A problem many cooks and foodservice professionals must grapple with is how long to allow just-cooked food to cool down safely (sometimes referred to as the “chill down”) before placing it in a refrigerator or freezer for storage.
If food cools too slowly, bacteria can build up, which can cause food poisoning. If the food is placed in a refrigerator or freezer while it is still hot, it can warm the temperature of the unit and, in turn, possibly spoil the other food in the unit. It can also cause bacteria to build up in other food items stored in the fridge and create condensation and water pooling.
So, how can foodservice workers avoid putting hot food items in the fridge too soon, but also ensure food items cool just long enough so that harmful bacteria does not build up?
Among the options are the following:
- If the commercial kitchen prepares large amounts of hot food items that must be cooled, using a blast chiller can be ideal. As the name implies, a blast chiller cools down food very quickly, preventing bacteria from developing. The food is then rendered safe for storage in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Cook food in smaller portions, allowing it to cool down quicker.
- If possible, stir food regularly while it is cooling. This will help speed cooling and help ensure the food cooks more evenly.
Accuracy matters
Another option is to find out how long it takes different types of food items to cool after they have been cooked. This way, kitchen staff knows precisely how long they should leave food items out to cool.
The best way to accomplish this is to take just-cooked food out of the oven or off the burner and use a thermometer to test the temperature. Then, as the food cools, test the temperature again at regular intervals. Be sure to use a clean probe with each test. HACCP-compliance systems, like those distributed by DayMark, are perfect for this test with their digital thermometers that can measure and monitor food temperatures.
These thermometers work much faster and are far more accurate than traditional thermometers. Plus, all temperature information is stored and can be viewed on the system’s user-friendly dashboard, easily making it part of a kitchen food safety management system. This also eliminates the need for pen and paper.
If each food item is prepared the same way every time, and room temperatures remains constant in the kitchen, in most cases staff will only need to do this once to create a record of how long each food item takes to cool down.
This post is sponsored by DayMark Safety Systems