Why Putting Hot Food In The Freezer Isn't The Best Idea

The cleanup after a delicious home cooked meal or even satisfying takeout order is the kind of thing you just hurry up and get done. However, placing piping hot leftovers straight into the freezer won't guarantee you an enjoyable meal the second time around.

In fact, placing hot food in the freezer can actually create a breeding ground for bacteria that can ruin both your food and your digestion if you wind up eating the leftovers. To avoid any unnecessary bouts of food poisoning, you should avoid common food storage mistakes like not allowing food to cool down before putting it away.

Whether you want to put away a few massive Costco muffins instead of eating them all in one sitting, or you want to make sure your meal prep is still good by Friday, storing hot food isn't as complicated as it might sound. Grab a few shallow storage containers, and let's get started.

Shallow storage containers are a great way to cool down hot food and make it safer to put away. Smaller containers mean the food will cool down faster, leaving less time for bacteria to form. When you put hot food into a freezer immediately, it can also negatively affect the food around it as well as the food in the container.

Placing hot food in the freezer might cause other foods in the freezer to thaw, thus putting them in a danger zone of anywhere between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where bacteria is more likely to grow. The United States Department of Agriculture does not recommend letting hot food sit outside the refrigerator for more than two hours. If it's an extra hot, humid day above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the food shouldn't be left out more than an hour.

Of course, you could always opt to eat your leftovers cold from the refrigerator. People can gasp and judge all they want, but this author says there's nothing wrong with enjoying a cold slice of sausage pizza while you stand in front of an open refrigerator contemplating your own life choices. I've also been known to eat a cold fried chicken drumstick or two, but I digress.

Hot or cold, the most important thing to remember is to store food in a way that prevents bacteria or other elements from ruining the dish. Aside from that, feel free to take a bite out of whatever you like (as long as it's edible, of course).