Batch cooking

Batch cooking means cooking a large quantity of food in one go, then keeping it to eat over several days or freezing it for later. It saves time, dishwashing and energy. Soups, stews, chili, curries, sauces, grains and baked pasta all batch cook well.

How to do it

1. Pick two or three recipes that keep well and reheat well.
2. Cook them in large pots or pans. Double or triple the recipe, but leave enough space in the pan that the food still browns and cooks evenly.
3. Divide the food into shallow containers or portions as soon as it is done.
4. Cool it quickly and put it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Follow cooling food safely for large amounts.
5. Label each container with the dish and the date.
6. Freeze what you will not eat in the next few days.

How to store it

• Fridge: the USDA advises eating cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. The UK Food Standards Agency advises 2 days. Keep the fridge at 5°C (41°F) or below; 4°C (40°F) or below is better.
• Freezer: keep it at -18°C (0°F). Frozen food stays safe indefinitely at that temperature, but quality is best within about 2 to 3 months for most cooked dishes. Press out air to avoid freezer burn.
• Reheating: reheat only the portion you need, until steaming hot all the way through, 74°C (165°F). Reheat it once only.

Common mistakes

• Cooling a big pot of food slowly on the stove. The center stays warm in the danger zone for hours. Split it into shallow containers.
• Batch cooking dishes that do not keep, such as fried food or crisp salads.
• Freezing in one huge container, so you must thaw it all at once.
• Forgetting labels and finding mystery boxes months later.
• Making only one dish and getting bored of it by day three.

In recipes

"Good for batch cooking" or "freezes well" means the dish keeps its texture after cooling and reheating. Batch cooking whole dishes is close to meal prep, which also covers prepping ingredients and packing set portions.