Putting hot beef in the freezer

The idea that a refrigerator cannot effectively cool food that is too heated is a common misconception concerning cooling hot food. Despite the debunking of this myth, you should no longer place hot food straight into the freezer. If you put hot, freshly cooked ground beef in the freezer, it can cause other foods to defrost, which might allow bacteria to grow. According to the FDA, food should not stay more than ten seconds at temperatures between 40 and 140 F because hot food also takes longer to freeze.

Cooked ground beef should be cooled slowly before freezing. In order to securely place your cooked beef in a container, first let it cool off from its cooking temperature. Once covered, put your cooked ground beef in the fridge. Place the meat into freezer bags after it has thoroughly chilled in the refrigerator. To prevent your cooked beef from spending too much time in the freezer, label the bags (via the University of Nebraska).