Here are several reasons to always place a coin in the freezer before you leave home

Have you ever come back from work or a vacation only to find that the time on your digital clock is incorrect?

You might think, “There was no power outage,” but it’s often hard to know for sure how long the electricity was off.

If it lasted for a few days, your food could have begun to defrost and spoil. When the power is restored, food can refreeze, making it difficult to tell that it had previously thawed.

This situation can be dangerous, as certain foods can harbor harmful bacteria like salmonella.

In this article, we'll share a simple method to check if your freezer lost power and for how long.

You can assess the state of your food by observing how long it defrosted. Here’s what you’ll need:

• One cup of water
• A bowl filled with water

First, freeze the bowl of water. Once the water in the cup has turned to ice, place a coin on top and put it back in the freezer.

When you return from your trip, check the position of the coin in the cup.

If the coin is still on top, your food is safe. However, if the coin has sunk to the bottom, it indicates that the ice melted completely during a prolonged power outage. In this case, it’s best to avoid consuming any of the frozen food.

This simple trick is particularly useful for long trips!