What Food Lasts Without a Fridge?

When the power goes out, the food question comes in two parts. First, what in your fridge can you still eat? Second, what could you keep in the cupboard so that next time it matters less? This post covers both, using the FoodSafety.gov outage chart, Health Canada, USDA FSIS and CDC. There is a short keep-or-throw-out quiz at the end.

The two numbers that decide everything

40°F (4°C). That is the safe line for a fridge. Above it, bacteria grow faster.

2 hours. FoodSafety.gov’s chart sorts fridge food by whether it has been at 40°F (4°C) or above for more than 2 hours. Health Canada’s rule for food at room temperature is the same: 2 or more hours and it goes.

A closed fridge stays cold for about 4 hours, and a full freezer for about 48 hours (24 if half full), according to CDC and Health Canada. That is why the most important thing in an outage is to keep the doors shut. A cheap fridge thermometer turns guesswork into a reading.

Fridge food that can stay

The FoodSafety.gov chart lists these as keep, even after more than 2 hours above 40°F (4°C):

• Hard cheeses: cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano
• Butter and margarine
• Fresh fruit that has not been cut
• Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives and pickles
• Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads and tortillas

Fridge food that goes

And these as discard after more than 2 hours above 40°F (4°C):

• Raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish and seafood
• Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt and soy milk
• Fresh eggs, hard-cooked eggs and egg dishes
• Soft cheeses such as mozzarella
• Cut fresh fruit

The chart covers many more foods. My fridge and freezer guide has a fuller table, including what to do with freezer food that still has ice crystals.

Never taste food to find out. Health Canada points out that food contaminated with bacteria does not always smell bad or look spoiled. Throw out anything with an unusual colour or smell, anything that touched floodwater, and anything in a leaking, swollen or punctured container.

Food that never needed a fridge

The easiest outage is one where most of your meals were never cold to begin with. USDA FSIS gives these storage times for food kept in a cool, dry place:

Food	Keeps for
Low-acid cans: meat, poultry, stews, beans, corn, peas	2 to 5 years
High-acid cans: tomatoes, most fruit, juice, pickles	12 to 18 months
Tuna and seafood in pouches	18 months
Rice and dried pasta	2 years
Commercially packaged jerky	12 months

FSIS says temperatures below 85°F (29°C) are best, and that heat over 100°F (38°C) harms canned goods. Keep food away from the stove, the space under the sink, and damp garages or basements.

For outage meals, I lean on things that need no cooking:

• Canned beans, chicken, tuna or salmon
• Peanut butter or another nut or seed butter
• Crackers, dry cereal and granola
• Canned fruit and vegetables
• Shelf-stable milk or juice boxes

Health Canada suggests foods that keep well, such as canned food and energy bars, and reminds us to plan around allergies, celiac disease and food intolerances. Do not forget a manual can opener. My post on pantry staples that keep for a year goes further, and what to stock by calories helps you work out how much.

Once a can is open

An open can is fridge food again. Without a fridge, Health Canada’s rule for food at room temperature applies: throw it out after 2 hours. In hot weather the limit is shorter, and my fridge guide lists the 1-hour rule above 90°F (32°C). Small cans sized for one meal mean less waste when nothing can be chilled.

Cooking when the stove is off

Many shelf-stable foods are fine cold. If you want something hot, see cooking without power.

Carbon monoxide warning. Generators, camp stoves, barbecues, charcoal, and kerosene or propane burners give off carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which can kill within minutes. Never use them indoors, or in a garage, basement, shed, tent or covered porch, even with doors and windows open. Outdoors, keep them at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents.

The Red Cross also says not to use outdoor stoves indoors for heating or cooking.

Medicine in the fridge

Some medicines need refrigeration. CDC says that when the power is out for a day or more, refrigerated medicine should be thrown away unless the label says otherwise. Call your pharmacist about replacing it, and see my medication planning page for what to sort out before the next outage.

Plan the next one now

• Build a no-fridge menu with 14 days of no-power pantry meals.
• Use the plan builder to size your food stock to your household.
• Keep it fresh with pantry rotation.