Cómo enfriar rápido una olla de caldo para evitar la proliferación de bacterias

After spending hours preparing broth, the last thing you want is to leave it sitting on the counter, where it cools slowly and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. According to the FDA, food should be cooled to below 4°C in less than two hours.

The quickest and safest way to cool a large pot is in an ice bath. If the sink is clean and clear, you can plug it, fill it with ice water, and carefully submerge the pot.

Before doing so, it's a good idea to thoroughly strain out the solids, which add unnecessary volume while the broth cools. You should also consider the volume displacement in the sink, so the water doesn't overflow from the pot and mix with the broth.

If the sink is full of dishes, use a large bowl half-filled with ice water. Place a smaller bowl inside, pour in some broth, whisk until it's cold to the touch, transfer it to a food-safe container, and repeat the process with the rest.

Be careful when choosing your containers. Untempered or defective glass will crack or break with a sudden temperature change, such as pouring hot broth into an ice-cold container.

The myth about not putting hot food in the refrigerator isn't entirely debunked. Pathogens reproduce most rapidly between 4 and 60 degrees Celsius (40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit), and the average refrigerator temperature is around 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit).

Putting a large, hot pot in the refrigerator can raise the temperature to dangerous levels and keep it there, especially if the appliance is old. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, soup that isn't stirred can take two to three times longer to cool than soup that is stirred.

Food left in the danger zone for two hours must be discarded. Additionally, storing large quantities of hot food overloads the compressor and significantly increases energy consumption.