Horrified watching my aunt prepare today's lunch...

[user1477282676]

Just checking that I'm not being super sensitive! Was at MIL's today for lunch...Aunt was in charge of potatoes which were to be boiled and covered in garlic, butter and herbs.

Lovely.

Except...not.

I had to watch her as she put the butter etc in and using a selection of utensils, repeatedly lick them after she'd stirred the potatoes...and then plunge them into the potatoes again....good stir....back into the butter dish...more licking...back into the potatoes...then back into the butter...another good lick.

Boak.

She then, coughed into the pot for good measure.



This is a bit lighthearted by the way....she's not in her dotage or anything...60 years old and perfectly together...she knew I was sititng there watching.

I had been looking forward to a nice spud! I had to refuse them and eat meat and salad!

What gets INTO some people?

[Yetanothernewyearusername]

is this some cleaning fetish troll day on mumsnet?

First the cleaning cloths and now spoon licking?

Bring back the poo trolls- all is forgiven- at least they were amusing fetishes.

[Cheaploopaper]

Oh yuk, my MIL does this, licking fingers, putting fingers back in for another lick. Encouraging others to do the same to see if they approve of the dish. It makes me feel sick, and is just bad manners.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

You'd be horrified in a professional kitchen.

[SheldonCRules]

Yuk, that sounds gross.

This is why I rarely eat at the houses of others and won't eat homebaked goodies unless I made them.

[Cheaploopaper]

Oh Dame, please don't say it! Eeek!

[AverageJosephine]

Some things you are better off just not knowing about as they do you no harm. I think you'd be shocked at a lot of what has happened to your food before it gets in front of you.

[user1477282676]

YEtAnother What

I don't want to THINK about restaurant kitchens! I rarely eat out and this is probably why! Don't some people care about eating other people's spit or something?

Why?

Is anyone on here going to come along and admit they do this and don't care if others do? Is the world split into two types? Non lickers and lickers?

I'd NEVER lick a spoon and then shove it back in the pot!

[HappydaysArehere]

Makes me feel sick. Cannot understand how people just don't seem to realise the basic hygiene rules.

[Yoarchie]

I have to admit that I'm more comfortable with a family member licking during food prep than i am with the bin thread. I would eat auntys potatoes but I would be grossed out by the wiping of the bin and then using that cloth on food prep surfaces with no washing in between.
If aunt had cough/cold then she was filthy to do the licking.

[Cheaploopaper]

Haha, you just reminded me my mil also wiped food serving dishes to 'present' the food without any drips of sauce. WIth cloth she just wiped crap off the surfaces with!!! I ate it to be polite, telling myself not to be silly. But it made me want to be sick, I looked at DH with a 'oh my goodness can you see this?' type of face and he looked back with a resigned look. Yucky!!!!

[Wolpertinger]

This is pretty much how I make family food. I suspect it's how a lot most people make family food.

I'd like to think if I had guests round I wouldn't do it, but given I haven't got a food hygiene certificate, I probably wouldn't remember.

[Fairylea]

Yuck. This is why I never really like to eat anywhere apart from my own home where I know how I've prepared things!

[Tinkerbec]

My Mam does this all of the time. I don't even think she realises she does it.


We always tell her off for her double dipping ways but I am sure she does it when we aren't looking.

It is gross.

[user1477282676]

Wolper is it different if I'm not a blood relative? I mean....to be frank even if my own blood related Aunt did this I'd be sick about it.

[Cookingongas]

I am a licker. It's one of the reasons I only cook for family. When I do host I HATE the 15+ spoons I need to wash having made 1 meal.

[BIgBagofJelly]

As others have said it's fine as you long as you don't know about it. It won't do you any harm but it's a bit grim if you've actually seen it. Kind of like the difference between knowing a kid has probably peed in the pool and actually seeing them do it.

[limitedperiodonly]

I wouldn't do that and would feel a bit queasy - but I'd probably eat the spuds anyway.

People can be a bit particular over hygiene on Mumsnet. I was told I was revolting for scraping leftover veg from dinner plates and putting it into a bowl to be used for next day's bubble and squeak as saliva from your fork could possibly have touched the uneaten peas. Some people felt it was okay to use virgin veg from serving bowls but others said they'd throw everything away just to be on the safe side.

I could understand if I'd been catering for 50 and I'd gone round with a bucket, but it was my and DH's leftovers, we were both going to eat the bubble and squeak and we frequently exchange other body fluids.

I also dry cups on my dressing gown if I can't find a clean tea towel. I wouldn't do that where guests could see me though

[AliceInUnderpants]

As a society, we 'get to know' certain people by swapping bodily fluids.

I can't bring myself to get worked up by someone I know licking a spoon.

[Liiinoo]

I bet everyone who ate the potatoes will live and they will have enjoyed delicious buttery potatoes. OP on the other hand has missed the potatoes and the chance to boost her immune system.

[KingJoffreysRestingCuntface]

Have you ever seen Ace Of Cakes?

They properly maul their food. I've even seen them blowing on them.

Proper grim.

[1horatio]

Not nice. But trust me, you do not want to see a professional kitchen.

Some people in my family own very nice Italian restaurants so I've been there when I was little before the guests came etc, to 'play'. Some things you are better of not knowing!

[Bluntness100]

Eugh, that's disgusting, I find this much worse than the bin thread. Why the heck lick the utensil before putting it back in, even the thought actually makes me feel a bit queasy.

[Katedotness1963]

If I taste food i'm making I get a teaspoon, taste, and the teaspoon goes in the sink. If I need to taste again, fresh teaspoon.

I saw a famous chef on a tv show taste something from a spoon, flick the rest from the spoon back into the pan, stir and plate for the customer....

[dreamingofsun]

my MIL double dips. I couldn't eat it after that. Not sure if some people don't care, or they just don't think enough/are brought up where this is the norm

[manhowdy]

You're not being super sensitive. It's revolting.