1. Reorganize your fridge and freezer –
In order to keep your food frozen or cool you need to move the items closer to each other. A tightly packed fridge or freezer can save food for up to two days but a bare fridge will only keep food safely cool for about half a day.- Move all items off of the doors and onto the shelves, tightly packed together.
- If you have large open spaces and expect your power to be out for more than a few hours pack those areas with newspaper.
- If you have two freezers, put your high priority items in one freezer and your easier/cheaper to replace items in the other freezer. The high priority freezer should be packed as tightly as possible and never opened until power is restored.
- Move any food that can be frozen, such as milk and meat, from the refrigerator to the freezer to keep it at a safe temperature for longer.
Eric T. Tung says
Here’s some more details on throwing stuff out and how long it lasts: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/refridg_food.html
Janey G. says
A trick I learned years ago is to fill a drink bottle half way with water. Lay it on it’s side and freeze. When frozen stand the bottle upright again. If the power goes off for a long time while you’re gone and the temp in the freezer warms up, the ice will melt and you’ll know to toss the food. I keep one in the freezer year round. You can add a few drops of food coloring to make it more noticeable.
Bobbie says
That’s a great idea!