I must have unplugged the vacuum, I thought to myself when it suddenly stopped working.

I walked over to check. The vacuum was still connected. Maybe I blew a fuse.

I flipped on a light switch to go to the basement. The lights didn’t work, either.

We were in the middle of our first winter storm of the year. Since my cell phone worked, I learned our home was among about 4,500 homes without power.

I really didn’t feel like vacuuming, anyway. I also wasn’t looking forward to resetting all the digital clocks in our home.

I hoped the power outage would be brief because I had just shopped for a lot of perishable foods in the refrigerator.

The weather was frigid, so our home would be cooling down. I found our battery-operated lanterns and some candles in case the outage lasted a while. I grabbed a blanket and held a warm dog on my lap.

Unfortunately, my vacuum resumed working within a half hour.

What should you do during power outages, anyway? Let’s try a few questions based on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommendations.

1. How long will a full freezer hold a safe temperature?
2. How long will a half-full freezer hold a safe temperature?
3. How much dry ice would you need to keep an 18-cubic-foot freezer cold.
4. What are the indications that you can refreeze meat, poultry and seafood?
5. During a power outage, how long will a refrigerator keep food at a safe temperature?
6. Should you taste the food to determine its safety? Why or why not?
7. Which commonly refrigerated foods are safe beyond a four-hour power outage?
8. What “tools” would be good to have available to help prevent food safety issues and having to throw away food.

Here are the USDA recommendations:

1. A full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours.
2. A half-full freezer will maintain its temperature for 24 hours.
3. Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic-foot freezer at a safe temperature for two days; however, be sure to wear heavy gloves to protect your hands and avoid putting the dry ice next to food.
4. Meat, poultry and seafood with visible ice crystals are safe to refreeze. You may want to use these foods first, and be sure to fully cook.
5. A closed refrigerator will hold food at a cold temperature up to four hours during a power outage.
6. Tasting food that may be unsafe is not a good plan. When in doubt, throw it out.
7. High-acid foods such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, jams and jellies are typically safe, but they might spoil sooner. Foods such as cut fruit, creamy salad dressing and raw or leftover meat are not considered safe if left in a refrigerator without power for more than four hours.
8. Keep appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer to monitor temperatures, and keep a digital food thermometer to check foods as needed.

When the power returned, I was ready for some comforting soup, but not more vacuuming.

Smoky Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon

3 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt (or substitute table salt)
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced*
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. In the pot, sauté onions and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, around 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes (if using) and cayenne. Add sweet potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, 27 to 30 minutes. Blend with immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Crumble bacon and garnish each bowl.

Makes five servings. Each serving has 180 calories, 8 grams (g) fat, 8 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber and 450 milligrams sodium.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Dec. 4, 2025

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, 701-231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu