You’ve prepared more food than you can eat — that’s okay, you can have the leftovers tomorrow. But do you put the leftovers in the refrigerator straight away, or wait until they’ve cooled down?
You may have heard the advice not to put leftover food in the refrigerator while it’s still hot, but do you actually have to wait? Experts say no — or, at least, not anymore.
In the past, before modern refrigerators, food was stored in iceboxes. These were boxes made of metal or wood that had a compartment at the bottom for a large block of ice that kept the food cold. Once the ice melted, it would be replaced with another block.
So, if you put hot food in the icebox, the ice would melt faster and have to be replaced sooner, and this often wasn’t cheap.
Today, we don’t have that problem, as modern refrigerators can regulate temperatures a lot more effectively.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food can — and sometimes should — be placed in the refrigerator while it’s still hot. You should refrigerate it within an hour, and not leave it out for longer than two hours.
You should also divide up the food into smaller portions, according to The New York Times. This will help the food cool down quicker once it’s in the refrigerator.
But while it’s safe to put hot food in the refrigerator, experts say you should be careful about putting hot food in the freezer. The heat can increase the temperature in the freezer, causing foods around it to thaw. And according to the USDA, the faster food freezes the better, because it helps it keep its structure better.
Can Hot Food Be Put Directly into the Refrigerator?
You have prepared more food than you can eat — that’s okay, you can have the leftovers tomorrow.
But do you put the leftovers directly into the refrigerator, or wait for them to cool down?
You may have heard the advice: do not put leftover food in the refrigerator while it is still hot, but do you really have to wait?
Experts say no — or at least not anymore.
In the past, before modern refrigerators appeared, food was stored in iceboxes.
These iceboxes were made of metal or wood, with a compartment at the bottom for a large block of ice to cool the food.
Once the ice melted, it would be replaced with another block.
So, if you put hot food in the icebox, the ice would melt faster, requiring more frequent replacements, which often came at a high cost.
Today, we do not have this problem, as modern refrigerators can regulate temperature more effectively.
According to the USDA, food can — and sometimes should — be placed in the refrigerator while it is still hot.
You should refrigerate it within an hour and not leave it out for longer than two hours.
The New York Times also states that you should divide the food into smaller portions.
This will help the food cool down faster once it is in the refrigerator.
However, while it is safe to put hot food in the refrigerator, experts advise caution when putting hot food in the freezer.
The heat can raise the temperature in the freezer, causing surrounding foods to thaw.
According to the USDA, the faster food freezes, the better, as it helps maintain its structure.
Vocabulary for Advanced Learners
- leftover [ˈleftəʊvə(r)]：n. leftover food; adj. remaining; uneaten
- refrigerator [rɪˈfrɪdʒəreɪtə(r)]：n. refrigerator
- icebox [ˈaɪsbɒks]：n. icebox; old term for refrigerator
- compartment [kəmˈpɑːtmənt]：n. compartment; section
- thaw [θɔː]：v. to thaw; to melt
- regulate [ˈreɡjuleɪt]：v. to regulate; to control; to manage