Some of you may think I’ve gone off my rocker with this one. I’ve just heard too many stories of people throwing away food after a winter power outage that I figured it needed to be addressed.
There are so many ways to keep food cool when a winter storm knocks out the power. Here are a few ideas…
Blankets – your fridge or freezer can benefit from a little extra insulation. Hang blankets, unzipped sleeping bags, comforters or other insulating items over your fridge or freezer for added insulation. Remember to remove them when the power comes back or you could block the required ventilation and damage your appliance.
Soda Bottles – these things are almost indestructible. Fill with water, leaving a couple inches of headspace and put them in the snow to freeze. Place the frozen bottles around the most perishable foods, or use them as ice packs in a cooler. You can also keep empty space in your freezer filled with them at all times. Removing dead air space in this way will help retain the cold.
Generator – Get one with at least double the wattage of your fridge, triple is better. Run your fridge off of the generator for an hour two to 3 times a day. This will keep your fridge cool enough and not waste fuel by needlessly running it 24/7. Your freezer should only need an hour or two every two to 3 days. Take advantage of the juice by charging other devices or batteries at the same time.
Outside – This should be obvious, but not always. A rubbermaid tote, cooler, or other weatherproof container set in the snow and filled with your perishables is easy to do. Bury it in snow and discreetly mark it’s position for added stealth. Even the trunk of your car would be a good storage space.