If Your Freezer Stops Fact Sheet No. 9.357 Food and Nutrition Series|Food Safety by L. Price and P. Kendall* If you have a full home freezer, you have leaving the door open or from accidently­ Quick Facts made a major financial investment for food. getting trapped inside the freezer. If you grew the food and prepared it for Check freezer. Check the freezer • Because a freezer full of food freezing, you also have many hours of time occasionally to be sure it works properly – is a major investment, prepare invested. Considering these investments, it is particularly if the freezer is not in an area that alternatives if it stops. important to take a few precautions to ensure you walk by daily. against loss in case of a power or mechanical Dry ice or alternate freezer site. Locate • Factors that affect how long failure or other problem that may cause the a source of dry ice if and when your freezer food stays frozen if it is in the freezer to stop or malfunction. stops, or locate a supermarket or locker plant freezer with the door shut Thermometer. Purchase a refrigerator/ that has freezer space available for consumer include: the amount of food freezer thermome­ter and keep it in the use. If you locate these sources in advance, in the freezer, the kind of freezer. If your freezer goes out for any reason your stress will be lower if your freezer is food, the freezer temperature and is off for some time, you can see how out of operation for a few days. If there is before it quit, the amount of warm the freezer has become. Knowing the neither a source of dry ice nor a locker plant freezer insulation, and the size highest temperature that food has reached available, keep canning supplies on hand to of the freezer. is the most important factor to determine preserve food when there is no chance of whether or not the thawed food in your using your freezer soon. • If food is safe to eat, it freezer is safe. Having a freezer thermometer is safe to refreeze. If ice also gives you more control over the quality crystals remain in foods, Length of Time Food Will of your frozen food. Keep the freezer it’s usually­ safe to refreeze temperature at 0 degrees F. Remain Frozen them although there will be Power source. It’s best to plug your As soon as your freezer goes off, changes in the texture, flavor freezer into a dedicated outlet that is not determine how long the problem will last. If and color, and the nutritional connected to a circuit protected by a GFI it is a power failure, ask the power company value may be lower. (Ground Fault Interrupter) device. GFIs are how long the power will be off. If it is a easily tripped by power surges, shutting off mechanical failure, check the instruction power to your freezer. booklet that came with your freezer to see if Power failure. If for any reason you you can remedy the problem. If not, schedule anticipate an extended power failure (i.e., a repair service. snow storm, construction­ in the area), reduce Once you know when your freezer is the freezer temperature­ to -10 or -20 degrees expected to be operational again, assess F. The colder the food, the more time it takes whether you can leave food in the freezer or to thaw. if you need to take additional steps to ensure New freezer. If you plan to purchase a that your food remains frozen. new freezer, investigate models that have an If you leave the freezer door shut, these alarm. No matter why the freezer is off, the factors affect how long food will stay fro­zen: alarm will sound if the temperature rises Amount of food in the freezer. Food in significantly and you will be warned of the a full freezer will stay frozen about two days. problem. Food in a freezer that is only half full may Lock the door. Keep the freezer door stay frozen up to one day. Keeping containers locked if there are small children in the of ice in a partially filled freezer helps keep household. This prevents children from other foods frozen longer. Also, while the © Colorado State University freezer is operating, less energy is required to Extension. 10/99. Revised 12/10. keep the ice frozen than to keep empty space www.ext.colostate.edu *L. Price, former Colorado State University Extension or air at 0 degrees F. specialist, foods and nutrition; and P. Kendall, Extension foods and nutrition specialist and professor, food science and human nutrition. 12/2010 Table 1. Using dry ice to keep freezer temperatures below 32 degrees F. Breads will be staler, but they still may Quantity of Time to be acceptable. Toasting, steaming in the Amount of Size of food in remain in oven in aluminum foil, or microwaving in dry ice freezer freezer freezer paper toweling­ or plastic wrap will help (lbs) (cubic ft) (days) 25 10 half-full 2-3 freshen them. 25 10 full 3-4 If you need help to decide about the 50 20 half-full 3 safety of particular products, call your 50 20 full 4 Colorado State University Extension­ county office. Be prepared to provide information Kind of food. A freezer full of meat When Food is Safe on the history of the foods: types of food, will not warm up as fast as a freezer full of to Refreeze length of time the freezer was off, the baked food. If food is safe to eat, it’s safe to refreeze. highest temperature reached in the freezer, Temperature in the freezer before it When you find that your freezer is off, and about how long the food may have quit. The colder the food, the longer it will check the temperature in two or three been at that temperature. stay frozen. locations. Then take a look at the packages­ Amount of freezer insulation. of food. Obviously, a well-insulated freezer will keep Refreezing Methods If foods still contain ice crystals and/ food frozen much longer than one with or if the freezer is 40 degrees F or less and to Maintain Quality little insulation. has been at that temperature no longer For best quality, refreeze food quickly. Size of freezer. The larger the freezer, than one to two days, then food that was The faster food freezes, the smaller the ice the longer the food will stay frozen, safe when it was originally frozen should crystals that form within the food. When particularly if the freezer is full. be safe now. It can be refrozen or cooked food freezes slowly, larger ice crystals­ and eaten. develop and pierce the cell walls within the Keeping Food Frozen If food has been held at 40 degrees For food and cause the food to be mushier and to lose more flavor, nutrients and color. If your freezer will be off longer than the less but kept at this temperature for some If your freezer is full of thawed food, it one to two days there are several methods time, examine it more closely. If the color will not refreeze quickly. Therefore, you’ll you can use to extend the time your food or odor of thawed beef, pork, lamb or probably need to take the food to a locker will remain frozen: poultry are poor or questionable, discard plant to have it frozen quickly before • Wrap the freezer with crumpled the meat away from possible human or moving it back to your home freezer. If a newspapers and then blankets. Don’t animal consumption. If eaten, the food may locker plant is unavailable, a neighbor­ may cover the air vents in case the freezer give someone food poisoning. have space to refreeze a portion of your begins operating. Often you cannot tell by the odor food. • Use dry ice to keep the temperature low. whether vegetables, shellfish and cooked The same rules apply to refreezing as to Place heavy cardboard over packages foods are spoiled. Bacteria multiply rapidly the initial freezing. of frozen food. Put the dry ice on top in these foods so don’t eat or refreeze any • Turn the freezer to its coldest setting. of the cardboard. If dry ice is obtained that have thawed completely. If ice crystals • Use moisture- and vaporproof before the freezer temperature rises remain in these foods, it’s usually safe to packaging and close packages securely. significantly, you can keep your freezer refreeze them. However, the texture will Label with date(s) of freezing and cold as shown in Table 1. Then keep be mushier, the nutritional value may be contents. your freezer closed. Be careful when lower, and the flavor and color may not be • Put no more unfrozen food into the using dry ice. Wear gloves so that it top quality. freezer at one time than will freeze in 24 won’t burn your hands. Keep the room If the freezer is above 40 degrees F and hours – usually 2 to 3 pounds per cubic ventilated. you know it has been at that temperature foot of freezer capacity. If you have a • Call the supermarket or locker plant more than two hours, then the food you made prior arrangements with to probably is not safe. Fruits and bread products are exceptions. Fruits ferment be sure they currently have room for Once you know when your freezer your food. Place the food in ice chests when they start to spoil, but a little is expected to be operational again, or insulated boxes. Wrap the boxes in fermentation won’t make fruits unsafe to assess whether you can leave food newspapers and blankets. eat. Fermentation will eventually spoil the • Check with neighbors to see if their flavor and odor of fruit. You can refreeze in the freezer or if you need to take freezers have space for your food. If completely thawed fruits if they still taste additional steps to ensure that your your packages are well labeled, you can and smell good. Or you can use them in food remains frozen. easily retrieve them. cooking­ and baking or for making jams and jellies. 15-cubic-foot freezer, refreeze only 30 to or detergent. Also, wash the gaskets and 45 pounds of food at a time. door liner. Rinse well and dry. Often you cannot tell by the odor • Place packages at least 1 inch apart • Wash the interior walls with a solution whether vegetables, shellfish and so cold air can reach all sides. Place of 2 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart cooked foods are spoiled. thawed food against the freezer coils. warm water. Your freezer instruction booklet will tell • Pour baking soda onto large, flat pans you where the coldest portion of the and place pans on the freezer shelves to If these methods do not satisfactorily freezer is. absorb odors. eliminate­ odor problems, drippings from • After the food is frozen, rearrange • Spread activated charcoal onto large, meat or fish may have leaked into the the packages so they are stored close flat pans and place on shelves inside freezer’s insulation or gaskets. The problem together. Change the temperature the freezer. Leave the freezer empty and may require a refriger­ator technician to setting back to normal so the freezer allow it to run at its highest temperature replace the liner or the insulation. maintains 0 degrees F. for a few days to allow odors to be • Use refrozen and oldest foods first. Keep absorbed. Activated charcoal usually References a list near the freezer, and check off is quite effective in absorbing odors packages as they are used. This lets you and can some­times be obtained at Herndom, Sue. Removing Odors from quickly see what food remains and plan appliance stores. Refrig­erators and Freezers. 1979. for its use. • Place freshly ground coffee in small Family Living Tips A5208, Oklahoma A common myth is that food must be bowls inside the freezer and allow the State Cooperative Extension Service, cooked before it is refrozen. Frozen food freezer to run at its highest temperature Stillwater. will be of higher quality longer if it is not for several days. Wash the inside of the Public Service Company. Appliances. 1983. cooked (except for blanching vegetables). freezer again to remove the slight coffee Conservation Booklet. Denver, Colo. Cooked food can become unsafe faster odor that will probably remain. United States Department of Agriculture. if it is mishandled during thawing • Pack each freezer shelf with crumpled Home Freezing Fruits and Vegetables. and preparation. newspaper.­ Put a cup of water on the 1976. Home and Garden Bulletin top shelf or sprinkle­ the newspaper No. 10. lightly with water. Allow the freezer to United States Department of Agriculture. Cleaning and Removing run for approximately five to six days at What to Do When Your Home Freezer Freezer Odors its highest temperature. Stops. 1972. Leaf­let 321. If your freezer is full of warm, dripping • Get and follow manufacturer’s Willenberg, B., and Hughes, K. Quality or spoiled food, you need to take one or directions for commercial products for Keeps – Freezer Problem Solver. more of the following steps to clean and available for removal of refrigerator 1997. GHI506, University of Missouri de­odorize it before refilling it: and freezer odors. These products often Cooperative Extension. • Take out all removable parts and wash can be found at hardware, grocery or them with warm water and mild soap discount stores.

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