> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>> if my memory serves me correctly, Julia Child's
>> recipe for chicken stock states that the stock should
>> cool before being covered and placed in the refrigerator.
>> Or, maybe it can go straight to the fridge, but the key
>> point is that it shouldn't be covered at first. Any ideas why?

A lid will slow cooling. Ideally you want to drop to 70F within the first
20 minutes, then on to store chilled at 40F or below.

In a large operation one might use a sink-full of ice as a cooling jacket to
cool as rapidly as possible. Hot items placed in a frige warm surrounding
foods above 40F. Proper cooling in theory and in practice are often two
different things.