Do you know what an "old wives' tale" is? This can be a superstitious piece of advice passed down through generations. For example, it is said that if you place a baby's blanket beneath your Christmas Tree you will have a new baby in the family by next Christmas. Give it a try!

Here's a wives' tale that is more science than suspicion. All New Yorkers should place a quarter in their freezer right away. By doing so you can tell if you have bad food stored in there. Here's how it works.

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According to National Standby Repair, New York State consistently ranks among the top 5 States in the Nation for power outages with an average 1,700 outages a year. Not only is this inconvenient to residents, it can also be costly when the food in your freezer spoils.

Placing a quarter in your freezer is one way to tell if your food has gone bad following a power outage. Here's how this works.

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Don't just simply place a quarter in your freezer. Follow these steps:

  • BEFORE a power outage
    • Fill a cup with water
    • Place the cup of water in the freezer
    • Once the water freezes place a quarter on top of the ice
  • AFTER the power outage
    • Check the cup and the position of the quarter
    • If the quarter is on top or midway, your food is in the safe zone
    • If the quarter is at the bottom, most likely your food should be thrown away
    • Use your own discretion as this is not an exact science

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