Thermo wars have wreaked havoc on your fridge. Protect yourself, for the love of God.
Hot soup:
How do you cool it down, and why? Let’s dive into a little science and a little wives tale.
Soup or broth is a protein rich environment for bacteria to quickly propagate when the liquid is between 40 and 140 degrees. So, cooling broth down for refrigerator storage should be done as quickly as possible. To do that, place your hot bowl into a large ice bath and stir regularly. Ice bath is ice water held in a larger container than the one you’re trying to cool. Remember to stir regularly and keep the water icy.
Things being as they are, sometimes your choices for action are limited. Some people might decide to place the hot broth in the refrigerator. Seems logical. To put the hot bowl into a colder environment. The problem is not, whether or not the broth cools better in the fridge; but that the difference in heat reduction is miniscule, and does nothing more then condensate and heat your fridge. So, if you don’t have ice, or an ice paddle. Placeit somewhere dense and cold like a garage floor. Then move and stir it often until cool enough to refrigerate. If you do not have a garage, try to ventilate the area and move as much air as possible. Placing it on a cookie cooling rack would help a well.
I still have people ask me about this and sometimes it’s nice to know the whys along with the actions. So if an ice bath is not an option for you, leave it on a cool dense surface and stir regularly to distribute heat and incorporate cool air.