So last night my family and I went to visit some of my aunts and one uncle. While we were there they got to talking about how they used to preserve apples, potatoes , cabbage heads ect during the winter months. Here is what they said they would do.
They would dig a hole about 5 feet deep. Line it with tar paper or another from of water repellent. Then they would lay straw down on the bottom of the hole and then place whatever vegetables or certain fruits. Cover that with some more straw, then cover it all back up with dirt. They said that method would keep the vegetables as fresh as the day they picked them whenever they dug them back up. They did this probably 40+ years ago when I believe they didn't have a freezer back then.