Love your bowl of piping hot stew, now head to the fridge to chill the rest? stop! You may need to wait for it to cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator. To get all our kitchen tasks done quickly, we often keep food that is still warm in the refrigerator. Did you know this could actually be dangerous for you and your family?
The purpose of freezing is essentially to prevent food from losing its nutritional content and keep it fresh and free from contamination for a longer period of time. Whether freezing, heating or refrigeration, it's best to use caution. If you put hot food or hot liquids in the refrigerator right away, you may lose its nutritional value and may make your refrigerator run extra hard. However, it is okay to put lukewarm food in the refrigerator. Wait until it comes to room temperature at least before refrigerating.
Hot food should be brought to room temperature because salmonella can easily spoil food in the refrigerator if left in the refrigerator (piping hot). Additionally, placing hot food in the refrigerator can cause the food to spoil. If you place other perishable foods (eggs, vegetables and meat) in the refrigerator, the likelihood of them becoming contaminated increases.
However, you should not wait longer than a certain amount of time. Hot food should not be left out for more than two hours, as bacteria can begin to multiply after this time. If you want to wait, refrigerate within two hours. Always ideal for storing all perishable foods milk, vegetables, meat and delicatessen to avoid spoilage. If you are storing cooked food, do so within 2 hours of cooking. Cooling faster also helps, break food into smaller portions so they cool faster and can be frozen faster to avoid contamination.
Wrap food in airtight containers or aluminum foil to maintain the food's moisture content. This also prevents odors from different foods from mixing while keeping bacteria out. Frozen food can be kept for up to about 2-3 months, but check the color, smell and taste of the food to see if it is ready to eat.
Another common myth about putting hot food in the refrigerator is that it's harmful to your body. Your device may affect the temperature of the food around it. Well, with newer appliances, you don’t have to worry too much, the refrigerator thermostat will ensure that your appliances don’t get damaged by regulating the temperature and humidity. However, if you have an older model, you may choose to take some precautions, such as storing hot foods in airtight containers, which can help avoid condensation and freezing.
Tips to make sure before refrigerating hot food
- If you must put hot food in the refrigerator, try not to place hot food in a deep container. They take longer to cool, place them in a shallow container so they can cool easier. You can then place these very shallow containers in the refrigerator, which will also ensure faster cooling.
- Divide food into smaller portions. Put them into smaller containers
- You can also quickly cool food in an ice-water bath before refrigerating it.
- You can also leave it on the counter to cool until the steam stops.
- Cover hot liquids to be chilled. If left uncovered, they can release moisture, making the compressor work harder than it should.
As a general rule of thumb, it is always recommended to place containers (whether hot or mild) wisely, paying attention to the space between them to ensure better air circulation and optimal cooling. Make sure you don't leave food out for more than two hours, as bacteria can start to grow quickly.
Why is it a bad idea to put hot food in the refrigerator?
In many refrigerator instructions, it is said not to put hot food in the refrigerator as this will affect the functionality of the refrigerator in the long run. Storing hot food puts additional stress on the refrigerator machinery and should be avoided.
However, there are other reasons besides the health of your refrigerator, specifically the health of the food inside it. Placing hot food inside will raise the temperature inside, making the contents hotter. Therefore, the refrigerator compressor has to work harder to keep the internal temperature where you want it.
Now, the ambient air is warming, but think about how this is actually happening. We have all read about the second law of thermodynamics, which says that heat moves from a place with a higher temperature to a place with a lower temperature. This is what convection does.
convection
Convection is a mode of heat transfer that occurs in freely moving states such as liquids and gases. When a hot liquid or gas heats up, it becomes lighter and rises, while cooler air replaces it below.
condensation
Secondly, when we put something hot into the refrigerator, the temperature difference between the two systems can cause condensation. These droplets can end up on the back wall of the refrigerator, where they can freeze food that comes in contact with them. In addition, condensation will increase the moisture in the refrigerator environment, which is not conducive to food preservation.
The entire process of heat transfer through convection and condensation into the form of droplets resembles a very important natural process.
Rain is caused by evaporation and condensation, and we see a small version of this natural process taking place when we put warm food in the refrigerator.
When we put hot food in the refrigerator, due to the combined process of convection and condensation, the internal environment of the refrigerator becomes unfavorable for preservation and the optimal functionality is reduced due to the increase in temperature and humidity inside the refrigerator.
If I need to store hot food in the refrigerator urgently
One way to prevent your refrigerator from getting too hot during an emergency like this is to divide food into smaller portions. Leaving some space around the food so that cold air can flow around it will speed up the cooling process and prevent too many negative effects of placing hot food in the refrigerator.
