Vacations are exciting, but there’s always that nagging concern about the food you’ve left in the freezer. What if the power goes out and your food defrosts while you’re away? Don’t worry, we have a quick and easy tip that will give you peace of mind when it comes to the safety of your frozen goodies.

An Ingenious Trick to Assess Your Freezer’s Performance

Yes, you read it right. Sheila Pulanco Russell came up with a brilliant idea to help us determine if our refrigerators are operating efficiently. All you need is a mug of water and a coin, preferably a penny. This simple experiment will let you know if your food has defrosted.

How Does it Work?

The concept is incredibly straightforward. Take the cup of water and place the penny on top. Then, pop it in the freezer. Wait for the water to freeze solid, and then check the position of the penny. If the penny freezes in place, it means your refrigerator is keeping your food well-chilled and frozen. No need to worry about spoiled produce anymore!

Illustration showing the penny frozen at different levels

Decoding the Results

Let’s decode the results of this experiment. If the penny reaches the bottom of the cup, that indicates a complete defrosting of your freezer. In this case, you should definitely toss out the food. However, if the penny is either at the top or in the center of the cup, your food is still good to eat. It means it only experienced a partial defrosting, so you don’t have to worry.

A Simple Precaution for Future Peace of Mind

To ensure your peace of mind even during a power outage, it’s a good idea to keep a cup with a coin in your freezer at all times. This way, you’ll also have a backup plan. After all, safety should always be the top priority. If you’re unsure about the safety of the food, it’s best to discard it. Your health is essential, now and always.

Share this Tip and Spread the Word

Sheila’s brilliant tip has garnered thousands of replies and shares on social media, and for a good reason. It’s a simple trick that can save us from consuming spoiled food. So, let’s help one another out by sharing this tip with our friends and family. After all, we all want to enjoy our vacations worry-free and come back to delicious, safe food!

Wishing you a fantastic trip and remember to stay safe!