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Have any of you ever heard of a “cooling well,” for keeping food from spoiling?
I am fortunate to live on a farm that was established and run for decades before modern conveniences were added. Since it was set-up as what we now consider off-grid, I’ve had a head-start in equipping the place for a return to off-grid functioning if it ever becomes necessary. I don’t plan to use solar or generators, but instead, to rely on the original methods used here.
I have wondered how they kept their food cool before refrigerators or ice boxes. I had just assumed that they had some sort of spring-house since there are so many springs on the place, but I’d never seen where one would have been located.
I just found out that they used what they called a “cooling well.” I’ve never heard of this before, but it seems like it would work. Apparently, it’s just a really deep hole (not sure how deep) 3 or 4 feet in diameter and the walls are lined with rock. The rock extends three feet or so above ground to form a well curb, and there is an open-sided shelter built over it all. Instead of just one rope and pulley attached to a bucket like in a water well, they had 3 ropes and pulleys, one attached to the milk can, one to a tray or basket for staples that needed to stay cool, like butter, and one attached to a tray or basket that held leftover food.
So, have you heard of this, seen one, used one? Which do you think would be easier to build – spring-house or cooling well? I tend to think that a spring-house would actually cool better, but, if this would be much easier to build, do you think it would be good enough?
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Have any of you ever heard of a “cooling well,” for keeping food from spoiling?
I am fortunate to live on a farm that was established and run for decades before modern conveniences were added. Since it was set-up as what we now consider off-grid, I’ve had a head-start in equipping the place for a return to off-grid functioning if it ever becomes necessary. I don’t plan to use solar or generators, but instead, to rely on the original methods used here.
I have wondered how they kept their food cool before refrigerators or ice boxes. I had just assumed that they had some sort of spring-house since there are so many springs on the place, but I’d never seen where one would have been located.
I just found out that they used what they called a “cooling well.” I’ve never heard of this before, but it seems like it would work. Apparently, it’s just a really deep hole (not sure how deep) 3 or 4 feet in diameter and the walls are lined with rock. The rock extends three feet or so above ground to form a well curb, and there is an open-sided shelter built over it all. Instead of just one rope and pulley attached to a bucket like in a water well, they had 3 ropes and pulleys, one attached to the milk can, one to a tray or basket for staples that needed to stay cool, like butter, and one attached to a tray or basket that held leftover food.
So, have you heard of this, seen one, used one? Which do you think would be easier to build – spring-house or cooling well? I tend to think that a spring-house would actually cool better, but, if this would be much easier to build, do you think it would be good enough?
.