When if doubt, throw it out

Oh, one other blackout-related item. Naturally, the longer you go without electricity, the more you worry about the food in your fridge and freezer. I don't know why, but it was stuck in my head that, as long as you kept the doors closed, the food in your fridge was good for about 24 hours, and what was in the freezer would be OK for up to three days. Good thing I checked. Every site I looked at had the same thing:

But, the refrigerator will only keep food safely cold for about four hours if unopened during a power outage, according to the USDA. A full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours if full (24 hours of half full), the USDA says.

Man, gonna be a lot of food thrown out in the next few days, and supermarkets are going to do a booming business.Yeech, it's going to be a smelly job.

Just love this advice, which most of the sites also indluced:

The USDA emphasizes "never to taste food to determine its safety" and says that you should "evaluate each item separately."

And don't go sticking your hand on the stove to see how hot it is! Or throwing your neighbor in the pond to see if she's a witch.