Thread: cooling leftovers

The message
<[email protected]>
from Jay <[email protected]> contains these words:

> Should this be done... on the bench (fending off the cats), in the
> microwave (turned off) to avoid bugs etc or in the fridge? I read
> somewhere that foods should be cooled in the fridge uncovered in the
> fridge then covered when cooled. I thought this drastic change of temp
> would be bad.

It's bad for other fridge contents to be warmed up, which increases
bacterial growth. . I cool food on the kitchen worktop, covered up...if
it cooked in a pan, just leave it in the pan, lid on, off the heat. Or
just upturn a big bowl over the cooling dish to protect it from pets,
flies, airborne bacteria. When it's cool I transfer it to something
clean and covered before putting it in the fridge.
If you have hot summers , a cold stone slab is useful for faster cooling.

Cooked meat should always be stored on a separate shelf from raw meat
and raw meat should be at the bottom of the fridge away from anything
like salad or foods eaten raw.

Janet

Jay wrote:
> Should this be done... on the bench (fending off the cats), in the
> microwave (turned off) to avoid bugs etc or in the fridge? I read
> somewhere that foods should be cooled in the fridge uncovered in the
> fridge then covered when cooled. I thought this drastic change of temp
> would be bad. I also think the smells from whatever is cooling may
> contaminate other stuff in the fridge?


What sort of food?
What sort of fridge?
How much food versus how much space in the fridge?


The idea is to cool the food as quickly as possible. Putting an
enormous pot of steaming soup stock into a small refrigerator isn't
going to cool it quickly. The fridge will heat up, and it will take a
long time for the motor to bring it down to temperature. If you had an
efficient walk-in refrigerator, it would be no problem.


At home, you pour the soup stock into a shallow tray so the heat can
dissipate faster, then pour it back into an upright container when it is
room temperature. You can use ice under the container too. That's for
something important like soup stock.


For leftover vegetables, I just cover them with plastic wrap and stick
them in the fridge right away. Same for small amounts of broiled meat.


I never thought of the microwave as a bug-free place for cooling, but it
makes sense. Why not?


For pies or baked goods where the main concern is keeping dirt, dust,
and bugs off, I use the countertop and a clean kitchen cloth.


With modern refrigeration, I don't find smells to be a problem. An item
can be smelly when it's in there but the smell goes away when the
garlic, fish or spices are removed.


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> The idea is to cool the food as quickly as possible.
> I never thought of the microwave as a bug-free place for cooling, but it
> makes sense. Why not?

Contradictory statements. If you want to cool food as quickly as possible,
you don't put it into a box with no air circulation that will then build up
heat.

"Julia Altshuler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ..

> The idea is to cool the food as quickly as possible. Putting an enormous
> pot of steaming soup stock into a small refrigerator isn't going to cool
> it quickly. The fridge will heat up, and it will take a long time for the
> motor to bring it down to temperature. If you had an efficient walk-in
> refrigerator, it would be no problem.
>
>
> At home, you pour the soup stock into a shallow tray so the heat can
> dissipate faster, then pour it back into an upright container when it is
> room temperature. You can use ice under the container too. That's for
> something important like soup stock.

Pfft. I leave mine in the pot until it is cool enough to pick up with my
bare hands and then put it in the refrigerator. Nobody's ever gotten sick
and it sure tastes great next time we have it.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:31:53 -0400, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

> "Julia Altshuler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> The idea is to cool the food as quickly as possible.
>> I never thought of the microwave as a bug-free place for cooling, but it
>> makes sense. Why not?
>
> Contradictory statements. If you want to cool food as quickly as possible,
> you don't put it into a box with no air circulation that will then build up
> heat.

i was thinking the same thing. i guess it depends on how rampant and
energetic your bugs are.

your pal,
blake