If you like to travel and keep meals in the freezer, be careful not to eat rotten or expired food as it could be harmful to your health. Imagine discovering, after a vacation, that a power interruption has caused your frozen food to defrost and rot.
Do not, however, panic! A mug of water and a penny will do the trick to make sure your refrigerator is running at its best. This simple tip will let you to put the fear of eating rotten or expired vegetables from the freezer behind you.
One penny perched on a frosted mug
How it works is that the food in the freezer and the water in the mug will freeze together if the power goes off. The pennies will change places on top of the ice when the electricity comes back on. The food in the freezer is still fresh and safe to eat, as this makes abundantly evident.
For anyone that frequently leave food in the freezer while traveling or away from home, this little tip can be a lifesaver. Having this information, you may be sure that when you get back from your trip, you will always have access to wholesome, fresh food.
One Successful Experiment
Passionate about food safety, Sheila Pulanco Russell has devised a clever experiment to find out if your refrigerator is operating properly. She offers a simple test using just a cent and ordinary tap water.
Should the pennies freeze, it means that your freezer is in good operating order and can keep food at the proper temperature for a long time. People that live close to the sea and frequently find it difficult to keep their food fresh during power outages may find this method very useful.
People who thought this concept was really useful responded in huge numbers when Sheila posted it on Facebook. The experiment’s simplicity and ease of execution were praised by many of the tens of thousands of comments and shares on the post.
A quarter atop a frozen cup
Using a cup of water and a quarter positioned on top after it has totally frozen in the refrigerator, you may conduct this experiment yourself. When you are heading on long vacations or will be spending a few days away from home, Sheila’s “one-cup tip” can also be quite helpful. To swiftly determine whether the food in the freezer has stayed frozen or has thawed and refrozen, suggesting possible degradation, keep a cup of frozen water with a quarter on top.
Money Savings and Reduced Waste
Use this easy method to save money by avoiding expensive new refrigerator purchases or throwing away food that has gone bad because of malfunctioning cooling systems. The straightforward yet effective advice offered by Sheila Pulanco Russell is widely appreciated by people who are regularly bothered by decaying food brought on by broken freezers or power outages.
You can make sure that your food stays fresh and healthy without having to spend extra money on new appliances or wasted food by carrying out this experiment and doing what Sheila says.
Supplying Food Safety
It is imperative to find out if defrosted food is safe. Sheila can assist with this with her easy approach of utilizing a cup and a quarter. How it works is that the food has completely defrosted and should be thrown away if the quarter has sunk to the bottom of the cup. Still, the meal might be okay to consume if the quarter is in the middle or top of the cup.
Store a quarter in your freezer to be ready for a power outage. It may be a fallback to find out if the food in your freezer or refrigerator is still edible.
It is always preferable to err on the side of caution and throw away food if there is any question about its safety. Concerning food safety, your health need to come first. Recall this advise to take the required safety measures to safeguard your health and wellbeing. To keep everyone informed about food safety issues, forward this important information to your friends and family.
