[Olivia]

I need some help, and I don’t have any real grown ups to ask.
My freezer/refrigerator died on Friday, went in for a popsicle and found puddles.

I had $200-300 of meat and food in the freezer.

I went out and bought a used refrigerator Saturday morning and I’m waiting for it to be delivered.

I didn’t open the refrigerator all day Saturday.

Sunday morning however, everything was frozen again.

(I left it all in there because it was still cool, but it’s super hot outside) Popsicles are puddle shape but solid.

I had a bag of ice that never completely melted.

I know some people have said the quarter in the cup trick, is there a way to apply this rule to my food?

I cried when it broke, I can’t imagine wasting all that food!
Also, should I return the fridge?

I know I run the risk of it breaking again, but the total $550 would be really helpful in paying my bills.

If I can save the food I’ll take that as my win, but I can’t decide what to do.

Any help is appreciated !

[Jan]

If you have renters insurance, or homeowners insurance….file a claim for the ruined contents.

[Richelle]

I hate that this happened to you however, $550 is a drop in the bucket compared to a possible ER visit after eating spoiled meat.

Ultimately it’s your decision but I encourage you to look at more than the $550.

It’s tight but you have the money at this time.

What if this happens again and it’s during the time of another emergency?

[Carmen]

If you want to be frugal return new one but risk other one breaking but actively look for one second hand.

[Joyce]

I would think it is still fine to eat anything in the freezer. If you left the door shut and your ice didn’t fully melt the freezer would have kept the food cold enough that it should be safe.

The quality of the meat might go down because it thawed and refroze but I would eat it.

You may have had a frozen compressor and that caused the freezer/refrigerator to stop working, but that isn’t something I know much about.

[Audra]

Are you sure your freezer broke? Is it possible the door was just not shut well?

I have a fridge with a freezer on the bottom that is a drawer.

We can shut it but now and then it won’t shut all the way and we won’t realize it and ice is melted next time we open it.

But our meat, etc takes much longer to thaw so it’s fine.

As soon as we make sure the door is shut all the way it starts freezing again.

If it’s possible your freezer never actually broke then I would eat anything in there and also return the one you bought.

[Aleta]

When the popsicles were puddles, did you happen to check the meat in your fridge?

If so, was it still frozen? Since the ice never melted, it is possible the meat never thawed so it should be fine.

As for as returning the other fridge, I think I might consider doing so.

Here are a few questions I would ask myself.

1. How old is my fridge?

2. If I replace all the food in this fridge and it happens again can I replace it yet again?

3. Is the fridge I bought used going to be guaranteed?

4. If I return the replacement fridge, can I get the same deal later if my fridge continues having this problem?

Side note: Do you happen to have home owners / renters insurance that would replace your food in the fridge?

I hope you find a solution. Best thoughts and wishes coming your way.

[Courtney]

The rule with breastmilk is that if there’s even a single ice crystal, it can be refrozen.

If we apply that here, then anything that was still partially frozen is safe to keep, but anything that was completely liquid/thawed should be tossed.

I would probably keep the new fridge, or at least have the old one checked out before the new one gets delivered to see if there’s a problem that can be fixed for less than $550.

[Laurel]

As a food inspector for 26 years…with a BS in food science from MI State…

Frozen food that has thawed(even completely thawed), can absolutely be refrozen safely.

if you have the normal ability to tell the difference between spoiled and not spoiled raw meat, throw out anything that smells rotten and don’t worry about what does not smell bad.

If you ever shop discounted meat, you are better off turning any of that meat into a soup/casserole etc b4 freezing it.

Bacteria for raw meat is VERY different from cooked.

Most cooked food does not show signs of bacterial growth(I used to joke with people that I wish spoilage organisms would glow as it rots.) But raw meat is like raw potatoes…

impossible to miss/forget.

The number of times a food travels through thawing/refreezing… the higher the raw bacteria count will be.

So, if you normally cook a meat to 165 exactly…you are probably better off cooking a little warmer, and a little longer(no rare hamburgers from refrozen meat!) But otherwise…you are safe to refreeze/thaw/cook/eat/serve to family or friends.

[Author]

Posts