If You Are Experiencing Power Outages, Here Are The Foods You Can Keep And What You Should Toss

Hundreds of thousands of people are currently sitting at home in the dark thanks to the quick change in the polar vortex, are we back in 2020?

Putting aside the contemplation of whether or not we backtracked into the craziness of what was 2020, states that are usually warm during the winter have sheets of ice on their car windows.

So what do we do when we notice the lights start blinking?

It has become a habit to charge all electronics such as our phones and laptops and to hustle to the fridge to decide which foods can withhold a temporary power outage.

So if you’ve been standing in front of the fridge contemplating whether or not to toss out the milk or the big box of butter you just bought from Costco, here are the foods you can toss and what you can keep!

According to FoodSafety.gov, most foods in your fridge are safe as long as the power is out for no more than four hours.

Keep in mind to keep the fridge door closed as much as possible and to throw away any perishable foods that have been above 40° F for more than two hours such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and unfortunately, last night’s leftovers.

I know, it’s a sin to see mom’s chicken pot pie in the trash.

If you tend to smell your food to determine whether or not it is safe to eat, do not do this, as you shouldn’t rely on food’s appearance or odor to determine whether or not you can eat that rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

Oh, and as a public service announcement, you should never taste your food to determine its safety!

Freezer foods tend to have a longer life span which means your french fries and chicken nuggets are safe for now.

Specifically 48 hours safe if you have a stocked freezer and 24 hours if the freezer is only half full and the door remains closed.

Now remember, that thawed or partially thawed foods in the freezer can be safely refrozen if you notice ice crystals or if you know that the temperature hasn’t risen above 40°.

The quality of the food may have been affected but hey, it’s still safe to eat!