Overview
- Refrigerate leftovers within one to two hours and keep fridges at 5C or below, storing cooked foods away from raw items.
- If food sat out two to four hours it should be eaten immediately and not stored, and anything over four hours should be thrown away.
- Speed safe cooling by slicing meats off the bone and dividing food into shallow containers, and avoid loading very hot dishes straight into the fridge.
- Follow item timelines: most leftovers last about three days, cooked rice and pasta two days, turkey under four days, ham on the bone up to 10 days, and Christmas pudding about two weeks.
- Reheat to at least 75C/165F and only once (keep displayed food at 60C or hotter), freeze by the use‑by date with cooked turkey lasting about three to six months, defrost in the fridge for roughly 24 hours, and consider freezing or donating to reduce waste highlighted by End Food Waste Australia.