How long does food take to cool?

[oliveroses]

Boring question I know. I often do big one pots or bakes to refrigerate and/or freeze. They take forever to cool down! Is this okay from a food hygiene perspective? I just feel like they are out cooling on the top for ages ... just bought a wire rack and occasionally I'll use iced water in a container to put the dish in. But just wanted to check this is okay and I'm not missing a trick ...

Separate them.into smaller portions a d they will cool quicker.

Portion it into separate containers. Taking it out of the hot pan/dish and making smaller will speed cooling.

If I'm desperate, I stick a clean cool/freezer block into a cooling casserole dish to get the temp down faster.

I've stuck the pot in a sink of cold water as well before too.

I agree with splitting into portions to freeze, easier to defrost and re-heat as well.

I also use freezer blocks between the tubs/bags to help cool things faster.

Thanks, this is helpful - feel daft for not thinking of the portion solution myself!