We haven't had power in 24 hours & I want to clean out the fridge & freezer. What can I keep? I'm guessing unopened drinks are ok. What about frozen fries & waffles & American cheese & butter & mayo?!?! I'm going to get a cooler & try to save some stuff but dont know here to start! Uhhhh thanks ladies
CaughtMyFish
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
same for me, Kerri. I am thinking we can save some things that are not mayo or milk based. I am tossing all cheese, all dressings (even balsamic based vinaigrette bc I worry about bacteria growth), hummus, leftovers etc. I am going to save Gatorade, pickles, olives, mustard, crushed garlic, and similar shelf staples.
mjm2012
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
i pretty much tossed everything. anything with any type of dairy was definitely gone. the only things i kept were things that were still sealed and cold like salad dressings. i am sure i could've saved a lot more but just didn't want to chance anything being bad and keeping it. i'd rather be out the money than have food poisoning.
kerryums
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
In general, you can keep whatever is cold to the touch! If it is not cold to the touch, toss it. Also vegetable matter is safer than meat products or byproducts like dairy (though I have a family member who leaves butter in the cabinets! I kid you not....so IDK lol) BUT...If you're not sure, toss it just to be safe.
ETA: Foods that will be heated to a high temp are also safer to eat, as cooking generally kills the bacteria that may have developed!
FutureMrsCat050412
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
Thanks for all the feedback girls power finally came back
pinkglam19
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
On the news this morning they said if your fridge is out for over 4 hours...the food grows bacteria so it should all be thrown out. They said some people 'taste' the food to see if it tastes ok and that is bad becauase bacteria grows and even a little taste can get your very sick. It was on channel 5 news if you want to try and pull it up online.
Lina117
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Re: NWR: no power what can I save...
Posted by pinkglam19
On the news this morning they said if your fridge is out for over 4 hours...the food grows bacteria so it should all be thrown out. They said some people 'taste' the food to see if it tastes ok and that is bad becauase bacteria grows and even a little taste can get your very sick. It was on channel 5 news if you want to try and pull it up online.
I don't believe this is completely accurate. I turned up my fridge all the way the day before power went out to make sure it was as cold as possible. I tracked the temp I normally have it set at with a thermometer I left in the fridge and the temp never even went below what I normally keep it at and that was with our power being out for just over 24 hours. I was very careful and we only had to open the fridge 2 times (very quickly) during those 24 hours. I think it all depends on your unit, what you keep the temp at and how many times you had to open it.
