OK Brainiacs, riddle me this:

[skydiver30960 0]

I've heard people say that if you're cooking food with the intention of freezing it immediately afterword that you have to FIRST allow the food to cool to room temperature, THEN put it in the freezer. If you fail to do this (according to "them") you run a higher risk of the food spoiling or making you sick when you later thaw it out and eat it.

Huh? My engineering degree is VERY dusty, but isn't the rate at which an object cools in an open environment (able to be considered a constant temperature despite the heat absorbed from the object) mostly a function of the difference in temperature between the object and the environment (i.e. deltaT)? I thought Newton had this one hammered out. I think this is how they determine time of death in murder cases: just in case you aren't humiliated enough by being dead, the rectal thermometry will seal the deal for you.

I understand that there is a thermal gradient inside my container of slowly freezing minestrone, but I still don't see how leaving something in an envrionment where it will cool more slowly before putting it in an environment where it will cool more quickly will somehow make it cool even MORE quickly than just sticking the dang thing in the freezer straight out. I also understand that the freezer will have to work harder and the things in the vicinity of my minestrone will warm up just a bit, but I think the frozen green beans can take the hit.

Has anyone else heard this? Is it a myth? Is it true? Was Newton wrong? Was Newton right, EXCEPT for Mrs. Newton's creations in the kitchen? Is my minestrone now a deadly time bomb quietly awaiting my return to the freezer?

Elvisio "help me out here" Rodriguez

[LongWayToFall 0]

I only do it so that a large container of hot foot doesn't warm up my fridge. As far as the cooling down faster, I don't think so! Maybe it has something to do with the whole boiling water freezes faster ordeal....

[quade 4]

It probably made much more sense in the "old" days of iceboxes, but you're probably right that it makes almost no sense today.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[LisaH 0]

The rule:

Food has to be hot, or cold to be put in the freezer. Never in between.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[skydiver30960 0]

Quote

The rule:

Food has to be hot, or cold to be put in the freezer. Never in between.

Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?


Elvisio "explain the rule" Rodriguez

[Skydave103 0]

Cool hot food to room temperature as quickly as possible before covering and refrigerating.

# To make sure your food freezes as quickly as possible to discourage bacteria growth, use small containers -- with a capacity no bigger than 4 quarts. Ideally, the food should be less than 3 inches thick within the container.

# Cool your hot foods quickly before freezing them by placing the pan of hot food in a large container filled with ice or ice water, stirring often to keep the cold circulating. If you're cooling a lot of hot food, like a large saucepan of stew or chili, portion it into smaller, shallow containers.

Freezing to 0 degrees Fahrenheit inactivates microbes (like bacteria and molds) but it doesn't destroy them. When a food is thawed, the microbes may become active again and multiply, in certain conditions.

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[TrophyHusband 0]

Quote

The rule:

Food has to be hot, or cold to be put in the freezer. Never in between.

why on earth would you put hot food in a freezer?

while you most likely won't thaw out the food that is already in there, its no good for the food.

hot food in a fridge can warm a fridge up above 40 degrees, increasing bacteria growth on everything in there until the temp drops back down. that is the reason not to put things in the fridge until they are cooled to room temp. (ideally, food should already be cold before it goes into the fridge, but that's not really practical.)

for food going into the freezer, first cool it to room temp, then put it in the fridge all the way in the back and as far down as possible, this is the coldest part of the fridge. the object is to get the food as close as possible all the way through before freezing. here's why, as water in the food freezes, it form little ice daggers. these daggers puncture cell walls of anything organic as they form. a quicker thermal trip makes these daggers smaller, puncturing fewer cell walls, doing less damage to the food. don't take my word for it, watch a little alton brown.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[LisaH 0]

why on earth would you put hot food in a freezer?

Retains the flavor better. It's going in there for later use, not to cool down.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[TrophyHusband 0]

are you fucking with me? i don't get it.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[LisaH 0]

No; I'm not fucking with you.

Guess we all do things differently.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[Gene03 0]

"They" say a lot of things.

Not all of it is true however.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[Shell666 0]

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I've heard people say that if you're cooking food with the intention of freezing it immediately afterword that you have to FIRST allow the food to cool to room temperature, THEN put it in the freezer. If you fail to do this (according to "them") you run a higher risk of the food spoiling or making you sick when you later thaw it out and eat it.

What my science type friends have told me is that you can leave food out to cool at room temp but for no more than 30 minutes. After that time, continue to cool it in the fridge or put it directly in the freezer.

Leaving it out at room temp for any longer can make some bacteria grow and THAT can cause problems. It will come back "alive" when you heat the food again.

Yes, your fridge or freezer might have to work a little harder to cool it down but if you keep your freezer stocked so that the cool air can circulate around food, then it shouldn't be a problem.

If I make a big pot of stew to eat tonight and freeze the rest for later, I'll prepare tonight's dinner, eat it and while that's happening, let the pot cool down on the stove with the lid on. Then when I'm cleaning up from dinner, I put the leftovers in containers and put them in the freezer. Are they still warm? Yes. Are they hot? No.

Just my humble opinion and I do that a lot. So far, no problems.

'Shell

[rygon 0]

Its to make sure your freezer doesnt get too warm if you put hot food in it.
Also the hot cooling down quicker/more is a myth. Still needs to take away the energy
More energy = more effort

Personally freezing food asap has never bothered me. Had curries out for 2-3days, froze them and had no ill effects eating them afterwards

[timmyfitz 0]

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Also the hot cooling down quicker/more is a myth. Still needs to take away the energy
More energy = more effort

It is called the Mpemba effect. It is true under certain circumstances.