Why did they build a summer kitchen before, and is it needed now

What was the summer kitchen for?

In the days of the USSR, in the absence of air conditioners, a summer kitchen was considered a necessary attribute of a household. It was placed next to outbuildings and a vegetable garden; it had a purely practical functionality. The kitchen was needed in order not to litter the main house with cooking food for the cattle and the poultry yard. The summer kitchen was intended for bulk preservation, because pickles are easier to cook closer to the garden, so as not to carry the harvest to the house.

It was more convenient to cut food on it so as not to stain the home kitchen. Let us remember that the village food was procured by ourselves, not only from the vegetable garden and garden, but also from the farmyard. And this is the processing of berries and fruits, butchering meat, cooking dairy products. Here it was possible to dry mushrooms and herbs without worrying about dirt entering the house. For all this, a well-ventilated room was needed that did not heat up the main house and where one could go in with shoes without fear of trampling the hall and bedroom.

With the beginning of spring, when it was still cold and damp outside, it was possible to “settle” seedlings or to put up an aviary for hatched chickens in the additional kitchen. They also made a cellar for storing food in winter.

On rainy days, the men rested in an unheated kitchen after a hard day at work. Lack of concern for perfect order made life easier for our ancestors. That is, the room was multifunctional, but it was mainly used as a utility room.

Summer cottages of the times of the Soviet Union also referred to the summer house: to make preparations for the winter and use it as a shed for tools after the season closes.

Since then, the seasonal building has evolved a lot.

Why are they building summer kitchens now?

If earlier the summer kitchen was a solid, but thin-walled house with a lightweight stove (and later with a gas or electric stove), now it has most often been transformed into a capital gazebo or pavilion.

The main functionality of the summer kitchen is now gatherings, relaxation and meeting with friends. It is not only a place to prepare food, but also a must-eat dining room. The cooking area, as a rule, is placed inside the gazebo, and the dining furniture is located right there under the canopy or next to it on the terrace. If the summer kitchen is a pavilion, then it is made with large glass doors or all-wall windows. The main rules are:

• protection from rain and wind,

• good ventilation,

• nice review.

The summer kitchen is equipped with a gas (or electric) hob, covered barbecues, grills, barbecue ovens. Some people install a smokehouse. In Russian climatic conditions, it is not entirely convenient to have an open gazebo with a full-fledged kitchen, but such spaces are often practiced in connection with economy. The main thing is to have a reliable canopy over your head.

A summer kitchen in modern conditions is an equipped space in the fresh air, but closed from natural disasters. Sometimes the room is attached to the bathhouse or placed next to the pool. For the most comfortable rest, hammocks are hung around the kitchen, garden furniture is placed.  

By the way, in Soviet gardening for summer residents there were restrictions on building a site, now it is important to simply observe the fire-prevention distance between two wooden buildings – 15 meters, between stone buildings – 6 meters. If the size of the plot does not allow making a separate building, then it can be combined with the main house or limited to a non-capital building in the form of a portable modular gazebo. In this case, you must follow all fire safety rules and find out if you can use braziers and barbecues on the site. Have a nice summer vacation!