The Food Safety and Inspection Service has released a series of tips geared toward those persons in the path of Tropical Storm Flossie. The thought is that those who lose electricity will need to keep their foods fresh and safe as long as possible, and even if you’re not affected by the storm, the advice is still good to have handy for potential future power outages and occurrences of disasters.
The main thing you’ll want to keep in mind is that opening your refrigerator and freezer should be done only when absolutely necessary. When the power goes out, every time you open the door will be time shaved off of how long food will stay safe. You can get two days out of a full freezer and four hours out of a full fridge if the door is left closed, but the time can drop precipitously if you open and close the door or don’t keep the appliance stocked to the brim.
You can also extend the life of food by investing in block ice and dry ice that you can place inside. To prepare yourself for the next time severe weather comes, you should also purchase an appliance thermometer to verify that the temp is under 40 for the fridge and 0 for the freezer. Freeze leftovers that won’t be consumed within a day or two, and get in the habit of stocking gel packs that can further help preserve food.