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Preparing for Power Outages - Freezer Tips
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It’s easy to take your freezer for granted. That is until you lose power. If you know that the utility company is going to be working in your area and you’ll be without power, the night before they come turn your freezer down as cold as it will go. Then whatever you do don’t open the door because all of the cold air will escape.
You can also try wrapping blankets around the top of the freezer to keep it insulated. Just make sure that the bottom vents are clear because you will need them to clear when the power comes back on.
If your power doesn’t come back on after a day or two, you can use dry ice to keep your foods frozen. Just make sure that the area is well ventilated and that you wear protective gloves when you’re working with the dry ice. Wrap it first in newspaper. Then place it on top of cardboard on top of your frozen packages. Since cold air is heavier the cold from the dry ice will float over your foods and keep them frozen. Use 25 pounds of dry ice in a 10 cubic foot freezer. Use 50 pounds of dry ice in a 20 cubic foot freezer. Make sure dry ice is used in a well-ventilated room. Dry ice is solid Carbon Dioxide. It melts to become Carbon Dioxide Gas. If Carbon Dioxide gas replaces too much of the oxygen in the air it can cause suffocation Signs or symptoms of excessive Carbon Dioxide levels include rapid, shallow breathing, headache, disorientation and eventual unconsciousness.
Again don’t open your freezer door. Your frozen foods will stay frozen for two to three days or four days if your freezer is full. With a little planning ahead, a loss of power doesn’t have to mean a loss of your family’s food.
Here are some more tips:
How long food will stay frozen depends on four factors:
• The amount of food in the freezer. A fully loaded freezer will stay cold longer than one that is partially full.
• The type of frozen food. A freezer full of meats will stay frozen longer than one packed with fruits, vegetables or baked goods.
• The temperature of the food. The colder you run your freezer, the colder the food; the colder the food, the longer it will stay frozen.
• The insulating ability of the freezer. A well- insulated freezer will keep food frozen longer than one with little insulation.
Use your senses to determine whether a food can safely be refrozen. Examine the food closely. Are the contents: thawed and at room temperature? Throw them out! Thawed but at refrigerator temperature? partially frozen? Frozen solid?
Generally if a food is safe to eat, it is safe to refreeze. Foods that are still partially frozen or have thawed but are still cold to the touch (40 degrees or lower) can safely be refrozen.
Eating quality may be slightly affected. Mark those packages which have thawed and been refrozen, and use them as soon as possible.
To refreeze small amounts of food at home, set the freezer temperature control to its coldest setting. This temperature will refreeze thawed foods quickly and prevent quality loss. Arrange foods so that cold air can circulate freely around them. When all foods are solidly frozen, return the temperature setting to normal. Use refrozen foods as soon as possible.
Examine the meat carefully. Color changes or off- odors may mean spoilage. Refreeze only packages that still contain ice crystals or are cold to the touch. Repackage meats in moisture-vapor proof wrap before re-freezing. Discard any meat that is at room temperature. Ground meats are particularly susceptible to spoilage due to the large amount of surface area. Immediately refreeze only those packages that are still solidly frozen. If packages are thawed but still cold to the touch, immediately cook the meat or cook and refreeze. Discard ground meat that is thawed to room temperature. Discard ground meat (frozen or thawed) that shows signs of spoilage (such as off colors or bad odors).
Safely refreeze cured meats that are still cold to the touch (40 degrees or less). Discard any package that shows spoilage. To be safely refrozen, poultry must be partially frozen and still contain ice crystals. If poultry is thawed but still cold to the touch, cook and consume immediately, or cook and refreeze.
Do not refreeze fish unless it is still solidly frozen. If thawed fish is still cold to the touch (40 degrees or less) cook and consume immediately. Discard fish that has thawed to room temperature.
Refreeze thawed fruits that smell and taste good. Thawed fruits may be used in cooking or making jams, jellies, and preserves.
Store thawed baked goods in the refrigerator to keep them fresh until they are consumed. Use within a few days.
Refreeze frozen prepared food only if ice crystals are still present. If foods are completely thawed but 40 degrees or less, cook and consume immediately. Discard prepared foods that are in poor condition. Juices, shake the can, if the contents are totally thawed, reconstitute the juice and use. If the juice pulp is still frozen, refreeze.
You can also try wrapping blankets around the top of the freezer to keep it insulated. Just make sure that the bottom vents are clear because you will need them to clear when the power comes back on.
If your power doesn’t come back on after a day or two, you can use dry ice to keep your foods frozen. Just make sure that the area is well ventilated and that you wear protective gloves when you’re working with the dry ice. Wrap it first in newspaper. Then place it on top of cardboard on top of your frozen packages. Since cold air is heavier the cold from the dry ice will float over your foods and keep them frozen. Use 25 pounds of dry ice in a 10 cubic foot freezer. Use 50 pounds of dry ice in a 20 cubic foot freezer. Make sure dry ice is used in a well-ventilated room. Dry ice is solid Carbon Dioxide. It melts to become Carbon Dioxide Gas. If Carbon Dioxide gas replaces too much of the oxygen in the air it can cause suffocation Signs or symptoms of excessive Carbon Dioxide levels include rapid, shallow breathing, headache, disorientation and eventual unconsciousness.
Again don’t open your freezer door. Your frozen foods will stay frozen for two to three days or four days if your freezer is full. With a little planning ahead, a loss of power doesn’t have to mean a loss of your family’s food.
Here are some more tips:
How long food will stay frozen depends on four factors:
• The amount of food in the freezer. A fully loaded freezer will stay cold longer than one that is partially full.
• The type of frozen food. A freezer full of meats will stay frozen longer than one packed with fruits, vegetables or baked goods.
• The temperature of the food. The colder you run your freezer, the colder the food; the colder the food, the longer it will stay frozen.
• The insulating ability of the freezer. A well- insulated freezer will keep food frozen longer than one with little insulation.
Use your senses to determine whether a food can safely be refrozen. Examine the food closely. Are the contents: thawed and at room temperature? Throw them out! Thawed but at refrigerator temperature? partially frozen? Frozen solid?
Generally if a food is safe to eat, it is safe to refreeze. Foods that are still partially frozen or have thawed but are still cold to the touch (40 degrees or lower) can safely be refrozen.
Eating quality may be slightly affected. Mark those packages which have thawed and been refrozen, and use them as soon as possible.
To refreeze small amounts of food at home, set the freezer temperature control to its coldest setting. This temperature will refreeze thawed foods quickly and prevent quality loss. Arrange foods so that cold air can circulate freely around them. When all foods are solidly frozen, return the temperature setting to normal. Use refrozen foods as soon as possible.
Examine the meat carefully. Color changes or off- odors may mean spoilage. Refreeze only packages that still contain ice crystals or are cold to the touch. Repackage meats in moisture-vapor proof wrap before re-freezing. Discard any meat that is at room temperature. Ground meats are particularly susceptible to spoilage due to the large amount of surface area. Immediately refreeze only those packages that are still solidly frozen. If packages are thawed but still cold to the touch, immediately cook the meat or cook and refreeze. Discard ground meat that is thawed to room temperature. Discard ground meat (frozen or thawed) that shows signs of spoilage (such as off colors or bad odors).
Safely refreeze cured meats that are still cold to the touch (40 degrees or less). Discard any package that shows spoilage. To be safely refrozen, poultry must be partially frozen and still contain ice crystals. If poultry is thawed but still cold to the touch, cook and consume immediately, or cook and refreeze.
Do not refreeze fish unless it is still solidly frozen. If thawed fish is still cold to the touch (40 degrees or less) cook and consume immediately. Discard fish that has thawed to room temperature.
Refreeze thawed fruits that smell and taste good. Thawed fruits may be used in cooking or making jams, jellies, and preserves.
Store thawed baked goods in the refrigerator to keep them fresh until they are consumed. Use within a few days.
Refreeze frozen prepared food only if ice crystals are still present. If foods are completely thawed but 40 degrees or less, cook and consume immediately. Discard prepared foods that are in poor condition. Juices, shake the can, if the contents are totally thawed, reconstitute the juice and use. If the juice pulp is still frozen, refreeze.
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