Can you put hot food in the fridge or not?
If you’re going to make soup anyway, you might as well make far too much. That way, you’ll have lunch the next day, and the day after that… Do you put hot soup straight in the fridge, or is it better to let it cool down for a while?
You might think it’s best to put your leftovers in the fridge straight away, so bacteria don’t stand a chance. Still, it’s important to leave the food out for a little while before putting it in the fridge. Here’s why.
Let it cool down
According to the Voedingscentrum, you should always let your meal cool down for a while before putting it in the fridge. This means the fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to cool the food, and the products around it are less affected. Make sure you move the products around the meal slightly to the side, so they aren’t touching the hot food. The heat can affect their shelf life. Forgot that you still have leftovers sitting on the counter? According to Stop Foodborne Illness, most bacteria will be on the food after two hours, so definitely don’t leave it out any longer than that.
Two days
The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping your meal covered in the fridge for a maximum of two days. That way, you can enjoy something like that delicious stew a little longer, after all that hard work in the kitchen.
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