Has anyone ever put food outside in the snow during a power outtage?

Question

Just in case my power goes out, I just want to know. The snow will be deep enough.

Answer 1

We actually put it in a clean rubbermaid container/garbage can and piled the snow around the container. Kept it cold and insulated but didn't get stuff wet.

Answer 2

Of course, if it's cold enough, but some food can be damaged by getting frozen--most fresh vegetables for instance--and you don't want to have things freeze at night, thaw in the daytime if it gets warmer or if the sun hits it, and freeze again at night--so you might want to use a cooler(put the food in after it's cold), or even a plastic box lined with a lot of newspaper(newspaper is an excellent insulator) or covered with a couple of blankets. You can also wrap individual items in newspaper. That will help keep the food at a more consistent temperature, though if it gets really cold it can still freeze. Better keep it in a container of some kind anyway, even on the 2nd floor. Birds can get into stuff, especially crows. If it stays between freezing and 40F, it will last as long as it does in a fridge. Fridges are supposed to be between 35 and 40F.

Answer 3

Not outside, but in the coldest room of the house.

We had a bathroom where the toilet water was frozen solid so we knew to put the frozen food on the bathroom shelves.

Our living room must have been just above freezing b/c the milk & other perishables stayed cold.

The only room with heat was the kitchen b/c the oven ran on gas. So we closed off that room and lived in there as we made darting runs to the other rooms for food to cook.



The only time we went outside was to shovel up new fallen snow to melt for drinking water since the pipes were frozen.

Answer 4

Sure , when necessary.

A good place is between the inner windows & storm windows ,same w/ storm doors if there's room.

If it's really cold some things can frost up esp on shaded side of the house.

If the temp drops way down milk ,eggs soft drinks even beer & wine will freeze if cold enough.

If you put things in a cooler packed w/ snow inside the house they do not freeze.

Things left outside overnight in a cooler have frozen.

Best regards

Answer 5

It is plenty cold to keep your food cold in the snow, but you will attract other hazards like raccoons, feral cats, squirrels, etc. If you are going to do that, you will want a very rugged ice chest that would be hard for them to open ,and sturdy containers for your supplies. Maybe put it in your car... If at all possible, the best thing to do is keep your fridge and freezer closed as much as possible, and put your perishables in the freezer, the more space is taken up there, the more insulation to keep the frozen stuff from thawing too fast. We were out of power for 5 days a few years ago. I chipped up ice off of our rain barrel, tied it securely in plastic bags, and stuffed the bags of ice / snow in the freezer to keep things cold. We have a chest freezer in the basement now, which we didn't have before, and it's alot colder in there than the one upstairs, so I would probably move most of my stuff to the basement, and pack it as full as I could with bags of snow....

Answer 6

Yes. As a matter of fact, when I was out of refrigerator space at Christmas, I put pies and cakes in a sturdy container on my porch. It wasn't snowing, but the temps were not over 40 degrees during the day, and everything stayed nice and cold and good.

Answer 7

We don't get snow around here but in the past when I lived in NYC, I used to hang plastic bags of food that needed to be kept cold out the windows. It worked just fine as long as the pigeons didn't find out. Was too cold for the roaches and mice to venture outside. Roommates didn't know the food was out the windows so they couldn't eat my stuff.



Where my mom lives it sometimes will go down to freezing in winter (but usually it stays a little above freezing) and she puts Coleman chests and styrofoam boxes outside where she keeps the foods for family gatherings in and things keep just fine (the chests prevent the critters from eating the food)--no ice involved.

Answer 8

No. Too many wild (semi wild, I think) animals here. I have seen deer, raccoons, skunks, fox, etc. Probably even bears not too far away. I'd suggest a large container with airtight lid, but larger animals would take even that.



However, if the power goes, so does my furnace. I'd simply move the food to shelves in my pantry. Would be plenty cold there if there's no heat.

Answer 9

when I was young, I lived in a one room boarding room with no stove or fridge. So in winter (I live in Chicago,) I'd put food and drinks on the window cell outside. I'd leave drinks out there to stay cold, or I'd put food (usually leftovers from the corner restaurant) out there so they didn't spoil. It always worked. I'm sure you could do the same during a power outage, as long as it's below freezing.

Answer 10

yes when i did a buffet once for an annieversary there was no room in freezer so i put all the sealed boxes into 3 large black bags and stored them out side by covering them in snow and putting snow into the bags too,as long as the food is sealed and its below 4 degrees celsius your fine .

Answer 11

I've often put out food in really cold weather, suitably wrapped up, as it is colder than the fridge. Sometimes, it is colder than the freezer. Just keep an eye on it to protect it from animals, and watch the temperature.

I only do this when I am short of space.

Answer 12

Yes. I've also set a large pot of hot soup out in the snow to cool it down faster so it could be broken down into smaller containers and frozen

Answer 13

Heck that is how we keep our beer cold during the Super Bowl Game, if we have snow on the ground, then.



As long as the Temperature doesn't get above 40* you will be just fine, place them on the North side of your home. Just watch your eggs they will freeze. Good luck!

Answer 14

No, I keep remembering that black bears are hungary too and that they can smell food in any kind of a container. However in a pinch - maybe you will be lucky enough to be out of bear country and it will work. I hope you did not have a power outage. Good luck.

Answer 15

i'm quite sure the snow is fine but we prefer a frig that you plug into a cigarette lighter in the car...we just feel the temp is more consistent.we didn't use the snow for cold but my dad did make us eat fresh snow with maple syrup...seems he did this as a kid...ugh!...and a sour pickle to break the sweetness. double ugh!

Answer 16

We haven't has (knock on wood) power outages that lasted that long in a few years, but we do put milk outside when there's not much room in the refrigerator, and that's how my husband chills wine.

Answer 17

It can work and I hve tried it several times.

But, use caution.

Not only can bugs find a way in, if not tightly covered.

But, also bigger critters can find it and tear it up to get into it.

IF you have it in the cold, you will have to have it wrapped tightly and have it concealed.

But, it does work, when you can do that, if the temps are low enough.

FulL Gospel Shirley

Answer 18

Yes.

It's good to put it in a cooler in case there are wild animals looking for food.

Answer 19

Do you have bears roaming around? Wild animals? If not, looks like nothing would happen to it, unless it froze too hard and ruined. It would definitely be cold, wouldn't it?

Answer 20

I use my unheated front porch. You can put it outside, but make sure that you secure the lid, as varmints could get into the pot or whatever you put out.

Answer 21

I remember putting milk on the window sill when the frig didn't work.

Answer 22

it's ok as long as you don't live where there are stray dogs wondering around or in the country with

that assortment of wild life.

Answer 23

Yes.

Answer 24

Yes and it works just fine.

Answer 25

Yes, we have or in the garage also.