How long does frozen food last in freezer without power

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Whether you live in an area that’s prone to thunderstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, or any other number of natural disasters, if the power goes out, we all have the same questions: How long can we still eat the food in the refrigerator or freezer, and what should we keep or pitch after the power comes back on?

Here’s a guide to help you both monitor and know what to do with food when there’s no electricity.

Your Refrigerator

The Proper Refrigerator Temperature

You should be prepared for a power outage, including setting the refrigerator to the proper temperature and being able to monitor it even when there’s no power. It should be set to 35 to 38°F; it’s worth investing in a refrigerator thermometer so you know exactly what the temperature inside is at all times.

How Long Refrigerated Food Is Safe to Eat

If the power goes out, keep track of how long it’s out. Keep the door to the refrigerator closed as much as possible, and remember that full refrigerators stay colder longer than emptier ones. Food stored in the refrigerator is still safe to eat if the power is out for no more than four hours.

What Happens After Four Hours?

When these four hours are up and the power’s still out, you need to start to monitor the temperature inside the refrigerator. Once the temperature inside reaches 40°F or higher, perishable food is only good for two more hours before you should pitch it. Here’s what to keep and what to throw out:

Foods to Pitch

• Soups, Stews, and Casseroles
• Meat, Poultry, and Seafood: Cooked, uncooked, or any other foods like casseroles that contain these things
• Cheese: Soft, shredded, low-fat
• Dairy: Milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk
• Soy and Nut Milks
• Eggs: Cooked, uncooked, and any foods containing eggs (like quiches and custards)
• Fruit: Cut fruit
• Condiments: Fish sauce, oyster sauce, creamy dressings, spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise that has been over 50°F for eight hours or more
• Breads: Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough
• Pasta: Fresh pasta, salads
• Sweets: Cheesecake, cream or custard pies, cream-filled pastries
• Vegetables: Pre-washed greens, cooked vegetables, vegetable juice, garlic in oil,
• Tofu

Foods You Can Keep

• Cheese: Hard, processed, grated hard cheeses like Parmesan and Romano
• Dairy: Butter, margarine
• Fruit: Fruit juice, canned fruit, fresh whole fruits, dried fruits
• Condiments: Nut butters, jams, jellies, ketchup, olives, pickles, mustard, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, relish, vinegar-based dressings, Worcestershire, soy sauce, hoisin sauce
• Breads: Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas, bagels
• Breakfast: Waffles, pancakes
• Sweets: Fruit pies
• Vegetables: Raw
• Herbs

Your Freezer

The Proper Freezer Temperature

Just like with the refrigerator, there’s an ideal temperature for the freezer, too. Keep it at 0°F, and invest in a freezer thermometer so you can monitor its temperature.

How Long Frozen Food Is Safe to Eat

Knowing what to keep in the freezer is a lot easier than the refrigerator. Basically, you just want foods, no matter what kind, to stay frozen!

• Full Freezer: A full freezer will keep temperature for about 48 hours.
• Half-Full Freezer: The timeline drops down to 24 hoursif your freezer is not full. Try to group the foods close together so they stay colder longer.

After the power comes back on, check foods for ice crystals. If there are still crystals, you can safely refreeze it again.

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Whether lightning took out a transformer or a squirrel gnawed through some power lines, power outages are all too common. After the candles have been lit and the flashlights have been located, the next thing on people's minds is likely to be the contents of their refrigerator and freezer. 

Typically a refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. Freezers, on the other hand, will keep its temperature for 48 hours, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA notes that if the freezer is less full, it will keep its temperature for a shorter amount of time. A half-full freezer will stay frozen for half as long — around 24 hours. 

The most important thing to do when trying to maintain the temperature inside a freezer with no power is to keep the door closed. Freezers are well-insulated which allows them to keep their temperature, but opening the door will let the cold air out and warm air in.

What you'll have to toss if your freezer loses power

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If your freezer has been disconnected from power for more than 48 hours, you may have to consider what foods you are going to keep and what foods you are going to toss. You can safely refreeze foods if they still contain ice crystals, although this may have an impact on the quality of the food (via The University of Wisconsin). 

Certain foods will stay frozen longer, so while the 48-hour rule is a benchmark, it's not set in stone. Frozen meat and veggies, for example, should stay frozen for longer than bread. Fruits can be refrozen if they are thawed — however, vegetables should not because bacteria can rapidly multiply in thawed veggies. Thawed meat and poultry should be thrown away if the meat has been over 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours. 

Thawed fish, shellfish, frozen dinners, and ice cream should not be refrozen as they are all extremely perishable.

No matter what, though, if you have any questions at all about the safety of your previously-frozen food, it's best to just throw it out.