Place dry ice on boards or heavy cardboard on top of the packages of food. Handle dry ice carefully—never with your bare hands. Wear gloves to prevent burns.
Another alternative is to move food to a neighbor’s freezer or to a freezer locker plant where space can be rented.
Can vegetables and fruits which have thawed be refrozen?
Frozen foods that have thawed may be safely refrozen if they still contain ice crystals or if they are still cold—about 40° F—and have been held no longer than 1 or 2 days at refrigerator temperatures (32° to 40°) after thawing.
Since thawing and refreezing reduces the quality of fruits and vegetables, use refrozen foods as soon as possible to save as much of their eating quality as you can.
Food Preservation Glossary
compiled by Annetta Cook and Carole Davis[21]
Acid food—Food with a pH of 4.6 or below. An acid food can be safely processed in a boiling-water bath for specified times. Includes most fruits, tomatoes, and pickled vegetables.
Anaerobes—Bacteria capable of growing without air, as in a sealed container of canned food.
Blanching—Heating vegetables by immersion in boiling water, steaming, sauteing, or stewing to inactivate enzymes capable of causing quality changes in foods during freezer storage.