Can hot food go straight in the fridge? I swear everyone in my life says something different.
By Charlotte on
For years I’ve been stuck standing in the kitchen at night staring at a pot of soup or chili thinking, “Do I put this in the fridge now or am I supposed to let it cool?” Because every person I know has a different rule.
My mom always said hot food will “mess up the fridge.” My grandma let food sit out for what feels like half a day. My sister throws everything in the fridge still steaming. And here I am just trying not to give anyone food poisoning or make my fridge explode.
From my own experience: Small stuff? I just stick it right in the fridge. Never had a problem. But if it’s a giant pot of something, it does take forever to cool down in the middle, so I usually put the pot in a little cold water in the sink for a few minutes, stir it around, and then fridge it. It cools way faster and I don’t feel like I’m putting something lava-hot next to my leftovers.
Honestly, I think a lot of those “never put hot food in the fridge” rules come from older family members who are still repeating what they heard back in the day.
I feel like there are about 10 different “right ways” depending on who you ask.