How to Keep Your Food from Spoiling During a Power Outage

There’s rumbling outside again. A thunderstorm is brewing, and for many, that’s almost a guarantee that a power outage will soon follow. When the power goes out, there are several things to worry about: staying cool, navigating the dark, and keeping the food in your refrigerator from spoiling. If the power goes out for several days, you also have to worry about preserving the food in your refrigerator. That’s why it’s good to have a plan in place by preparing for the possibility of a power failure in your home. It is an especially good idea now, as extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes And heat waves continue to have consequences for the people of the US.

Losing a fridge full of food is costly, inconvenient, and potentially dangerous if you’re unable to get to the store during a storm like Hurricane Debby, which made terrifying landfall last week. But there are ways to prepare in advance so you can save all of your perishables. Here’s what to do.

For more disaster relief tips, check out our guide on how to prepare for hurricanes, wildfires, storms and other natural disasters And 11 Things to Prepare for a Power Outage.

If possible, make sure you can store your food before a power outage occurs

Before you are faced with a power outage, it is best to take a few steps to prepare in the event that you need to store your food. recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to have the following items at hand:

• Device thermometers for both your refrigerator and freezer so you can monitor if their temperatures rise and you need to remove food. The refrigerator should not get warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer should not get warmer than 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A cooler And frozen gel packsin case you need to take food out of the refrigerator to keep it cold.
• Dry ice or use an ice cube to keep food cold in the refrigerator if you think the power will be out for an extended period of time.

Read more: Best Coolers for 2022

What to Do With Your Food When the Power Goes Out for the First Time

If a power outage occurs, keep the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed — open them only when absolutely necessary, and even then try to do so quickly to prevent cold air from escaping. If the doors remain closed, your food can stay safe for up to four hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full freezer, the CDC says.

Once you’ve passed the four-hour mark (or you see that the temperature in the refrigerator has risen above 40 degrees F) and the power is still out, it’s time to remove food from the refrigerator. If there is any perishable food left in the refrigerator after that point, you should throw it all out.

The exception to this is if you have dry ice. You can put dry ice on the top shelf of your freezer and the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, and it will keep your perishables cold. You’ll need about 3 pounds of dry ice per cubic foot of freezer spacethat should keep food cold for at least two days. Just make sure you are aware of how to handle dry ice safely before you use it.

Divide your food into two groups

First, make two piles: foods that absolutely must be kept cold and foods that you can safely leave on the counter until the power comes back on.

Foods that do not need to be kept cold

The following foods can be safely stored outside the refrigerator:

• Butter (for 1-2 days)
• Peanut butter
• Most cooking oils, except nut oils
• Spices
• Potatoes
• Most types of fruits and vegetables
• Bread
  
• Coffee
  
• Honey
  
• Ketchup, mustard and hot sauce
  

Food that needs to be kept cold

The following foods should be stored at a temperature of 4°C or below to prevent bacterial growth and spoilage:

• Dairy products (cheese, milk, whipped cream, sour cream)
• Eggs
  
• Meat, poultry and fish (cooked or raw)
  
• Cutting fruits and vegetables
  
• Leftovers
  

How do you keep perishable food cold without a refrigerator?

Once you have your pile of perishables, it’s time to get out your cooler and ice packs. Place a layer of frozen food on the bottom. Then, place a layer of food from the refrigerator on top of that layer. Top it off with another layer of frozen food. If you don’t have ice or ice packs, go to the store and buy them when it’s safe to do so.

Place ice or ice cubes around the food in the cooler — don’t just throw it on top or bottom. Spreading out the ice helps keep the temperature of the food more consistent. Place your refrigerator thermometer in the cooler to monitor the temperature.

If you don’t have a cooler, you can use your freezer instead. It’s insulated and will keep your food cold as long as you keep the door closed and a fresh supply of ice in it. To prevent melting ice from turning your freezer into a pond, put ice in bowls and place them around your food.

You should never taste food to see if it’s spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out, the CDC advises. Throw out any food with unusual odors, colors, or textures right away. As for frozen foods, you can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen foods that are 40 degrees F or below or that still contain ice crystals.

For more tips on how to prepare for natural disasters, visit how to pack an emergency bagAnd how to recover important documents after a natural disaster.