beside the evening meal.
The old root cellar reminds us that preserving the harvest does not always require jars, pressure canners, or a freezer full of bags.
Sometimes it simply means learning which foods will keep, giving them the right conditions, and paying attention to what we already have.
We may not all be able to build a true root cellar, but we can still bring back the wisdom behind it: grow what we can, store it carefully, check it often, waste less, and let the summer garden continue feeding the family long after the vines have gone bare.
Did your family have a root cellar, a basement pantry, or a special place where potatoes, apples, and onions were stored through the winter?
—Nana Banana
From a Simpler Time
