Leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful?
There's this belief in my family that leaving the ladle in the soup is bad, but nobody actually seem to know why it would be bad; it's really just a persistent piece of family lore. I never really cared one way or another, but it really started bugging me now that I've started cooking.
Is it just a myth? Or is it indeed harmful in any way to leave the ladle in the soup for any extended period of time? And if so, why? Food safety issues? Maybe outdated food safety issues from the times ladles weren't made of stainless steel? Or it's just seen as impolite?
Best Answer
Maybe because the ladle gets hot and could burn someone?
Pictures about "Leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful?"
What will happen if the ladle while cooking is left in the cooking utensil for long?
If you had a plastic ladle, it may not be able to handle high-heat for an extended period of time. If it were in contact with the bottom of the pot, it's possible that it would get above 100\xb0C, and depending on the material, could soften.Why is the soup ladle important?
Ladles are essential for scooping out large portions of stews and soups at once, so you don't have to dig in there with a cup or try to scoop it out with a small spoon (and make a mess everywhere).Is it safe to leave a metal spoon in the fridge?
IsItBullshit: You shouldn't leave metal utensils in food in the fridge. If the cutlery is made of something other than stainless \u2013 aluminium or silver or a compound \u2013 then yes, the metal can leach out into the food.Fat separator soup Ladle
More answers regarding leaving the ladle in the soup considered harmful?
Answer 2
If you had a plastic ladle, it may not be able to handle high-heat for an extended period of time.
If it were in contact with the bottom of the pot, it's possible that it would get above 100°C, and depending on the material, could soften. It probably wouldn't melt entirely, but it'd be shocking enough that you'd question if anything leached into the soup, and likely want to pitch the whole batch.
Most higher-end kitchen utensils these days are made from silicone, you're less likely to have the problem, unless you're buying discount utensils (eg, shopping at the dollar store, or the random kitchewares tent at some flea markets) or have older stuff (either inherited or from yard sales).
Answer 3
If the ladle was made of aluminium (or aluminum, if you prefer), then it would be a bad idea to leave it in anything acidic, as it could contaminate the food with aluminium salts, which may (it's controversial) be implicated in Alzheimer's.
Answer 4
Someone once told me that leaving a metal spoon in a metal pot containing food is bad because of electrolysis. I've searched for confirmation online but haven't found any.
Answer 5
While I agree with john2103 I would also add that if the soup is thickened with tapioca starch, the soup could un-thicken due to the possible moving ladle.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Annushka Ahuja, Alfin Auzikri, Karolina Grabowska, ROMAN ODINTSOV