Cool It!

ASK: How cold should foods requiring time/temperature control for safety (TCS foods) be?

ANSWER: 41°F (5°C) or below.

ASK: How quickly should cooked Time/Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) foods be cooled to 41°F?

ANSWER: Within 2 hours to 70°F and then within an additional 4 hours (6 hours

total) to 41°F. Start timing when the food drops below 135°F.

Here are ten tips for safely cooling large quantities of cooked food.

1. Cool the food uncovered for the first hour.

2. Stir the food every 10-15 minutes.

3. Cool the food in several small, shallow containers instead of one big one.

4. Use metal pans instead of plastic ones that do not conduct heat as well. Plastic pans act as an insulator.

5. Use an ice bath (as depicted above) to chill the food rapidly.

6. Use an ice paddle or ice wand to chill the food rapidly.

7. Use a blast chiller to quickly lower the temperature of the food.

8. Add ice to cool liquid foods like soups.

9. Don’t cool foods sitting out at room temperature. Refrigerate cooling foods promptly.

10. Don’t stack pans of cooling food.

ASK: How cold should foods requiring time/temperature control for safety (TCS

foods) be?

ANSWER: 41°F (5°C) or below.

ASK: How quickly should cooked TCS foods be cooled to 41°F?

ANSWER: Within 2 hours to 70°F and then within an additional 4 hours (6 hours total) to 41°F. Start timing when the food drops below 135°F.

ASK: Will food cool faster in deep or shallow pans?

ANSWER: In shallow pans with the food 4” or less deep.

ASK: Will food cool faster covered or uncovered?

ANSWER: Uncovered. Cover the food after it has cooled.

ASK: Will food cool faster in plastic or metal pans?

ANSWER: Metal pans. Metal conducts heat. Plastic is an insulator.

ASK: Where in the refrigerator should cooked foods that are cooling be stored?

ANSWER: On the top shelf arranged so that there is lots of air flow around them.

Stacking multiple pans together will slow the cooling process.

ASK: Will stirring the food reduce the cooling time?

ANSWER: Yes, stirring moves food in the middle of the pan where it cools slowest to the edges of the pan where it cools fastest.

ASK: To determine if a food has cooled sufficiently, where should you measure the temperature?

ANSWER: In the center or in the thickest part.

ASK: How do you know if a food is cooling quickly enough?

ANSWER: Measure the food temperature with a probe thermometer several times during

cooling.

ASK: What should you do if a food is not cooling fast enough?

ANSWER: Divide the food into smaller portions and reduce the depth of the food in each pan, put the container with the food being cooled in an ice bath, and/or stir the food with an ice wand. Discard the food if you can’t cool it quickly enough.