Saving food during a power outage

[mom-from-missouri]

With a lot of us living in areas that are loosing power due to this lovely weather....... just got this in an email for the MO extension center. Its worth the reading and possibly printing off to keep in a kitchen cabinet or with your emergency supplies (flashlight, candles...)

How to Save Food After a Power Outage
Susan Mills-Gray, Nutrition Specialist, Cass County Extension Center, University of Missouri Extension
Whether your freezer and refrigerator are shut off due to storm, forgetfulness or accident, the food safety rules about what to keep or toss are the same. Why not print this article and post it near your freezer and/or refrigerator for easy reference?

The freezer
The basic rule is that if a food still has ice crystals inside its package, it can be refrozen. Use a permanent marker or crayon and mark each salvageable package in the freezer with a large “X” to indicate that it has been partially thawed. Use these items as soon as possible. Items with no remaining ice crystals should be thrown away.

What if the freezer has come back on and you don’t know how much your food has thawed? Since you are dealing with an unknown, the rule is “if in doubt, throw it out.” If you notice blood from once-frozen meat on neighboring packages or in the bottom of the freezer, advanced thawing has certainly occurred.

The refrigerator
Since your refrigerator should be at or below 40 degrees F during normal operation, going two hours without power will mean you need to do some tossing. Follow the guidelines below to help you salvage as much as possible.

Foods that need to be thrown away if kept above 40 degrees F for more than 2 hours:

Raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish
Hard cooked or cracked eggs
Egg substitutes
Milk, cream, yogurt, or soft cheese
Casseroles, stews, or soups
Lunch meats and hot dogs
Cream-based salad dressings
Custard, chiffon, or cheese pies
Cream-filled pastries
Cookie dough
Toss condiments, such as opened jars of mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish, if they were above 50 degrees F for more than 8 hours.

Foods that can be kept at room temperature for a few days (throw away items that are moldy or have an unusual odor):

Butter or margarine
Spices
BBQ sauce
Fresh fruits and veggies
Ketchup
Fruit juices
Relish
Cakes without cream filling or cream cheese frosting
Opened bottles of vinegar-based salad dressings
Taco sauce
Hard and processed cheese
Fruit pies, bread, rolls or muffins
Mustard
Dried fruit, coconut
Peanut butter
Jelly
For more information see:
http://missourifamilies.org/features...s/coping10.htm

[mom-from-missouri]

Of course, another option is to put some foods in an unheated space. Our garage the last few days has stayed 34 degrees. I've been keeping the ice tea pitcher there to save room in the fridge, because the icemaker quit.

[boefixepa]

I have a huge garage frezzer. I can't fill it with enough food. So I went and bought 20 bags of ice and put them at the bottom. Not only does this make the cooling more efficent, since the fuller the freezer the less energy it takes to cool, but it helps keep the food frozen in case of a power outage. If you have some really nice cuts you want to protect in a power outage, when push comes to shove, put them in a camping cooler and pack all the ices or frozen foods around them. It can get a few more hours to get he power back on.

One good things about power outages in winter....you can always put the food outside.

My power went out Sunday morning. At -4 outside the last thing I worried about was my food. Gratefully it was only off for a few hours. The house did get down to 45.