When a major storm is on the horizon, packing your bags and leaving home is often the safe thing to do. But, if you’re worried about the food in your fridge being safe to consume when you return, you’re going to want to remember this brilliantly simple trick.
If the power goes out while you’re gone, everything from meat to milk will be at risk. But, if the power returns before you do, you’ll never know if your fridge was running the whole time or not.
As Sheila Pulanco Russell, from North Carolina, explains in her post, all you need is a quarter and cup of water. Put the water in the freezer until it’s frozen solid. Then, take it out, and put a quarter on top of the ice. Return the cup—with the quarter—back to the freezer.
All of that may seem pointless, but stay with us. When you return—or wake up in the morning, if it’s a less severe storm—if you find the quarter has moved to the bottom of the cup, then you’ll know your food was unrefrigerated while you were gone and it’s no longer safe to eat. Found the quarter in the middle? The food is likely still okay, but, as Sheila advises, “If you don’t feel good about your food, just throw it out.”
Where you ideally want the quarter to be is exactly where you left it—on the top. That means your freezer’s contents stayed frozen the entire time. Genius, right? Facebook agrees, too. In a matter of days, Sheila’s post was shared close to 400,000 times.
(h/t HelloGiggles)
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From: Country Living US
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