With a pickle barrel you don’t have to bury it all the way you can leave the top uncovered or even turn it on it’s side and cover it with dirt, leaves, straw or whatever just keep it wet to keep it cool.
Root cellars are good for fresh food storage but they are high in humidity so anything metal, like jar lids, will rust.
What are you trying to store?
Oh, thises and thatses. Maybe some extra canned goods or what have you. Probably some things we wouldn’t like humidity getting to. I’m glad to know about humidity of a root cellar. Being in Florid we kjow a lot about humidity, but not much about cellars. Thank you.