Talking About Baking

Posted on: 6 June 2016

If your power has gone out, you'll need to prevent the food in your refrigerator and freezer from spoiling. That can be difficult to do, especially if the temperatures outside are warm. With some quick thinking and a few safety precautions, you can help keep your food safe until the power comes back on. Here are four steps you should take – before and after a power outage – to protect your food.

Make Ice Blocks

The time to prepare for a power outage is before one actually happens. This is particularly true when it comes to the food in your refrigerator and freezer. Fill several empty juice or soda bottles with water. Place them in the back corners of your freezer and allow the water to freeze. Leave the frozen bottles in place. When the power goes out, the frozen water inside the bottles will help keep your food frozen. You can also place one inside the refrigerator to help preserve the food in there, as well.

Utilize Your Ice Cubes

If you have food in the meat compartments and crisper's inside your refrigerator, you'll want to keep them fresh. You can utilize your ice cubes to keep those foods cold while the power is off to your refrigerator. Fill resealable plastic baggies with the ice cubes. Because the baggies are small, you can place one or two of them in each compartment of your refrigerator. The ice will help keep your food cool and prevent it from rotting.

Purchase Dry Ice

If you're near a store that sells dry ice, you can purchase several pounds to keep your freezer cold until the power comes back on. Dry ice packs quite a punch when it comes to keeping foods frozen. For best results, purchase about two pounds of dry ice and place the packs directly into the freezer. Don't touch the dry ice with your bare hands, though. It can cause severe burns. If you need to place food in an ice chest, you can use dry ice for that, as well. Place one pound of dry ice at the bottom of your ice chest and lay a towel over it. Fill the chest with perishable food and place the lid on it. The dry ice will protect your food until the power can be restored.

Don't let a power outage destroy your food. Use emergency ice to help keep your food fresh until the power comes back on.