Prolonged power outages pose serious risks to the freshness of food and your health. Find out how to save the contents of your refrigerator when electricity is out for several hours, writes agronews.ua.
Читай нас також у Viber та Telegram.
Food in the refrigerator can remain safe for up to four hours. If you store food in the freezer, you can leave it there for up to 48 hours, provided it is fully loaded. In a partially empty freezer, food will remain safe for up to 24 hours. The main rule is to keep the doors closed.
When the power is out for too long, you need to:
place pre-frozen bottles of water or gel packs in the freezer;
if there is no electricity for more than four hours, group products together in the freezer – this way they will stay cold longer.
Alternatively, in freezing weather, you can use a balcony or veranda for temporary storage of products.
Try not to make large stocks of ready-made food – cook at once. Eat dishes immediately or do not leave them at room temperature for more than two hours.
It is also important to pay proper attention to the thermal processing of products. In particular, thoroughly boil and fry meat, eggs, and seafood. Bring dishes to a boil (the cooking temperature should be at least 70°C).
If you have doubts about some dishes in your refrigerator – do not taste them and discard.
Dispose of meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products if they have been without refrigeration for more than four hours. Also get rid of food with an unusual smell, color, or texture.
At the same time, not all suspicious products need to be thrown away, there are those that can be saved. For example: those with ice crystals or a temperature not exceeding +4°C can be cooked or refrozen.
It is also advisable to store raw products separately from cooked ones in closed containers to avoid cross-contamination.
Many survival experts recommend stocking up on non-perishable foods: canned goods, dried fruits, bread, seasonal vegetables.
Choose products with low salt content (less than 1 gram) and sugar (less than 10 grams per 100 grams of product).
When buying products, pay attention to ultra-pasteurized milk and other goods in Tetra Paks that can be stored without refrigeration for longer.