Food & the Fridge

The fridge and freezer clock

The moment the power goes out, a clock starts.

Every time you open the door, you lose cold air. Keep the doors closed, and know what you want before you open one. Use the fridge & freezer timer to track it.

Stretch the clock

• Before an outage: keep an appliance thermometer in both. Fridge at 40°F or below, freezer at 0°F or below. Keep frozen jugs of water in the freezer. They fill empty space and act as ice packs.
• Group frozen food together. A packed freezer stays cold far longer than a sparse one.
• Move what you'll need to a cooler with ice, so the fridge stays shut.
• Dry ice keeps a full 18 cu ft freezer frozen for about 2 days with 50 pounds. Handle it with gloves, and keep it ventilated — it releases carbon dioxide.
• In winter, outdoors isn't a fridge. The sun warms food on a porch, and animals get into it. A cooler on the shady side of the house with a thermometer in it can work.

Keep it or toss it?

The rule: perishable food that's been above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be thrown out. You can't tell by smell or look. The germs that make people sick don't change either.

Toss (after more than 2 hours above 40°F):

• meat, poultry, seafood, lunch meat, hot dogs
• milk, cream, yogurt, soft cheeses (brie, cottage, cream cheese, shredded)
• eggs and egg dishes
• cooked leftovers, casseroles, soups, cooked pasta and rice
• cut fruit and vegetables, prepared salads
• opened baby formula; creamy dressings

Usually OK without refrigeration:

• hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan), butter and margarine
• whole fresh fruits and vegetables
• peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, pickles, vinegar dressings
• bread, rolls, muffins

Frozen food: if it still has ice crystals or reads 40°F or below, you can refreeze or cook it. Quality may drop, but it's safe.

The no-power pantry

Store at least 3 days, ideally 2 weeks, of food that needs no refrigeration and little or no cooking. Buy what your family already eats, and rotate it: new cans go to the back, old ones get eaten.

What to stock

• Ready-to-eat proteins: canned tuna, chicken, salmon, chili, beans, peanut butter, nuts
• Canned soups, stews and pasta
• Canned fruits and vegetables (in juice or water)
• Grains that need no cooking: crackers, granola, cereal, tortillas, rice cakes
• Comfort food: cookies, hard candy, instant coffee, tea, hot cocoa
• Shelf-stable milk: boxed UHT milk, powdered milk
• Special needs: baby formula and food, pet food, gluten-free or diabetic options
• A manual can opener (two of them) — this is the item people forget most

A rough target is about 2,000 calories per adult per day. A jar of peanut butter is about 3,000 calories, and a can of chili about 600–800.

Long-term storage

For storage measured in years, not months:

• White rice, dried beans, rolled oats, wheat, sugar, salt last 10–30 years in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers (mylar bags inside food-grade buckets).
• Brown rice and whole-wheat flour go rancid in months. Rotate them often.
• Freeze-dried meals last 10+ years but need hot water.
• Keep storage cool, dry and dark. Heat is the biggest enemy of shelf life. A cool basement beats a hot garage.

Using what you have, in order

1. Day 1: fridge food (perishables first)
2. Days 2–3: freezer food that's thawing
3. After that: the pantry

Sources: USDA FSIS — Keep Your Food Safe During Emergencies · FoodSafety.gov · FEMA — Food and Water in an Emergency