Don't use your soup or stew pot to try to revive ingredients you wouldn't want to eat otherwise. Although leftovers make great soups, think in terms of the three-day rule. Add an ingredient to a soup no longer than three days after it has been cooked, and only if it has been properly stored in the refrigerator. If you can't get around to making soup within that window, just freeze the leftovers until you're ready to cook.

Once your chili, stew, soup, or broth has been prepared, allow it to cool to a warm temperature before placing it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, the dish could begin to cool on the outer edges, while the center of the soup or stew remains hot. That sets up a breeding ground for bacteria that could ruin your food.

To cool a large batch of soup more quickly, ladle it into smaller containers or just stir the pot periodically to even out the food temperature and allow heat to escape.

Never allow any foods to stand at room temperature for more than two hours. And, serve or freeze your soup, stew, or chili within three days.