You are probably familiar with the prohibition against putting pots and pans of food into the refrigerator before it has had time to cool down.
What will happen if you break this rule, was explained by the expert of the online publication BelNovosti, chef Yulia Arkhipova.
What does this mean for the refrigerator?
Hot food on the refrigerator shelf causes the temperature inside the unit to rise sharply. This causes the refrigerator compressor to work harder to restore the set values.
As a result: a) you will experience increased energy consumption, b) you will reduce the service life of the equipment.
In addition, hot food that gets into a cold environment causes condensation. Drops settle on the walls of the refrigerator and on the products, the humidity inside the equipment increases, which deteriorates the quality of the contents of the refrigerator and reduces their shelf life.
What happens to the food itself
Hot food placed in the refrigerator leads to increased bacterial growth due to the elevated temperature (30-40 degrees), which is ideal for the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Even after food has cooled, it may not be safe to eat.
As mentioned above, condensation on hot food affects its structure. Crispy dishes become soft, and soups can turn into a watery puree.
Last but not least, high humidity and exposure of food to condensation will cause food to spoil faster and have a shorter shelf life.
Expert: Julia Arkhipova
