Is continuously simmering or refrigerating cooked soup a more effective way to prevent spoilage?
I've cooked a large pot of soup for myself. I know it'll take me at least 3+ days to drink it, and I don't like to drink it after 4 days because it sometimes smells funny.
I was wondering which would be a more effective way of preserving the soup: continuously simmering it over a few days or refrigerating it?
Best Answer
For bacterial spoilage, keeping the soup hot would be more effective. As for "preserving" the soup, refrigeration will be drastically more effective.
The high temperatures of simmering would keep the bacterial level pretty much nil, but the constant heat will ruin your soup on it's own. Anything in the soup will become mush, flavors will become over-concentrated, and some flavors can drastically change from prolonged exposure to such heat.
Prompt chilling and cold storage after cooking will greatly slow down the rate at which bacteria can repopulate the soup, and will also keep everything else in the soup about the way it was when the soup was at it's prime. To really keep textures nice, I'd recommend pulling off the soup that will be stored while vegetables & meat are still a little firmer than you'd like so that they'll finish when you reheat.
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How do you keep soup from spoiling?
Freeze it. Freezing is an effective way to preserve perishables because freezing prevents the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds that cause food spoilage and food poisoning. You can freeze almost anything from leftover soups to half a pepper. Some exceptions include eggs in shells and canned goods.Does boiling soup make it last longer?
Once the stock cools below 130\xb0F, these spores can germinate and multiply quickly. Bringing the stock back up to a boil for one minute will kill any active bacteria, and holding it at a boil for 10 minutes will inactivate the botulism toxin.Can you simmer soup overnight?
According to this NYT article, it is safe to leave overnight with the stove turned off. In the morning, bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes and then continue to simmer.Can you keep soup on the stove all day?
Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating.How To Preserve And Store Your Soup And Stew For Long Lasting Taste And Flavour./Meal Prep
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