Why You Should Always Place A Coin In The Freezer Before Leaving The House

By Amanda Froelich

This simple trick could prevent a lot of distress…

Food poisoning is no joke. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of how fresh the food in their fridge and freezer are when they return home from a long trip or vacation. If the power went out for a day or two (sometimes a few hours will do the trick), meats and other temperamental products could defrost and go bad.

Rather than deal with the consequences of eating spoiled food, try this trick provided by Brightside.  Before you leave the house for an extended period of time, fill a cup with water and place it in the freezer. When the water is frozen, place a coin on the top and return it to the freezer

If you return to your home and see that the coin is at the bottom of the cup, this is a clear sign that the power was out long enough for the food to melt and re-freeze. In this scenario, it is probably best to dispose of the sensitive food items.

If the coin is on top, it’s a clear sign that there was no power failure and the food is as good as when it went into the freezer. If the coin is in the middle, it means the power went out for a short period of time, but that most of the food items are likely still fresh.

Though food waste is a serious problem in America (where 40% of all food ends up in the trash), it’s better to be safe than sorry in the event that the coin is at the bottom of the cup and throw away any items you’re skeptical about.

Pass this tip along to others! What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this article!

Credit: Juicing For Health

This article (Why You Should Always Place A Coin In The Freezer Before Leaving The House) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com