Ross Traverse of Torbay, Newfoundland

June 22, 2011 – Julie Pomeroy interviews Ross Traverse about the use of root cellars and how specific items have different storage methods. 

Ross Traverse: In Newfoundland, the root cellar is a basic structure for storing root vegetables primarily. Of course, it can be used for storing other things as well. Storing things like berries, like partridge berries which were stored in water. Originally, they might have put the barrel of partridge berries in the root cellar as well. Or bakeapples, I know they were stored in water in the root cellar. 

Julie Pomeroy: Okay, I haven’t heard of anybody talking about berries in cellars. 

Ross Traverse: And also, it was used as a cold storage basically, a cold storage that did not freeze. In this climate, when you dug into the ground, or insulated a structure, you could then keep the temperature at proper storage temperature. Usually around five degrees or so. And it was ideal for storing potatoes.

Potatoes were the main crop for storage because that was the survival food in the old days.If we’re talking about the old days, I’m talking about you know, from a time when potatoes were introduced to Newfoundland which was in the 1700s. From then on, the people that grew potatoes had to store them. That was one of the primary sources of carbohydrates. And so, you had to be able to store it. And potatoes wouldn’t keep if they froze, even if the temperature got down to close to freezing.