My family loves having a large deep freezer in which we can store frozen casseroles and foods that we’ve purchased in bulk quantities. I’ve written previously about the convenience of having a standalone freezer and about how (depending on what freezer you purchase and how you use it) having one can potentially save you money.
One thing that isn’t convenient and doesn’t save money is when you lose the contents of your freezer because of a power outage. Occasional power outages are inevitable, so it is beneficial to take steps to protect the food in your freezer.
Today’s post is part of my Dare to Prepare series. To coincide with National Preparedness Month, I take time each September to share a post or two about disaster preparedness (you can see my previous Dare to Prepare posts here).
Before a power outage
Keep the freezer full
When the power goes out, you have a small window of time before foods in the freezer thaw. If foods are in a large, well-insulated freezer that is completely full, they may remain frozen for as long as 2-4 days. However, if foods are in a freezer that is only partially filled, they will only remain frozen for about 24 hours. Therefore, it is optimal to keep your freezer full. If you don’t have enough frozen foods to fill your freezer, then fill it with reusable gel ice packs or simply freeze water in empty water bottles, 2-liter soda bottles, etc. and pack it with these.
In my freezer, I have about six 64-oz. juice bottles that are filled with frozen water. I have these sitting on shelves where there are gaps between frozen foods. In addition to keeping the freezer cold during a power outage, these bottles of water mean that we have extra clean water on hand if we lose running water. It may seem unlikely that you will lose both electricity and running water, but it happens. In fact, it happened to us last year during the Texas Freeze!
Keep foods that must remain frozen at the bottom of the freezer
If you have foods that must remain frozen (e.g., meats, ice cream, prepared casseroles), it is best to place these at the bottom of the freezer. On the other hand, foods that allow for some wiggle room on temperature (e.g., breads, nuts, fruits) can be kept near the top of the freezer. This is because heat rises, so foods at the bottom of the freezer will remain colder than foods at the top.
I keep bread and bags of flour on the top shelf in my freezer. These will all be okay if they thaw. I have veggies, casseroles, and meats frozen on the lower shelves.
Have a wireless thermometer to monitor the freezer temperature
I’ve always kept a thermometer in my freezer, but this didn’t do much good because there was no way to see the thermometer without opening the door and letting out all the cold air! Thankfully, I came across a set of wireless thermometers designed for freezers and fridges.
During a power outage
Keep the door closed
As I noted above, opening the freezer door lets out the cold air, so it is critical that you keep the door closed. Remind everyone in the household to keep the door closed so a hungry child or spouse doesn’t open the door without realizing it could thaw the food.
Unplug the freezer
It is possible for power to return unexpectedly. There may be an electricity surge when this happens. Unplug the freezer when power goes out in order to protect it from damage that could be caused by a power surge.
Cover the freezer in blankets to provide extra insulation
You can add a small amount of insulation to your freezer by covering it in blankets. Wrap blankets all around the freezer but be sure to fasten them away from the air vents. You will need these for ventilation if power returns and the freezer comes on or for ventilation if you use dry ice to keep the food frozen (see details on this below).
Use dry ice to keep foods frozen
Dry ice (carbon dioxide in its solid form) is about -109°F, so it will keep the contents of a freezer frozen. If the power is going to be out for more than 48 hours, then it is a good idea to acquire some of this to pack into the freezer to keep your food frozen. Dry ice must be handled carefully, so be sure to follow all the safety instructions that come with it (you can also read about dry ice safety here). A 50-lb cake of dry ice is sufficient to protect solidly frozen food in a full 20-cubic foot freezer for 3-4 days. Likewise, a 25-lb. cake should do the same for a 10-cubic foot freezer that is full of solidly frozen food. To use dry ice in your freezer, simply place heavy cardboard atop packages of frozen food and place the dry ice on top of the cardboard. Do this in various areas throughout the freezer. Close the freezer door, but do not lock it. Do not open the door until it is time to replace the dry ice or the freezer is working again. Dry ice gives off a gas that needs to escape. Therefore, only use it in well-ventilated areas.
Start eating
If power has been out for a while and you don’t have access to dry ice, then you might as well eat what you can before it spoils. Start with perishable foods that are in the refrigerator, then move on to perishable foods that are in the freezer. Popsicles and ice cream thaw quickly and can’t be refrozen, so enjoy these first! Other foods that thaw quickly include frozen dinners (such as pizzas). Solidly frozen meats (such as a beef roast or turkey) will remain frozen a bit longer, so you can often wait a day or so before cooking these.
After a power outage
Determine which foods to refreeze and which to toss in the garbage
Once power is restored, you must decide what food can be salvaged. Here are some useful guidelines:
- Breads, cookies, cakes, and nuts. Refreeze as long as they show no signs of mold growth.
- Creamed foods, cream pies, and puddings. Refreeze only if the freezer temperature remained at 40°F or below.
- Vegetables. Refreeze if the freezer temperature remained at 40°F or below. If the freezer temperature went above 40°F but ice crystals are still present in the vegetables, then it is still safe to refreeze them. However, discard any packages that show signs of spoilage and/or have reached room temperature.
- Fruits. Refreeze as long as the packages do not show any signs of spoilage.
- Ice cream. Discard if partially thawed. The texture of ice cream is unacceptable after thawing and it may be unsafe if its temperature increased above 40°F.
- Meat and poultry. Refreeze only if the freezer temperature remained at 40°F or below. Regardless of the freezer temperature, discard if there are any signs of spoilage (change in color, foul odor, etc.).
- Shellfish and cooked foods. Refreeze if the freezer temperature remained at 40°F or below. If the freezer temperature went above 40°F but ice crystals are still present, then it is still safe to refreeze these. However, discard any packages that show signs of spoilage and/or have reached room temperature.
Final thoughts
I hope you do not experience a power outage soon. However, if you do, I hope the information here will help you save the valuable contents of your freezer. If you need additional information, check out my sources:
- Preparing for Power Outages
- Preserving Food: What to do if the Freezer Stops
- The Power is Off: Is the Food Still Safe?
- 5 Ways to Keep Your Food From Spoiling During a Power Outage
What additional tips can you share? How do you keep the foods in your freezer frozen during a power outage?
Great advice! We do have frequent power outages but thankfully we have always had our generator for backup.
We really need to get a generator! In the meanwhile, though, these tips help us quite a bit.