Why Everyone in Missouri Should Put a Quarter in the Freezer Now

It's one of the best tips I've seen for states like Missouri that are going through dangerous weather times with severe winter systems making life difficult. It's a simple tip about why everyone should put a quarter in their freezer and I think everyone should do this as soon as possible.

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It's no secret that Missouri is getting hammered by winter weather systems. Two back-to-back systems rolled through Missouri early in the week and this weekend putting many in jeopardy of potential power outages. Temperatures nosedived into the subzero range, too.

Just a few days ago, the Old Recipes that Stir Childhood Memories Facebook page dropped a simply yet profound tip on why you should put a quarter in your freezer now.

What they shared is this:

• Put a quarter on a glass of frozen water and place it in your freezer
• After a power outage, check the cup with the quarter in it
• If the quarter is on top of the frozen water, your food did not defrost and it's safe to eat
• If the quarter is in the middle or bottom, your food defrosted and refroze and might not be safe to eat.

Here's a different option I've heard about that also works:

• Put a freezer bag filled with water in your freezer
• After it's frozen, stand the bag on its side
• If you open the freezer and the bag is flat again, that means it's defrosted at some point.
• You can also put ice cubes in a freezer bag and as long as they remain in cube form, the freezer has not defrosted.

Putting a quarter on top of a cup of frozen water is pure genius. If you lose power, the question of whether food in the freezer is still safe to eat could be life and death for some Missouri families. As the post says, if the quarter is still on top, then nothing defrosted and you're good to go. If it's at the bottom of the cup, that means your food defrosted and refroze and is likely not safe to it. Brilliant. What a great life hack.

This simple tip could give you piece of mind as we endure a typical winter where power outages are regularly a danger. Well done, internet. This is one of the reasons I'm glad it exists.