How to Preserve Your Food Without Electricity

Posted by Heartmind _Featured_, Food Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

Anthony Gucciardi | Natural Society

Whether you’re facing Hurricane Sandy or not, it is essential to know at least a few ways in which you can preserve your food without any electricity. If you reside on the East Coast and are within the main trajectory of Hurricane Sandy, chances are that you will be without power for at least a considerable amount of hours (or potentially days). The good news is that you don’t have to let all the items in your refrigerator or freezer rot.

Instead, follow these simple tips to ensure that your food remains cool, fresh, and ready to eat along with the rest of your food supplies. In the event of a major disaster, this is highly essential as the amount of food you can retain without electricity will directly impact your quality of life. This article will specifically cover preserving the freshness of your food in such a scenario. For overall preparedness, I recommend you read 5 Ways to Prepare for Hurricane Sandy.

Tips for preserving before you lose power:

Make sure to maintain a temperature of 40 degrees or lower within your refrigerator and 0 degrees or lower within your freezer. This creates an optimal environment for keeping your food items as cold as possible and maintaining this temperature after a power outage. In the hours right before the storm, turn these temperatures as low as they can go…