Traditional Amish homesteads used springhouses — small stone structures built over cold running water — to hold a steady 45 to 55°F year-round. The original cheese cave, and it worked flawlessly.
Modern equivalents
- A small wine refrigerator naturally holds 50 to 55°F with enough humidity, for fifty to one hundred fifty dollars used.
- An uninsulated garage or north-facing closet may already be near-ideal in fall and winter.
- A corner of the root cellar on wooden boards — the same space that keeps potatoes through winter keeps cheese too.
Keep a small bowl of water inside whichever space you use, for humidity.