Why Michiganders Should Be Keeping a Quarter in Their Freezer

The below freezing temperatures and frigid high winds have officially made their way to Michigan, as is customary for this time of year.

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And when things get this cold, in combination with getting some snow and ice, sometimes things just stop working. Particularly mechanical or electronic things. Like, say... your power.

When that happens, you'll be thankful you learned this trick.

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I had never heard of this trick before, and honestly, I kind of feel like I've been living under a rock.

Do you have one of those Midwestern "beer fridge/freezer" combos you keep in the garage? Or a deep freezer full of backstraps? If you answered yes to either one of those questions, you'll want to employ the quarter trick.

The Quarter in the Freezer Trick

Say you have one of those freezer or fridge/freezer combos sitting out in the garage. It's likely a far less frequented appliance. So, if the time comes that you lose power, and maybe you're not around to know you lost power, how do you know if your food is still good?

Here's where the quarter trick comes into play. Get a coffee cup and fill it with water, and from there, stick it in the freezer. Once the water is completely frozen solid, place a quarter on top of the ice and place the cup back in the freezer.

If you were gone and there were some power outages in your area, you can see if your food is still good by checking on the quarter in the coffee cup. If the quarter is at or near the top of the cup, your food may be safe to eat. However, if the quarter has fallen below the halfway mark, you're going to want to toss that food. It's going to suck tossing that much food, but it's definitely not safe to eat now.

Be safe, and take advantage of cool life hacks like this one this winter in Michigan.