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Kitchen & Cooking

There's a power outage, and you're hungry—what can you cook?

How to cook and what to eat during a power outage

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We’ve all heard that “sound”—the deafening silence that is the telltale sign you’ve just lost power. There's no more humming fridge, no more heater or air conditioning whirring and all the white noise that fills our space is gone. As the stove clock flashes, you hope the power outage doesn’t stretch until dinner—and then it does. 

If you've lost power due to severe weather (or for any other reason), don't panic. We've got you covered for staying full during a power outage. We spoke to Brian Poe, chef and owner of Boston’s Tip Tap Room restaurant and Crane River Cheese Club, to guide you through the darkness with tips on how to prepare meals during a power outage. 

When should you throw out food after a power outage?

A woman holding a refrigerator open while holding her nose in disgust.
Credit: Getty Images / RossHelen

Save as much as you can, but don't let it sit there after it gets spoiled!

To start, keep your cool—at least for four hours. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food is safe in your refrigerator for about four hours during a power outage. To ensure the interior stays as cool as possible, put your open-close-open-close door habit on hold until after the lights come back on. Toss all perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) for power outages lasting longer than four hours.

When it comes to the refrigerator freezer, the way the food gets arranged inside makes all the difference. Keep the door closed, and a full freezer will maintain its temperature for approximately 48 hours, but only 24 hours if the freezer is half full.

Poe suggests approaching cooking during a power outage in steps. Begin with what you need to use first, and move on from there. 

“Pull from whatever is in the immediate refrigerator first, but do it very quickly. That's what needs to move the fastest and is at most risk of spoiling first,” says Poe, giving items like meats, fish, and dairy as examples. “The freezer can hold for the next meals because, with the door shut, those products have some time to hold there.” Reach for pantry items last. “The canned goods will be there for you,” he explains. 

As your fridge approaches that magical four-hour mark, you might want to consider transferring any meats or fish into a cooler packed with ice to prolong their safe usage time. But this shouldn’t be a haphazard swap. Be meticulous about placement. First up, a layer of crushed ice (hit up the local convenience store or gas station for bags), followed by a layer of cooled meats, then more ice. 

“Just make sure that you put the fish in a Ziploc and the meat in a separate Ziploc, so there's zero chance of cross-contamination,” explains Poe. While some coolers keep food cold for up to a day, others can go up to 16 days when uninterrupted. 

How to prepare meals during a power outage

A fire grill cooking meats and vegetables.
Credit: Getty Images / AndrewLidster

It's always helpful to have a fire pit or a gas grill.

While sandwiches are great, and snack bars with pieces of fruit sitting sidecar can tide you over, eventually, you’ll need to eat a full meal. The question then becomes, what are your heat source options when you have zero electricity. 

Poe is all about channeling your inner outdoorsman. Your indoor fireplace and your outdoor fire pit can make for “the ultimate five-course meal adventure,” allowing you to let loose on those survival skills. You can even drag out your propane camping stove (an important note: only use propane outside your home). And of course, there’s old faithful—the grill. “Any season of the year, get that grill cranked up,” he adds. 

Another usable heat source is your gas stove. Most modern gas burners only rely on electricity for the starter light. You can get the same flame by turning the gas onto the lowest setting and holding a long match or propane lighter to the burner. 

“Be cautious during the winter months though,” warns Poe. “Using ovens and gas burners with windows shut and no air circulation can lead to carbon monoxide trouble.” 

Foods to have on hand in case of power outage

Fresh beef with greens ready to be cooked.
Credit: Getty Images / Vladimir Mironov

Some fresh patties and greens will come in handy!

Making simple burger patties with the ground beef you rescued from the fridge is a no-brainer, but you can add a bit of fun to the inconvenience by upping the ante on basic meals. 

“Now is the time to gather the family around and play Power Outage Chopped,” he says. “Pull whatever won't last from the refrigerator side and start making stuff up. Char the corn-on-the-cob. Use up that mayonnaise by folding in some Mexican spice, the cilantro, cheese, and lime and there's your Mexican street corn,” he says. 

Roast everything from meats to potatoes to poultry over an open flame (hello, grilled pineapple), and hit the pantry for spices to create your rubs. “If it's spring, summer, or fall, right now is when that herb garden is going to be a clutch play. Just walk out and cut some herbs.” And the open fire dessert choice is a no-brainer for Poe: s'mores. Pasta and canned goods are also good foods to have on hand in case of power outage. 

While power outages can be an irritating stop to our day, a meal is the best time to gather together and make the most out of a bad situation. 

“A power outage is literally a great time to unplug,” says Poe. “What better way is there to do that than to sit at the table for a candlelight meal you just made.”

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