AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Question OK, one more. ;-) This one relates more directly to my first question, and came up when I told my wife your first response. She asked "why can't we just put the soup in the fridge hot" instead of leaving it out to cool first where we (I) might forget it?. I have an answer, but perhaps it's an old wive's tale and doesn't apply to modern fridges (vs. old iceboxes). I think she might have more faith in your answer. Thanks again...last follow-up...promise!
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...
-----Question-----
Thanks Carol! Into the garbage it goes. A related follow up. I've been told that one can only reheat food once. Does that go for "non-meat" as well?
Thanks again!
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...
-----Question-----
Hi Carol,
I left some leftover lentil soup (no meat or meat/chicken stock) on my counter overnight by accident. Is it safe to refridgerate or freeze for later? Thanks!
-----Answer-----
Hi David,
While you may think that since your soup didn't contain meat or meat stock, you'd think it would remain safe unrefrigerated. Our recommendation is to not consume once heated carbohydrate-based food that is left at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Here's why -- plant-based foods once heated becomes a potentially hazardous food -- in other words it can support the growth of harmful organisms. Now does it always happen -- no, but the potential is there.
So my recommendation is to not to consume the soup.
Sorry...
Carol
-----Answer-----
Hi David,
Technically you can reheat food as many times as you like. The problem is the more times that you go from heating to cooling to reheating to cooling, etc, the more opportunity to have for misshandling and the introduction of food borne pathogens. Also, food -- unlike women -- does not get better with age!! Food breaks down, changes texture, flavor and color with repeated heating/cooling etc. Only a few foods are more flavorful the second time around -- chili being one such food.
Most restaurants have the no-reheat policy for a variety of reasons -- 1) leftovers are usually not as appealing visually as the first time around and 2) it is more labor intensive to make sure food is handled properly during the cooling/reheating process. According to the FDA food code, hot foods held above 135 degrees must be cooled down to an internal temperature of 40 degrees within 6 hours. It takes time, energy and money to ensure these guidelines are followed. Most restaurants, to ensure a safe product and a visually attractive product do not choose to use leftovers.
But the bottom line is -- you can cool and reheat foods over and over again -- as long as you follow safe handling practices.
Carol
Answer Hi David,
You may ask as many questions as you like --don't ever feel like you are bothering me!!!
You can put the soup into the fridge hot if you wish -- just be sure to put it into a shallow container, not more than 4 inches deep. This will facilitate quicker cooling as you'll have more surface are subject to the cold refrigerator temperatures.
A long time ago we use to say -- "Don't put hot food in the ice box." There was good reason to say this as putting hot food in the ice box would melt the ice and the whole idea was to not melt the ice!!! However, today few people use "ice boxes" and modern refrigerators can handle moderate amounts of hot food. The key is not overloading your refrigerator with hot foods as it will not be able to cool them down rapidly. Most people allow food to cool to a reasonable temperature before putting it into the refrigerator -- say the time from the the time you turn off the soup on the range through consumption of the soup at a meal -- say 30 minutes. Food borne organisms will not multiply in that short time period.
I hope this answers your questions. If not, please let me know.
