How to Prepare Food When the Power is Out

When the power goes out, “What’s for dinner?” becomes a difficult question to answer. With a few pantry staples and a little planning, you can use safe cooking options and feed your family until power returns.

Use cold food first

First, use refrigerated foods first while they remain safely chilled, then switch to shelf-stable foods. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. With doors closed, food stays cold for:

• Up to four hours in the refrigerator.
• About 48 hours in a full freezer.
• About 24 hours in a half-full freezer.

Move refrigerated perishables to an ice-filled cooler before the four-hour mark, keeping them at 40 degrees or below. Discard after four hours without power unless you can confirm they stayed safely chilled. Frozen foods can be cooked or refrozen if they still contain ice crystals or are at or below 40 F. When in doubt, throw it out.

Use outdoor equipment outdoors

Only use grills and fuel-burning camp stoves outdoors. Never use them inside a home, garage or other enclosed space, even with doors or windows open. Burning fuel produces carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can be deadly. Install battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.

Keep equipment away from doors, windows, vents and anything that can burn. Never leave cooking equipment unattended and keep children and pets away.

Firepits can be used like an open fire for Dutch oven cooking. Solar ovens capture the sun’s rays to cook and are most efficient on sunny days.

Choose foods that don’t need cooking

No-cook meals can save time, fuel and water during an outage. Choose ready-to-eat foods and keep a can opener handy.

Choose shelf-stable products and follow storage instructions after opening. Small cans, pouches and single-serving packages can help you avoid leftover waste.

Prepare only what you need

Make enough for one meal unless you can keep leftovers at safe temperatures. Restoring power does not make food safe if it has already been held at an unsafe temperature.

Open only the packages you need. Many canned and shelf-stable foods require refrigeration after opening, so check the label before saving unused portions.

Build an emergency food kit

Keep at least a three-day supply of food that requires little or no cooking. Store nonperishable items in a cool, dry place and check dates regularly.

• Protein: Jerky, peanut butter, nuts and seeds; canned chicken, tuna, salmon or beans.
• Grains: Whole-grain crackers, tortillas, cereal and granola bars.
• Fruit: Fruit cups, canned fruit packed in juice, dried fruit, apples and citrus.
• Vegetables: Ready-to-eat canned vegetables.
• Dairy: Shelf-stable milk in small cartons. Powdered milk is another option if safe water is available.
• Other essentials: A manual can opener, food thermometer, cooler, gel packs, pet food and foods for infants or family members with special dietary needs.
• Water: At least 1 gallon per person per day for at least three days. Store extra for pets and hot weather.