How do you cool down a pot of rice using the shallow pan method?

In this brief guide, we will answer ‘how do you cool down a pot of rice using the shallow pan method?’ Also, we will see other ways you can cool your rice and why it is necessary to cool your rice.

How do you cool down a pot of rice using the shallow pan method?

To cool down a pot of rice using the shallow pan method, it is necessary to place the cooked food in a shallow pan, preferentially dividing it in small portions, and put the shallow pan in an iced water bath (4).  

Cooked food which is not intended to be eaten immediately should be cooled from 135ºF to 70ºF within two hours of preparation and from 70ºF to 41ºF or colder within an additional four-hour period. Total cooling time should never exceed six hours.

Bacillus cereus is frequently implicated in foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of cooked rice. The main contributing factors leading to outbreaks is rice cooked in large quantities and subsequently, inadequately chilled or stored at room temperatures for a prolonged period of time prior to consumption. Therefore, it is important to cool down the rice once it is cooked (3).

Cooling cooked food using a shallow pan is quite an old and often used method. This is used as the name describes shallow pans (1).

In this method, the hot food in a single layer of 2-inch thickness or deep is placed in shallow pans. The pans are placed uncovered on the topmost shelf of the refrigerator where nothing can drip inside. Air is allowed to circulate through. When the food reaches a temp of 41 degrees F or lower, the pans are then covered. The faster foods pass through the “temperature danger zone” (140 °F to 40 °F) as they are cooled, the better (1).

This method can be used to cool refried beans, rice, potatoes, casseroles, ground meat, meatloaf or chili.

Why is cooling essential for cooked rice?

Cooling is essential for cooked rice because rice is a food item that favors the germination of spores of the bacteria Bacillus cereus and also its growth, when left at room temperature. B. cereus food poisonings occur worldwide, and the majority are caused by cooked starchy foods, such as cooked rice, cereals, and beans, that are not properly cooled or held hot after cooking (5).

Cooked rice is a food that presents a high risk of poisoning. In a study analyzing food samples sold in China, approximately 3.1% of the cooked rice contained more than 4.0 log CFU/g of B. cereus.

Rice, when cooked, falls under PHF – potentially hazardous food, along with other foods like meat, stews, soups, gravy, sauces, cooked pasta and cooked beans. The Food Code designates foods that require time and temperature controls to limit microbial pathogen growth or toxin formation as time-temperature control for safety (TCS) foods (previously known as potentially hazardous foods). 

A food that is not heat treated or that is heat treated but not packaged should be considered a TCS food when it has (i) a pH value greater than 5.0 and a water activity (aw) value of 0.88 or greater, (ii) a pH value ranging from greater than 4.6 to 5.0 and an aw value greater than 0.90, or (iii) a pH value between 4.2 and 4.6 and an aw value greater than 0.92 (2).

Cooling is crucial as in this step there are high chances for bacteria to grow. These bacterias may leave their toxins or poison behind that are difficult to detect and on reheating can not be destroyed.

What are the recommended ways to cool down a pot of rice? 

The cooling methods recommended by the Food Code are the following (4):

  • Placing the food to be cooled in shallow pans; 
  • Separating the food to be cooled in smaller or thinner portions; 
  • Using rapid cooling equipment, such as ‘blast chillers’; 
  • Stirring the food to be cooled in a container placed in an ice bath; 
  • Using containers that facilitate the transfer of heat; 
  • Adding ice as an ingredient to the cooked food; or 
  • A combination of the above methods.

What is the procedure to cool down a pot of rice?

The procedure to cool down a pot of rice is to reduce the portion of the cooked rice in smaller containers, place the containers in a cold water bath and stir the rice periodically, till it reaches the temperature of 70°F.

Size reduction

Divide your pot of rice or large food like turkey or chicken into smaller batches. Place your smaller batches in a large tray making sure they are not touching each other. Also, avoid them touching too much either use utensils or gloves so that you are not introducing any other bacterias.

Place the tray on the top shelf of the refrigerator where nothing can drip over them. Let the air move around the tray and do not over stack or cover your tray. When the temperature reaches 41 degrees F or lower, you may cover your pan.

This method is not used for meat that is ground or reconstructed like in meatloaf or gyro meat.

Time and temperature monitored (1)

Food may also be cooled using a 2 step process as long as the temperature of food is monitored. Just make sure it cools down to a certain temperature within a certain time limit.

Step 1: food must cool from 135 degrees F to 70 degrees F within 2 hours

Step 2: food must cool from 70 degrees F to 41 degrees F or below within 4 hours

An example of the 2-step method is called an ice bath. An ice bath works well for soups, sauces, and gravy.

You may close your drain for your sink and put the pot of hot food in the sink. Fill your sink with ice up to the level of food in the pot. You may add water to the ice to fulfill that limit. Stir the food at defined intervals. Make sure the food cools down to 70 degrees F within the first 2 hours. You may add more ice if needed. Continue adding ice and stirring till the temperature drops to 41 degrees F or lower within 4 hours.

This takes up to 6 hours and after the food is cooled you may cover it and place it in the refrigerator.

Other two step cooling methods are: 

ADDING ICE INSTEAD OF WATER (to soups, stews, etc.)

1. Add only half the water before cooking.

2. After cooking, add the other half as ice.

CHILLING WANDS OR PADDLES (for large containers)

1. Place the clean, frozen wand in the food and stir.

2. Use another rapid cooling method to finish, such as the shallow pan method  described above.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered ‘how do you cool a pot of rice using the shallow pan method?’ Also, we have gone through some other ways you can cool your rice with and why it is necessary to cool your rice.

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful. In case of any questions or comments please do let us know.

Citation

  1. Grewell, Rachel. Value-Added and Scaling Up Local Foods: Navigating Regulations for Processing Local Foods in Commercial Kitchens in Minnesota. University of Minnesota,  2013.
  2. Salazar, Joelle K., et al. Growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes in cut produce. J Food Protec, 2017, 80, 1328-1336.
  3. Juneja, Vijay K., et al. Predictive model for growth of Bacillus cereus during cooling of cooked rice. Int j food microb, 2019, 290, 49-58.
  4. Improper cooling is a major cause of foodborne illness! Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  5. Hwang, Cheng-An, and Lihan Huang. Growth and survival of Bacillus cereus from spores in cooked rice–One-step dynamic analysis and predictive modeling. Food Control, 2019, 96, 403-409.

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