Math Question

[+ Gar1eth]

I'm too tired to try to figure this out myself. And I know we have computer guys and math guys who are good at logic.

 

On Thursday my power was out for several hours. But I don't know how long. It was less than 12 hours-probably less than 8. I wasn't home much until the weekend and forgot to check my freezer.

 

On Saturday was the 1st day I thought about my freezer. I have a clock on my stove that was blinking 1:00 at 4:30 pm. If it had been an old analog clock with gears, I would know that my power had been off 3-1/2 hours. But with a digital clock, when the power went off and restarted the clock would begin at midnight. (Or noon- it's not a 24 hour numbered clock).

 

So is there a way from this info to figure out how long my power was off and whether I have to throw away everything in my freezer?

 

Gman

[Phil_musc]

Don't panic and save your money - the door was closed and the freezer was only off for a few hours. I think your food is ok.

[+ Gar1eth]

Don't panic and save your money - the door was closed and the freezer was only off for a few hours. I think your food is ok.

 

Thanks. That's what I figured. But I was still trying to determine the hours off.

 

I'll try some of the pizza today. In case it gets me, I want you all to know that I love each and every one of you.

 

Gman

[OneFinger]

Don't panic and save your money - the door was closed and the freezer was only off for a few hours. I think your food is ok.

I agree. When I lived in Michigan, power would go out for days at a time. I learned not to open the freezer. When the power came back on, the food in the freezer was usually unthawed but still cold. So, we ate that stuff first and then replenished the freezer with new food.

 

Never had a problem.

[Steven_Draker]

From FoodSafety.com:

Frozen Food and Power Outages: When to Save and When to Throw Out

Adapted from Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency (USDA).

 

Thawed or partially thawed food in the freezer may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. Partial thawing and refreezing may affect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.

 

If you keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer, it’s easy to tell whether food is safe. When the power comes back on, check the thermometer. If it reads 40 °F or below, the food is safe and can be refrozen.

 

Never taste food to determine its safety! You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.

 

Note: Always discard any items in the freezer that have come into contact with raw meat juices.

 

You will have to evaluate each item separately. Use this chart as a guide.

 

Here's the chart: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/frozen_food.html

 

[+ Travis69]

Thanks. That's what I figured. But I was still trying to determine the hours off.

 

I'll try some of the pizza today. In case it gets me, I want you all to know that I love each and every one of you.

 

Gman

Hope you are still alive and well but if not as your loved ones are we in your will??

[Steven_Draker]

5 Foods You Should Never Refreeze

 

Freezing food is a great way to have meals on the go and food stashed away to avoid last minute trips to the grocery store or ordering delivery. It also helps us not to waste food and is, in a sense, an extension of our pantry.

 

But we've all been there. We rifled through our freezer and pulled out a few things to thaw in the fridge and promptly forgot about them. Can you put it back in the freezer? Here's a list of five things that you should avoid giving a refreeze and why refreezing in general is a big no-no.

 

What Happens When You Freeze

Freezing anything ruptures some of the cell walls in the product at hand. It's why frozen food doesn't taste quite as good as fresh and why oftentimes frozen foods aren't as expensive as their fresh counterparts, especially meat and seafood.

 

What Happens When You Refreeze

When you freeze, thaw and refreeze an item, the second thaw will break down even more cells, leaching out moisture and deliciousness and changing the integrity of the product.

 

The other enemy is bacteria. Frozen and thawed food will develop harmful bacteria faster than fresh. It's not something you can see, so it's easy to brush off, but the threat is real. Once the ice crystals from your food are gone, your food starts the clock on developing these nasty buggers.

 

Freezing and thawing of foods is a big safety concern and there are legal restrictions for the restaurant and grocery industries to help keep us all safe. Applying these same philosophies in our own home will ensure the same!

 

How to Handle Thawed Food

Your best bet will always be to cook or utilize what you thawed and if needed, refreeze the cooked product. That said, there's not always time to cook it, so if you're in a hurry and debating whether or not to throw it back in the freezer, keep in mind these five things that should never, ever be refrozen!

 

1. Raw Proteins

This includes meats, poultry and seafood. If they were thawed in a chilled environment that's less than 42 degrees (like your refrigerator), then it's safe to refreeze. But if they thawed on the counter or have an off color or smell, they're done!

 

Don't forget that a lot of seafood, especially shrimp, arrive at the grocery store frozen but are defrosted to be put into the display case. They've already gone through a first freeze, so don't put them in your home freezer for a second freeze!

 

2. Ice Cream

If you left it out on the counter so that it was easier to scoop and then forgot to put it back in the freezer quickly, just drink it as a milkshake and call it a day folks. Refrozen ice cream will have a weird, icy texture.

 

3. Juice Concentrates

Fermentation occurs quicker than you think in fruit-based products, so don't forget that this goes for blended smoothies too.

 

4. Combination Meals

Eat up your casseroles, pot pies, stews, pastas, and the like or bring it for lunch so that it doesn't go to waste. After all, it's cooked and ready to go so it's the easiest kind of homemade meal to have!

 

5. Cooked Proteins

Freezing leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken is a great idea, but then you pulled it out for salads a few weeks later and forgot about it in your fridge. Call some friends over and put the chicken on nachos ASAP, because it shouldn't be refrozen!

 

Don't forget that there are also some foods that you should never freeze in the first place! Check out that list before you stock up at end-of-season farmers markets!

 

source: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-foods-you-should-never-refreeze-tips-from-the-kitchn-212039

[+ FreshFluff]

Don't panic and save your money - the door was closed and the freezer was only off for a few hours. I think your food is ok.

 

Yeah, I think you're fine if all the food is processed and has preservatives in it.

 

About the math question, my brain is off right now, but wouldn't the 12-hour digital clock time imply that the power came back on at either 3:30 AM or 3:30 PM on Thursday? I don't think we can get the length of the blackout from the info you gave though.

[Lookin]

I'm too tired to try to figure this out myself. And I know we have computer guys and math guys who are good at logic.

 

On Thursday my power was out for several hours. But I don't know how long. It was less than 12 hours-probably less than 8. I wasn't home much until the weekend and forgot to check my freezer.

 

On Saturday was the 1st day I thought about my freezer. I have a clock on my stove that was blinking 1:00 at 4:30 pm. If it had been an old analog clock with gears, I would know that my power had been off 3-1/2 hours. But with a digital clock, when the power went off and restarted the clock would begin at midnight. (Or noon- it's not a 24 hour numbered clock).

 

Well, depending on how your stove clock restarts itself, one possibility is that it came back on at 3:30, starting at 12:00 and advancing itself one hour to get to 1:00 by the time you noticed it. Or perhaps it had come back on thirteen hours earlier, or twenty-five hours earlier, or . . .

 

But, even if you knew when it had come back on, and unless there's something you're not telling us, you still wouldn't know what time it had gone out.

 

So, no, there's no way you could tell how long the power had been out. The most you would know is that it had been back on for an hour, or thirteen, or . . .

 

Bottom line, I wouldn't worry too much about eating a pizza that had been thawing for twelve hours. You'll probably be baking it at 400° or more and that should kill off any bugs.

 

Ice cream, on the other hand, is a different story and I would suggest getting busy. http://www.boytoy.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

http://imgs.vietnamnet.vn/Images/vnn/2014/07/14/10/20140714102142-3.jpg

[+ FreshFluff]

Well, depending on how your stove clock restarts itself, one possibility is that it came back on at 3:30, starting at 12:00 and advancing itself one hour to get to 1:00 by the time you noticed it. Or perhaps it had come back on thirteen hours earlier, or twenty-five hours earlier, or . . .

 

But Gman said the power outage occurred on Thursday, which I assumed meant that it started and ended on that day. He also said it lasted for less than 12 hours. That's why I narrowed it down to 3:30 AM or 3:30 PM on Thursday.

 

But, even if you knew when it had come back on, and unless there's something you're not telling us, you still wouldn't know what time it had gone out.So, no, there's no way you could tell how long the power had been out. The most you would know is that it had been back on for an hour, or thirteen, or . . .

 

Yep, that was my thinking too.

[+ Gar1eth]

From FoodSafety.com:

Frozen Food and Power Outages: When to Save and When to Throw Out

Adapted from Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency (USDA).

 

Thawed or partially thawed food in the freezer may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. Partial thawing and refreezing may affect the quality of some food, but the food will be safe to eat.

 

If you keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer, it’s easy to tell whether food is safe. When the power comes back on, check the thermometer. If it reads 40 °F or below, the food is safe and can be refrozen.

 

Never taste food to determine its safety! You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.

 

Note: Always discard any items in the freezer that have come into contact with raw meat juices.

 

You will have to evaluate each item separately. Use this chart as a guide.

 

Here's the chart: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/frozen_food.html

 

 

Thanks Steven. I knew a lot of this. The problem is I didn't think about the freezer until 2 days after the event.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

Hope you are still alive and well but if not as your loved ones are we in your will??

You forget. I've been out of work for three years. About all I have left is my body. Unfortunately it's used. I just read an Internet post from 2011. He calculated that the chemical components of the body were worth $160. My inflation calculator says that's about equal to $170 today. So let's see. How many members of the Forum are there?:rolleyes:

 

Gman

[Steven_Draker]

Thanks Steven. I knew a lot of this. The problem is I didn't think about the freezer until 2 days after the event.

 

Gman

 

The clock won't give you an indication about the length of the blackout.

 

Your best bet is to call your electricity distribution company or ask your neighbors.

[+ Gar1eth]

Yeah, I think you're fine if all the food is processed and has preservatives in it.

 

About the math question, my brain is off right now, but wouldn't the 12-hour digital clock time imply that the power came back on at either 3:30 AM or 3:30 PM on Thursday? I don't think we can get the length of the blackout from the info you gave though.

 

Well, depending on how your stove clock restarts itself, one possibility is that it came back on at 3:30, starting at 12:00 and advancing itself one hour to get to 1:00 by the time you noticed it. Or perhaps it had come back on thirteen hours earlier, or twenty-five hours earlier, or . . .

 

But, even if you knew when it had come back on, and unless there's something you're not telling us, you still wouldn't know what time it had gone out.

 

So, no, there's no way you could tell how long the power had been out. The most you would know is that it had been back on for an hour, or thirteen, or . . .

 

Bottom line, I wouldn't worry too much about eating a pizza that had been thawing for twelve hours. You'll probably be baking it at 400° or more and that should kill off any bugs.

 

Ice cream, on the other hand, is a different story and I would suggest getting busy. http://www.boytoy.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

 

http://imgs.vietnamnet.vn/Images/vnn/2014/07/14/10/20140714102142-3.jpg

 

But Gman said the power outage occurred on Thursday, which I assumed meant that it started and ended on that day. He also said it lasted for less than 12 hours. That's why I narrowed it down to 3:30 AM or 3:30 PM on Thursday.

 

 

 

Yep, that was my thinking too.

 

 

I thought I had given all the info that you would need. It happened Thursday between 9 AM and 11 AM approximately-maybe.

 

When I thought about it 48 hours later, the stove clock was 3-1/2 hours off. To test the clock I unplugged the stove, and the clock went to 1200.

 

The power was off less than 12 hours-prob not more than 8.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

I just realized that I forgot to give y'all the most pertinent information of all. The bus driver's name is Fred. :rolleyes:

 

 

Gman

[+ Travis69]

You forget. I've been out of work for three years. About all I have left is my body. Unfortunately it's used. I just read an Internet post from 2011. He calculated that the chemical components of the body were worth $160. My inflation calculator says that's about equal to $170 today. So let's see. How many members of the Forum are there?:rolleyes:

 

Gman

You are VERY valuable to us folks here. That's what counts!!!

[BabyBoomer]

You forget. I've been out of work for three years. About all I have left is my body. Unfortunately it's used. I just read an Internet post from 2011. He calculated that the chemical components of the body were worth $160. My inflation calculator says that's about equal to $170 today. So let's see. How many members of the Forum are there?:rolleyes:

 

I assume you'll die intestate.... that leaves all of us SOL.

 

~ Boomer ~

 

Gman

[jawjateck]

I saw the thread title, and I was psyched and primed to work on a 4th order partial diff-e-q, but dang, this is too much. Makes my head hurt. Time for a toddy.

[rvwnsd]

I'm too tired to try to figure this out myself. And I know we have computer guys and math guys who are good at logic.

 

On Thursday my power was out for several hours. But I don't know how long. It was less than 12 hours-probably less than 8. I wasn't home much until the weekend and forgot to check my freezer.

 

On Saturday was the 1st day I thought about my freezer. I have a clock on my stove that was blinking 1:00 at 4:30 pm. If it had been an old analog clock with gears, I would know that my power had been off 3-1/2 hours. But with a digital clock, when the power went off and restarted the clock would begin at midnight. (Or noon- it's not a 24 hour numbered clock).

 

So is there a way from this info to figure out how long my power was off and whether I have to throw away everything in my freezer?

 

Gman

What time did you get home Thursday and was the power on when you got there?

[thickornotatall]

I'm too tired to try to figure this out myself. And I know we have computer guys and math guys who are good at logic.

 

On Thursday my power was out for several hours. But I don't know how long. It was less than 12 hours-probably less than 8. I wasn't home much until the weekend and forgot to check my freezer.

 

On Saturday was the 1st day I thought about my freezer. I have a clock on my stove that was blinking 1:00 at 4:30 pm. If it had been an old analog clock with gears, I would know that my power had been off 3-1/2 hours. But with a digital clock, when the power went off and restarted the clock would begin at midnight. (Or noon- it's not a 24 hour numbered clock).

 

So is there a way from this info to figure out how long my power was off and whether I have to throw away everything in my freezer?

 

Gman

depending on your power company....ours let's us go online to see usage ......it breaks down to the minute...or you could call and ask...they know how long it's off...If the power is off.....no money for them...that's one reason they restore asap...

unlike Comcast...we pay and pay and pay.....cable service out?....too bad...you still pay unless it's a lengthy time...

[+ quoththeraven]

The problem is I didn't think about the freezer until 2 days after the event.

 

I goggled at this. (Not googled, goggled.) Maybe it's because we lost all the food in two refrigerators and their freezers as well as a full-size freezer after Hurricane Sandy, but that's the first thing I think of after I think "Shit! Lost the internet, TV and phone service again!" and go hide under the covers. (Yes, I've had more experiences with power outages in the last few years than I want to think about.) Thank God for ebook readers and USB chargers that plug into the car.

 

Which raises the question: What about the food in your refrigerator?

[+ Gar1eth]

What time did you get home Thursday and was the power on when you got there?

 

That's one of the things I don't remember completely. That's why I said I was sure the power was off less than 8 hours.

 

G

[+ Gar1eth]

 

Which raises the question: What about the food in your refrigerator?

 

I need to clean out the majority of the refrigerator. So I'm not worried about that only the freezer.

 

G

[+ purplekow]

Well considering that the clock resets to 12:00, it suggests that the electricity came back at 3:30 no matter the length of time it was out. That accounts for the 3:30 discrepancy. If the electricity went out at 3:29, it was out for only a minute or some multiple of 12 hours plus a minute. If it went out at 3:31, you lost 11:59 or some multiple of 12 plus 11:59. So given this, the answer is unequivocally, you cannot tell for how long the electricity was off with the information given. All you can tell is the time it came back.

[+ FreshFluff]

Well considering that the clock resets to 12:00, it suggests that the electricity came back at 3:30 no matter the length of time it was out. That accounts for the 3:30 discrepancy. If the electricity went out at 3:29, it was out for only a minute or some multiple of 12 hours plus a minute. If it went out at 3:31, you lost 11:59 or some multiple of 12 plus 11:59. So given this, the answer is unequivocally, you cannot tell for how long the electricity was off with the information given. All you can tell is the time it came back.

 

That was my assessment of the original post too. But then Gman mentioned that the shut down began between 9 and 11 AM on Thursday, implying th the power outage lasted between 4.5 and 6.5 hours, which fits his original guess.

 

So definitely keep that freezer food.

 

.or you could call and ask...

 

Someone cuts the Gordian knot!