Sibyll Durham of west Salem uses candles to heat her coffee, and a fireplace to warm her breakfast Saturday morning. Durham is one of thousands of Salem residents without electricity after an ice storm Friday night. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
As Salem residents without power try to salvage food from non-working refrigerators, Oregon State University’s extension office and the state Office of Emergency Management have some tips.
The first is never to taste food to determine if it’s safe to eat because you can’t rely on odor or appearance, the state agency said in a news release Tuesday.
Try to keep the doors closed as much as possible and insulate around the fridge to keep contents cold for longer. But don’t block the fans and vents on appliances in case the power comes back on, said Jeanne Brandt, with the Linn/Benton County OSU extension office, in an extension office newsletter.
“If travel is safe, consider moving expensive frozen items to a family or friend’s freezer,” she wrote.
Emergency Management said to use a food thermometer to check the temperature of food right before cooking or eating it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it said.
The agency said a full freezer will hold temperature for 48 hours or half that if it’s half full when the door remains closed. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened, the release said.
“If you have dry or block ice it may help keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for long time,” the agency said.
-Saphara Harrell
