Ha – I’m Right And Have Proof!

I’m finally getting through my Google Reader. I’ve become days behind and really needed to get through the posts. I subscribe to 56 feeds on blogs about cooking, frugal living, organizing, home making and business. And there are a few friend’s blogs thrown in there. Well tonight, while catching up with the goings-on in the Blog-o-sphere, I came across a post that has thrilled me!

You see, ever since I started dating my husband, I’ve argued with my dear sweet mother-in-law about refrigerating hot foods. Ok, not really an argument – more like a light hearted bicker that deep down makes me steam with anger because I know I’m right but I laugh it off since she is my mother-in-law.

{Long Exhale}

Anyway, it drives me nuts that after dinner, she’ll leave food out to ‘cool down’ before putting them in the fridge. Remember, I’m not talking about food straight from the oven, but food from the dinner table. She insists that it’s not good for the refrigerator or the surrounding foods to put hot items in the fridge. I however remember my basic home-economics class in middle-school and know that this is a big ‘no-no’ because you run the risk of bacteria growing on your food.

Well, Heather at HomeEc101 has a fantastic post proving me correct, with proof from the USDA and FDA.

Foods that cool too slowly will spend a long time in the
“danger zone” for bacterial growth.

So everyone take note:
1 – Refrigerate your foods as soon as possible to prevent bacterial growth
2 – Cara is right

Thank you Heather!