So, the Power Has Been Off,
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“It is also a good idea to sanitize with a solution of 1
teaspoon bleach in 1 quart of water. Do not use more bleach
because it can be dangerous or toxic. Be sure to also leave the
refrigerator or freezer door open until it dries,” said Egan.
Freezer
The basic guide is if the food still has ice crystals inside
it, it can be refrozen. Egan suggests taking a permanent marker
or crayon and mark each package in the freezer with an “X”
indicating it was partially thawed. Any items, which do not have
ice crystals, should be tossed.
What if you don’t know how thawed the food items were before
the freezer came back on?
“If you notice blood on neighboring packages or in the bottom
of the freezer, this indicts advanced thawing. At this point,
since we are dealing with an unknown, the rule is if in doubt,
throw it out,” said Egan.
Refrigerator
What about the refrigerator? Since food in a refrigerator
should be kept at about 40 degrees or below during normal
operation, two hours without power will mean tossing some food
out.
“Tossing is the hardest thing to do. But when we are in
doubt, we need to throw out,” said Egan.
Eat or toss
According to Egan, all the following foods need to be tossed
if kept more than two hours above 40 degrees: raw or cooked
meat, poultry, fish; hard cooked or cracked eggs; egg
substitutes; milk, cream yogurt or soft cheese; casseroles,
stews or soups; lunch meats and hot dogs; creamy-based salad
dressings; custard, chiffon or cheese pies; cream-filled
pastries and cookie dough.
The condiments in the refrigerator door -- like opened
mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish -- need to be tossed if
they were held above 50 degrees for more than eight hours.
The following refrigerated foods should keep at room
temperature a few days: butter, margarine, fresh fruits and
vegetables, dried fruits and coconut, opened jars of salad
dressing (except mayonnaise types), peanut butter, jelly,
relish, taco sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup and olives,
hard and processed cheeses, fruit juices, fresh herbs and
spices, flour and nuts, fruit pies, bread, rolls, cakes and
muffins.
Toss any of these items if they turn moldy or have an unusual
odor.
University of Missouri Extension programs focus on the high-priority needs of Missourians. Each county extension center, with oversight by locally elected and appointed citizens, is your local link to practical education on almost anything.
Last update: Thursday, February 01, 2007
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