• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Deep Roots at Home

  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Babies & Pregnancy
    • Beauty
    • Books & Booklists
    • Brain & Gut Health
    • Children At Home
    • COVID-19
    • Detoxing & TRS
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Education & Homeschool
    • Faith & Family
    • Feel-Good Stories
    • Flourishing Marriage
    • Flourishing Womanhood
    • Food & Recipes
    • Food Additives
    • Garden & Homestead
    • Healthy Living
    • Herbs & Remedies
    • Holidays
    • Homemaking
    • My Favorite Products
    • News & Alerts
    • Parental Rights
    • Pharma & Vaccines
    • Play, Toys, & Movies
    • Raising Daughters
    • Raising Sons
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Popular Blog Topics
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Babies & Pregnancy
  • Beauty
  • Books & Booklists
  • Brain & Gut Health
  • Children at Home
  • COVID-19
  • Detoxing & TRS
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Education & Homeschool
  • Faith & Family
  • Feel-Good Stories
  • Flourishing Marriage
  • Flourishing Womanhood
  • Food & Recipes
  • Food Additives
  • Garden & Homestead
  • Healthy Living
  • Herbs & Remedies
  • Holidays
  • Homemaking
  • My Favorite Products
  • News And Alerts
  • Parenting / Parental Rights
  • Pharmaceutical Warnings
  • Play / Toys
  • Raising Daughters
  • Raising Sons
  • Popular This Week
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Be Prepared: What to Do With Frozen Food When the Power Goes Down

    9.5KViews Modified: Aug 6, 2022 · Published: Apr 22, 2021
    By Jacqueline 12 Comments

    Share2.2K
    Telegram
    Pin190
    2.4K Shares

    Be Prepared: What to Do With Frozen Food When the Power Goes Down

    If you can keep frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below, they can be kept indefinitely. Frozen food is great because it keeps most of its nutritional value, texture and taste. In fact your freezer would be the ultimate preparedness tool but for one thing — it needs constant electrical power.

    [Print and keep this guide in a plastic sleeve on your freezer in the event you lose power.]

    Subscribe to Email Updates

     

    Some families have a generator, or other alternate power source, ready to take over if electricity goes out in a crisis. (If you have a lot of food in your freezer, you need a back up generator for when the power goes down. It saves a lot of anxiety, and if the power is out for a long time, money. Our power has gone out an average of once a year for the last 20 years, one was for almost a day and that one day was enough to pay for the generator in food savings.)

    Or you could come home to find the freezer’s been off all afternoon. 

    Many have had this happen in the past, but we haven’t so I wanted to know what to do next.

    Does everything in the freezer have to be thrown out?

    Is it OK to just power it back up again and let the contents freeze again?

    Or can we keep some things but we should not keep others?

    Unfortunately, the answers are not black and white. You will need to evaluate each item individually.

    Here’s what happens IN your freezer when the power goes off and what you should do about it.

    When the Power Goes Off

    The inside of your freezer stays cold due to both insulation and active heat removal. When the power goes off, the cooling pump stops which means you’re now relying on insulation only. Don’t panic though:

    TIP ⇒ A fully stocked CHEST freezer should stay cold enough for about 48-72 hours. An UPRIGHT freezer up to 48 hours UNOPENED. Cover the freezer with blankets; avoid covering vents. This is an especially good tip for chest freezers to help insulate even further.

    When you open your freezer door, heavy cold air will spill out the bottom of the door and will be replaced with warm air drawn in for the from the top of the door. Normally that isn’t a problem. 

    TIP ⇒ A freezer alarm is a great help to notify you if something is amiss. There are many kinds available.

    Physics says that heat flows from a warmer space to a cooler space until their temperatures are equal. In summer, the air in your garage can easily be 80° or 90°F hotter than your roasts.

    This means that opening the door just once can raise the temperature inside by several degrees.

    One way to keep your frozen food cold the longest if the power goes off is to keep it very full.

    If your freezer isn’t quite full, you can fill cleaned plastic gallon milk jugs with drinking water over time and freeze them. If the power does go out, they’ll soak up massive amounts of heat.

    If the power doesn’t go out, then you can cut the plastic bottles smash the ice and use that to cool other things or chill your summer drink and even save on energy costs.

    You could also fill up any spaces with closed cardboard boxes. It’s not as effective as more frozen food or water, but it will reduce how much warm air goes in when you do open the door.

    What to Keep? What to Toss?

    So your freezer has been off a while, but now you’ve got it running again. Now what?

    How much of the food that was in it can you keep and what’s a health hazard?

    TIP ⇒ Keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer. The ideal freezer temperature is 0ºF, and a reading of 40ºF or below means the food is safe to eat or may be refrozen. Discard perishable food that is in a freezer above 40ºF for more than 2 hours.

    Well, a lot of that depends on how warm the freezer got and how long it was left left like that.

    If the food was kept below 40°F – for a maximum of two days – or still has ice crystals in it, it should be safe to refreeze.

    If the inside of the freezer reached 50°F, everything in it needs to be used immediately (if it isn’t already spoiling), or thrown out.

    That still leaves some questions unanswered so here’s a handy guide:

    • If these foods contain ice crystals and feel cold, refreeze or eat immediately. If thawed and held above 40 degrees for more than two hours, they should be discarded: Meat, poultry, seafood, stews, soups, frozen milk, eggs, soft or shredded cheese, cheesecake, vegetable juices, cakes, pies, pastries with custard filling, rice-based casseroles and pasta, frozen meals, entrees, pizzas, sausage and biscuits, meat pies, convenience foods. With vegetables and some fruit: Consider canning if you have the needed canning supplies and a wood burning cookstove.
    • If these foods contain ice crystals and feel cold, refreeze. If thawed and held above 40 degrees for more than two hours, they can be refrozen: Hard cheeses, fruit juices or commercially packaged fruit juices, breads, rolls, muffins, cakes without custard fillings, commercial and homemade pie crusts and bread doughs, flour, cornmeal, nuts, waffles, pancakes, bagels.

    See my preparedness booklist. 

    Food Storage: 10 Emergency Foods That Last Practically Forever

    2 More Tips ⇒

    • Label all frozen food with its contents and the date you are freezing it then observe the ‘first-in, first-out’ rule for your freezer.
    • We have several VERY large white Igloo 5-day coolers set aside in case this happens during the winter, in which case, we would transfer the most valuable food to the coolers and put them outside in shade on the north side.
    • With a gas/propane burner or woodstove, etc., you could make a lot of stew and can it. Meat can always be canned, too. Invest in some reusable canning lids. 
    • When in doubt, throw it out!

    Be Prepared: What to Do With Frozen Food When the Power Goes Down

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email
    Share2.2K
    Telegram
    Pin190
    2.4K Shares
    « Did You Know the Vit K Your Baby Gets Has a Black Box Warning?
    Thousands of Women Reporting Miscarriage, Disrupted Menstrual Cycles »

    Related

    Hi! I’m Jacqueline!

    Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
    Welcome to my own little place on the internet! Home is where I love to be. I feel there is no greater place to incubate souls. These days you’ll find me using my experiences here to write about herbal remedies and natural health research — a big passion of mine. But being a wife and mother is not easy. It is challenging and potentially lonely. I get that. I wanted to create a place to connect with and support other moms for creating a natural, healthy, and fulfilling home life.
    Join the newsletter:

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Illini Warrior

      May 28, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      sometimes there’s plenty of roll-up time prior to the SHTF that will be bringing down the grid >>> not the worst idea to save an expensive $$$ chunk of freezer meat by cooking it – have a good feed prior to the SHTF and then turn the rest into handy sandwich meat for quiky SHTF lunches ….

      Reply
    2. Junebuggy

      May 28, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      I learned from my Grandparents to put a coin on top of a jar lid filled with frozen water. If you open the freezer and see the coin has melted into the ice…it’s a sure way of knowing you had a power loss and possible thawing.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        May 28, 2021 at 9:49 pm

        That is an amazing tip! It is practical and can give a heads up you might not otherwise notice!
        Thank you, Junebuggy!
        Blessings,
        ~Jacque

        Reply
      • Illini Warrior

        May 29, 2021 at 3:51 pm

        absolute must for any freezer is an alarm >>> wide variety these days including one that hooks into your home internet system and will send out a distress message – most are just simple plug in “power outage” alarms that siren alerts that the plug got pulled or you blew a fuse ….

        Reply
        • Jacqueline

          May 30, 2021 at 2:32 pm

          Thank you, Illini Warrior! I will add that to the post! I do not want WI-FI in our home due to the harmful RF, but the battery operated ones are fine!

          Reply
    3. Kathleen Aherne

      May 31, 2021 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks for all the tips. Our ADRIENNE has chosen your post to be featured in the next Blogger’s Pit Stop.
      Kathleen

      Reply
    4. Vee S.

      June 01, 2021 at 4:46 pm

      This is a great article. Would you please offer another similar-topic article; on dealing with foods in a refrigerator after power has been off for 12 hours? I didn’t know what to pitch and what to keep last week. Had to guess.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        June 01, 2021 at 5:23 pm

        Vee S, it would be similar except at the lower temp in a fridge. I will add it to the list!
        Blessings, ~J

        Reply
    5. Jean | Delightful Repast

      June 05, 2021 at 10:14 am

      Jacqueline, great article! The title jumped out at me at Bloggers Pit Stop. Appreciated the tip on how long items would stay cold in chest and upright freezers. Question: How long will they stay cold in my new refrigerator’s top freezer?

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        June 05, 2021 at 12:13 pm

        Hi, Jean! It depends on how well insulated it is. You may find this helpful:
        https://blog.norwall.com/information-and-links/how-long-will-a-refrigerator-stay-cold-after-power-loss/
        Blessings! ~Jacque

        Reply
    6. Jeannette

      June 06, 2021 at 12:56 pm

      Great info, and worthy of printing to have on hand!
      I am thinking that when one re-freezes after a power outage, the items may all freeze together in one chunk, if they thawed around the edges. So, maybe put some items in coolers, separate items inside the freezer, and freeze for a few hours before adding more back in. I hope that makes sense.

      I like the idea of freezing jugs of water to fill the freezer, and also the tip someone shared about putting a coin in one as a thaw indicator.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        June 06, 2021 at 6:52 pm

        Hi, Jeannette!
        Yes, we printed the post to stick in an acrylic sleeve and tape to the side of the chest freezer! I need to print off a good many of the things I’ve written on the blog, because in a dificult time it will be far less stressful than having to just remember it all!
        God bless you as you and your family prepare! I hope we will not need it!
        ~Jacque

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Footer

    About Deep Roots at Home

    What is Deep Roots at Home?
    Jacqueline’s Story
    Article Archives
    Contact
    Stay Updated

    Weekly updates on the topics that matter the most to you!

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Popular Posts This Week
    • Joe Tippins’s Fenbendazole Protocol For Cancer
    • Confusing ‘Acting’ Respectfully With ‘Respecting’ – What?
    • The Largest Family In the World: Be Inspired, Amazed by the Mully Movie
    • Crock Pot Liners and Instant Pots That Test Safe For Lead

    Affiliate Disclosure  •  Medical Disclosure  •  Privacy Policy  •  Cookie Policy

    The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy. Content may not be reproduced in any form. Website by Imperative Co.



    © 2006–2023 Deep Roots at Home • All Rights Reserved

    Many people don’t see me on the Deep Roots at Home Facebook page these days due to censorship.

    Come straight to Deeprootsathome.com instead and find out what you’re missing!

    You can even make DRAH your browser homepage.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy, Homemade Remedies to Beat Coughs & Colds” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy + Healthy Lifestyle Drinks” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup — with Easy Recipes!” printable PDF.

    Subscribe to Email Updates

    By adding your email address below, you agree to receive email updates from Deep Roots at Home. You’ll get 2-6 emails per month with info that we can’t share on social media and important updates. We may send occasional marketing / sales emails.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Treasured Old Books” printable guide.

    Get the printable ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Dyslexia Tips” ebook from Sarah J. Brown.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Starving Brains & Poor Attention Spans in Boys: 30 Tips for Parents” printable PDF.

    Get your free ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Vital Vaccine Info” printable e-book.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds” printable guide.

    Get the freebie of the season!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “100 Wholehearted Books to Take Back the Culture” printable guide.

    Praying for newlyweds is perhaps the best gift we can give them! Receive this printable PDF: “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds.” 

    Prayers for Husbands

    View our privacy policy.

    The PDF will arrive in your inbox! You’ll also get about 1-2 emails a month (including the seasonal freebies!) and can unsubscribe at any time.

    ¡Nos gustaría mantener en contacto! Y usted recibirá un obsequio importante de la temporada: “Cerebros Ambrientes y Escasa Atención En Los Niños” PDF imprimible.

    Spanish Boys Attention Spans

    Ver nuestra política de privacidad.


    ¡El PDF llegará a su buzón de entrada! ¡Usted recibirá 1 – 2 correos electrónicos al mes (incluyendo los regalos de temporada!) y puede cancelar su suscripción en cualquier momento.