Cooking for Crowds: Cool Foods Quickly

Cool foods quickly—from 140°F (60°C) to 70°F (21°C) within 2 hours and to 40°F (4°C) within an additional 4 hours for a total cooling time of 6 hours.

To facilitate cooling:

• Divide food into shallow containers or cut food into smaller pieces.
• Use ice-water baths and/or cooling wands.
• Substitute ice for water during cooling when water is an ingredient.

Check temperatures to ensure food has been cooled quickly enough.