Protect Frozen Food During Power Outages with the "Iced Quarter Cup" Trick

Have you ever come home to find the power out and the time on your oven and microwave stuck at 12:00, wondering how long it had been out for?

Power outages can be a major inconvenience, especially when it comes to the safety of your food. A simple technique, called the Iced Quarter Cup, can give you peace of mind during power outages, allowing you to easily determine whether or not your food is still safe to eat.

1. Before a storm is expected, place a tempered/freezer-safe glass or plastic cup of water in your freezer. It's important that you don't use a glass that's too thin as the water will expand when frozen and shatter, leaving you with a new mess to clean up.
2. Freeze the cup of water until it is completely solid.
3. Place a quarter on top of the frozen cup of water once it has frozen.
   
4. Place the cup and quarter in the freezer.
   
5. Check the cup when you get home if you lose power during the storm.
   
6. If the quarter has sunk to the bottom of the cup, the food has defrosted and is no longer safe to eat.
   
7. If the quarter is in the center of the cup, the food has only partially thawed and is still safe to eat.