Ever since I was a kid, I remember my mom telling me to let hot food rest on the counter before putting it into the fridge so that it doesn’t go sour. I even heard once that putting hot food in the fridge before it’s cooled off will make the REST of the food in the fridge spoil. The reasoning behind this advice is that hot food will raise the internal temperature of the fridge too much, and put everything in the “danger zone.” Yikes! Sounds scary right? I decided to do a bit of research to see if this was an old wives tale or not. Here’s what I found.
According to the experts you can definitely place hot food straight into the fridge. It’s actually recommended! And it won’t impact the taste of the food. (Phew)
If you’ve got a giant batch of hot food (think stews or soups) split it into smaller portions and stash them in shallow containers for quicker cooling once they hit the fridge. That way they won’t bring down the temperature of the fridge too much and put your other food at risk.
For perishable items, make sure they’re stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below within two hours of preparation. If food is inadvertently left out to cool and exceeds the two-hour mark, it should be discarded to prevent bacterial growth. Bacteria thrive on food left at room temperature for more than two hours, particularly in hot climates.
The last thing you want is to get sick from food. It’s a miserable way to ruin your favourite dishes, trust me!