Does Food Need To Cool Before Refrigerating. To use the two-stage cooling method food must be cooled from 140 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and to 41 F or lower within four hours. Using the cooling method ensures that food is cooled quickly and safely.
Something hot you want to refrigerate should be iced to cool down quickly so it doesnt linger in the dangerous temp zone. It can take a long time to get through the danger zone when cooling a large batch of chili soup or stew. For the best quality store them unpeeled and inside an egg carton or air-tight container.
How long should you let soup to cool before refrigerating.
This is better because the food will cool down much faster in smaller amounts thus getting it down to the safe temperature of 41 F or below faster. Food should only be out for two hours before its put in the refrigerator says Feist. Leaving food at room temperature to cool before placing it in the refrigerator favors bacteria and allows them to spread. Something hot you want to refrigerate should be iced to cool down quickly so it doesnt linger in the dangerous temp zone.
