Decide before the meal is finished
If you regularly cook more than one meal’s worth, prepare suitable containers in advance. A busy British kitchen benefits from deciding which portions will be eaten soon and which will be frozen, rather than leaving a large pan while everyone moves on to other tasks.
Cool and refrigerate promptly
The Food Standards Agency advises getting cooked food into the fridge within one to two hours and using refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours or freezing them. Divide large quantities into smaller portions to support cooling, and follow the official guidance for the particular food.
Make the contents recognisable
Label the dish and date, and keep cooked food protected from raw-food contamination. Use a fridge thermometer and follow the appliance instructions. A container’s appearance does not tell you whether it has been stored safely, so retain the handling information as well as the name.
Plan the next use
Put the portion into the meal plan and follow safe reheating or thawing guidance. Do not repeatedly cool and reheat the same supply. If timing or storage history is uncertain, do not invent a fresh date. Review portions at the next cooking session to prevent the same avoidable surplus.