If you have leftover food after your dinner, it’s not a smart idea to just leave it on the counter. But what should you do? Should you let it cool down first and then put it in the fridge, or can you put it in straight away? We’ll find out.
Why You Should Refrigerate Your Leftovers
Before we tell you how to best store your leftovers, it’s good to know why it’s important to refrigerate them. Properly refrigerating your food is essential for the safety of your food. It limits the amount of time your food is in the danger zone where bacteria can grow best. This danger zone is between 4 and 60 degrees Celsius. These bacteria can contaminate your food with illnesses that can cause food poisoning. The bacteria can easily multiply in the danger zone and can make you sick. Some types of food are at higher risk than others. Foods that contain meat or poultry can quickly become contaminated, and the same goes for grains such as rice or pasta.
Do you have to put your food in the refrigerator right away?
Not quite. Chilling your food properly is important, but it is best to let your food sit for a while before storing it. As long as you don’t leave it for too long, there’s nothing to worry about. Hot food often cools down as quickly on the counter as in the refrigerator. In addition, it is not very smart to put a hot pan in the refrigerator. This can cause the glass shelves in your refrigerator to break. Putting hot food in the refrigerator can also increase the overall temperature in your refrigerator. This is not really desirable for the rest of your food. As far as we are concerned, it is better to let your food cool down first, but not for longer than two hours. Place your food in sealable containers in portions. So don’t put an entire pan of pasta in a large container. Divide it into containers that you can then eat as portions. This also allows the food to cool more gradually. Do not close the containers yet while the food is cooling. This gives the warm moisture in the food the opportunity to escape. Once the food has cooled down completely, it is better to close it with a lid so that the food remains protected from outside dirt.
