What to Do When the Freezer Stops
Don't panic if your electricity has gone off or if your freezer goes on the blink. A fully-loaded freezer that has been operating at zero degrees Fahrenheit will usually stay cold enough to keep foods frozen for a couple of days, even when the weather is hot. If the freezer is only half full, however, food may not stay frozen for more than a day. Keep the freezer door closed as much as possible. If you need a new freezer click here for details on our Free Freezer Specials.
If the problem means more than a day or two without power, you'll need to try to protect your food. Putting dry ice in the freezer can keep your food frozen. Look in the yellow pages of your telephone directory for suppliers of dry ice. For a 20-cubic foot freezer that is full of food, you'll need 25 pounds of dry ice. This should keep your food frozen for about two days. If the freezer is only about half full, the dry ice will protect your food for a day or two.
Here's how to use dry ice. Put some thick cardboard or layers of newspaper on top of the food and place the dry ice on the cardboard. Be sure to wear gloves when you handle dry ice, and work quickly.
If the power or your freezer will be off for more than two or three days, you may need to transfer the food to another freezer. Wrap food in newspapers and place it in coolers. Work quickly, especially in hot weather.
Re-freezing Thawed Foods
If you're uncertain about which frozen foods can be re-frozen after thawing, here are some guidelines to follow. Remember, though, that while many frozen foods may be re-frozen without danger, they may be lacking in some of their original quality.
Meats - Do not re-freeze meats that have warmed to room temperature and have thawed completely If they are still quite cold to the touch you can re-freeze. Red meats that have thawed completed should be cooked immediately. You can re-freeze them after cooking. Partially thawed variety meats, sausages and hamburgers should be cooked immediately.
Fruits - Use completely thawed fruits immediately. Fruit may be re-frozen, but some of the quality will be lost.
Prepared Foods - These include meats in cream sauces, frozen dinners, cream pies and leftovers. If these prepared foods thaw completely, cook them immediately or discard them.
Frozen Juices - Reconstitute thawed juice according to directions and use it.
Fish - If fish thaws completely, cook it and eat it immediately or throw it out. It can spoil rapidly.
Poultry - If poultry has thawed but it still quite cold to the touch, you can cook and re-freeze it. Throw away stuffed poultry that has thawed.
Vegetables - Vegetables that still have ice crystals may be re-frozen, but use them as quickly as possible. You can re-freeze plain vegetables (those without sauces) if they haven't been held at room temperature too long. Vegetables can be cooked and re-frozen separately or as ingredients in a casserole or other dish.
Breads - Thawed breads can be re-frozen, but freshness may be affected.
Cakes - Cakes may be re-frozen, but they may become dry and the icing may be affected.
Pies - All pies, except for cream pies, can be re-frozen. Some weeping and breaking of the filling may occur, and the crust may lose texture.
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