Cool soup safely (2024)

FAQs

Cool soup safely? ›

To speed cooling, transfer soup to shallow containers, making sure soup is no more than TWO inches deep. Refrigerate promptly. Soup can also be chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. You can place loosely covered foods in the refrigerator while still warm; cover when food is completely cooled.

Use ice water bath

This method helps decrease the food temperature quickly and safely. Fill a large container or clean sink with ice and a small amount of water. Place the kettle of soup into the ice bath. Stir the soup to release heat and aid cooling.

Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating.

“In order to maintain a safe temperature in your refrigerator, most foods, especially those that are liquid, should be cooled close to room temperature before being stored.” Smaller foods, like a slice of pizza or single serving of chicken breast, may not have a big impact on fridge temperature, but larger quantities, ...

Refrigerators should register 40°F or below, so adding hot soup or stock with a significantly higher temperature can cause the overall temperature to rise, creating a breeding ground for spoilage. The USDA also does not recommend leaving hot or cold food out at a temperature within the danger zone for over two hours.

One may add ice to soup, but it would be best not to stir it around so as not to make it melt faster.

It's not necessary for a food to be completely cool before it's refrigerated. To help food cool slightly before refrigeration, place a shallow container of food on a cooling rack to allow air to circulate all around the plan for about 20 to 30 minutes. Limit depth of food to 2 inches.

Once cold, the soup must be kept in the fridge until ready to re-heat. The fridge must keep the soup cold enough to slow down bacteria. It should be 8 °C or lower but if you can only check the air temperature of the fridge you should aim for 5°C or lower.

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within two hours of eating or preparation. Use ready-to-eat, perishable foods, such as dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, and produce, as soon as possible. Hot food won't harm your refrigerator, so it's okay to place hot food inside.

How long after making soup can you put it in the fridge? ›

For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it. And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours. Don't put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator.

No matter what you're storing your soup in, always remember to let your soup cool before placing it in the freezer. A piping-hot tub of soup can easily develop food-borne bacteria because of the time it will take to cool and freeze. It can also compromise the temperature of the other foods in your freezer.

A couple ideas: Place the soup-filled container in a cardboard box and surround it with a towel within the box. Or, use a small unused pet bed to keep the pot securely and snugly in place. Both of these set ups also have the additional benefit of retaining heat, so the dishes don't arrive at their destination cold.

Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. For tomato sauces and stews that don't want dairy, try shredding some cheese on top.

Blowing on hot food can be an effective way to cool it down[1]. This is because when you blow air over the food, you send air close to your body temperature (98.6°F/37°C) and use it to replace warmer air in a process known as convection[1]. This increases the rate of heat transfer, allowing the food to cool faster[1].

Ice-water bath and frequently stirring the food.

This promotes faster and more even cooling. Ice paddles (plastic container filled with water and frozen) used to stir food in an ice-water bath.

Food held between 5oC and 60oC for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can't be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.