Is it true that it is not recommended to put hot/warm food you just cooked in the refrigirator?!
Is it true that it is not recommended to put hot/warm food you just cooked in the refrigirator?
but rather wait till it cools down a little? If yes, Why? I can't remember who told me that many years so wanted to confirm if you do the same(?). THANKS
Answers: If you put it in the refrigerator right after cooking it, it makes the refrigerator's compressor work harder and longer to cool that hot food.
The temp of the food you already have in the refrigerator rises.
This creates a pretty good environment for breeding bacteria and a higher risk of food poisoning.
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Ron Berue
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Professiohnally trained and educated at the Culinary Institute of America ["The C.I.A."], New Haven, CT campus
In the Food and Beverage business over 26 yrears. NO! you actually want the food to cool down as fast as possible in order to insure it's safety. I remember at culinary arts school we used to put soups and stocks in big ice baths to cool them down as fast as possible. I was always told that foods should be cool to the touch before refrigeration. One reason is that it makes the refrigerator work harder with a hot dish put in. One thing I know is that condensation will form inside your dish making it watery, especially if it's something that's eaten cold. I would wait until it cools down a little. Your refrigerator will run like crazy trying to deal with all the hot stuff you just put in. A waste of energy. If you have an old fridge the steam will end up as ice on the cooling element. I think it would be "safe enough" to wait until it has cooled down a bit, maybe 1/2 hour. It is unlikely that what you have just cooked will spoil that quickly. Just remember to consume it as quickly as possible and if it's something that will have to be re-heated, re-heat it thoroughly. Well, you do want the item to cool quickly, but putting it into the refrig won't do it. Do the ice bath thing and then refrigerate if you want to or let cool to room temp and then refrigerate (don't let sit out more than 4 hours).
check out this site from the usda.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/ref... From what I know it is true. Putting hot foods runs the risk of raising the temps of the foods around it. Hot foods give off the most heat in the first 30 minutes so let your hot food cool for those thirty minutes and then promptly cover and put in fridge.
People freak about leaving food out at room temp but that is what the danger zone is for. Anywhere between 40 and 140 degrees is the danger zone. You don't want to leave your food in these temperatures for to long but an half hour is fine. go ahead and do it if you want your milk and stuff to spoil. if you dont then let it cool before you do. try it for yourself so you will know first hand