Have you ever noticed that your digital clocks blink incorrectly after a vacation, a business trip, or maybe a weekend getaway with the family?
You quickly realize that there has been a power outage during your absence, but it’s basically impossible to tell when it happened or how long it lasted.
So, it’s also impossible to say how long the food in your freezer might have thawed, spoiled, and then refrozen.Or is it?
In connection with Hurricane Matthew, which hit parts of the United States in 2016, a woman named Sheila Pulanco Russell shared a clever trick on her Facebook wall with everyone who was forced to evacuate their homes.
But the trick is certainly good to know if you’re away from home for an extended period — and will ease your worry about whether the food in your freezer is still edible or should be thrown away immediately.
The trick lies in the magical combination of three simple but effective tools that everyone already has at home: a cup, a coin, and some tap water.
In a Facebook post that quickly received hundreds of thousands of reactions and shares, Sheila explains how to proceed. She writes: »For those of you evacuating from the coast, I just heard a great tip. It’s called the One-Cup Trick. You put a cup of water in your freezer.
Freeze it solid and then put a quarter on top and leave it in your freezer. This way you can tell if your food thawed and refroze, which would indicate if it’s safe or if it has to be thrown away.
If the quarter has fallen to the bottom of the cup, that means all the food defrosted and you should throw it out. But if the quarter is either on the top or in the middle of the cup, your food may still be okay.
It’s also a great idea to keep this in your freezer all the time and if you lose power for any reason you’ll have this trick on hand.
If you’re not sure if your food is still good, just throw it out. The most important thing is that everyone is safe. Please SHARE this on your page. »
Simple, effective — and definitely a money-saving tip, as you don’t have to unnecessarily throw away a lot of food. Please share this clever trick with all your friends!