There’s something deeply satisfying about opening the door to a well-stocked root cellar.
Or… “larder,” as it’s often called now.
But the truth is—they’re not exactly the same thing.
Before we step inside, let’s clear that up in 20 Critical Things Every Homemaker Should Know About Cellars.
Larder vs. Root Cellar: What’s the Difference?
What Is a Larder?
A larder is traditionally a cool storage space inside or near the home used for keeping food like dry goods, preserves, and pantry staples. Think shelves of jars, baskets, and everyday ingredients—organized and easily accessible.
It’s more like an extension of your kitchen.
What Is a Root Cellar?
A root cellar is specifically designed for long-term food storage using natural conditions. It stays cool, dark, and slightly humid—perfect for preserving fresh produce like potatoes, carrots, and cabbage without electricity.
With the exception of canned goods, this is where food keeps living, in a sense, and where canned goods stay cool enough to stay “fresher” for lack of better words.
Why the Confusion?
These days, people use the terms interchangeably. And honestly, many spaces (like ours) function as both.
So call it what you like—but if it stores food well and helps you feed your family, it’s doing its job.
A Peek Inside Our Cellar
Ours is a good old-fashioned cellar, built the right way—proper ventilation, gravel flooring, and all the elements needed to regulate moisture and temperature.
(There is a reason for the gravel… I just tend to get more excited about what’s on the shelves than what’s under them.)
And right now, those shelves are slowly filling back up.
Why I Can All Year Long (Not Just Summer)
Canning isn’t just a once-a-year event in our home.
It’s a rhythm.
As jars empty, I refill them. Simple as that.
Right now, I’m in my late-winter canning season—working through chicken bones we saved from butchering. I break the birds down, store the backs, and starting around February, I begin canning broth in batches.
A few jars at a time. Every week. And before long, the shelves begin to fill again.
There is nothing quite like seeing jars of rich, homemade chicken broth—so full of nutrients they’re nearly gelled right there on the shelf.
Another food I can allot a lot of in late winter and early spring is beans! I love stocking up our jars of canned beans so we don’t have to heat the house up in the summertime!
The Reality of a “Less Than Perfect” Year
Some years, the cellar looks abundant and overflowing.
This year is a little different.
We still have green beans, jellies, a few chickpeas, and some forgotten (but very appreciated) pickled beets.
But we’re completely out of salsa.
Last growing season was hard. Unpredictable weather, inconsistent water, and crop loss meant we didn’t put up nearly as much as usual.
And that’s part of this life.
Some seasons are for storing.
Some are for rebuilding.
Right now—we’re rebuilding.
The Simple Trick That Gave Us Fresh Food for Months
One of my favorite features in our cellar is a wooden beam with screws drilled into the back.
Every fall, before the first hard frost, I pull up our tomato plants and hang them upside down from that beam.
They hang down like a curtain—sometimes five or six feet long.
And slowly… they ripen.
We’ve eaten fresh garden tomatoes well past Christmas this way.
We’ve done the same with peppers—once enjoying fresh serranos all the way into March.
No complicated systems. Just working with how food naturally stores best.
11 Foods You Should NEVER Store in a Root Cellar
Getting this wrong can cost you a lot of food. Here’s what to keep out:
- Tomatoes (I know, I kept some of mine in there but if too cold –cellars ruin texture and flavor)
- Uncured garlic (will rot)
- Onions stored with potatoes (causes sprouting)
- Fresh herbs (wilt quickly)
- Bread and baked goods (mold fast)
- Honey (crystallizes and hardens)
- Cooking oils (can solidify)
- Coffee (loses flavor)
- Tropical fruits (damaged by cold)
- Unsealed or questionable canned goods
- Grains (too moist—store in sealed buckets elsewhere)
10 Powerful Foods That Thrive in a Root Cellar
These are your best friends when it comes to long-term storage:
- Potatoes
- Carrots (packed in damp sand or sawdust)
- Apples (store separately)
- Cabbage
- Beets
- Turnips & parsnips (sweeten over time)
- Winter squash (properly cured)
- Canned goods
- Cured garlic
- Pears (check regularly)
The Quiet Beauty of a Stocked Cellar
When I stand in the cellar right now, I see both fullness and space.
Jars that are filled.
Shelves that are waiting.
And I’m reminded that this kind of life isn’t about having everything perfectly stocked at all times.
It’s about steady provision.
Faithfulness in the small things.
Using what you have.
Filling jars when you can.
Starting again when you need to.
Ready to Learn How to Build This in Your Own Home?
If feeding your family well has ever felt overwhelming, you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I created my course, Restored and Radiant.
Inside Module 5, I walk you through:
- Meal planning that actually works
- Batch cooking without burnout
- From-scratch staples
- Food storage and preservation
- Feeding your family well on any budget
It’s simple, practical, and designed for real life.
Because a peaceful, well-fed home isn’t built overnight…
…it’s built one jar at a time.
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