To not understand people that dont eat leftovers?

[Eliza9917]

I've seen a lot of people say this, and wondered why? What could eating leftovers possibly do to you? Is it a fear of poverty in some way?

My sister knew a girl that would roast a chicken for Sunday dinner and only eat the breasts and throw the rest away. To me, that's madness, I'd get at least 2-3 dinners and a soup out of a large chicken.

Mixture of reasons for me;

1. I've been on medication that suppresses my immune system.

1. OH is a reasonable cook at times, but seems to have a mental block regarding food storage and kitchen hygiene. Whilst I'm (relatively speaking) OK with spending Saturday morning removing packets, tins, used teabags off the bread board when the fucking bin is closer to the kettle than it is, unblocking the sink of a putrid sludge slowly gaining sentience before doing six bowls of washing up and never, ever, looking into the SC in case what's in there decides to facehug me - it's hard enough bringing myself to trust that the ingredients haven't spent a couple of days at room temperature when the fridge is 4 inches away from the countertop whilst I've been at work, on the first occasion, never mind expecting me to trust the meal hasn't been left out overnight, uncovered & next to the condenser boiler. Meat of any kind is an absolute no-no; I don't trust it (or him) not to kill me.

1. Some of OH's 'meals' are interesting in what he forgets to add to them (plate of vegetables or a slice of quiche on its own - as the only food of the day - , anybody?). If I've had a less than stellar dining experience on the first night, I really don't want to go through that for a second time ignoring the bit where the food has probably been sat out, uncovered and keeping at the ideal temperature to perform a bacterial culture for the last 24 hours.

1. Why cook too much in the first place? Yes, I have a freezer, but due to reason #2, if I haven't kept the chain of custody intact from bringing the shopping in until things are portioned up and put into the freezer, there is no guarantee what's in there is going to be safe to eat once defrosted.

1. I'm a fussy twat.

1. There's a bit of me that sees leftovers as food for the animals (cats, dogs, whatever). So, in my head, I'm either depriving them of their share or I'm eating dog food.

Ideally, I'd be in charge of the cooking and would then be OK with more things than I am now - but I'm working, he isn't and he insists upon doing all the cooking I'll be buggered if I'm going to let him get away with sitting on his arse all day and then cook for him

I absolutely hate food waste. I often cook two portions of meals and then freeze one - chilli, bolognaise, lasagne etc.

I sometimes cook more roast potatoes, yorkshire puds, veg when doing a roast just so we can have bubble and squeak the next day. Always do this with Christmas dinner.

We rarely have any actual leftovers from meals but if we do I would never thrown them away. Veg I make into soup or give to the dogs. Mashed potato can be a potato cake the next day for lunch.

Food is far too cheap in this country. I can't believe anyone doesn't think so.

I don't care if I'm laughed at but I really can't get past being grateful that I don't ever have to go hungry when so many people in the world are starving. If you don't like leftovers so always make sure you just cook enough, fine. Throwing away food that could be eaten the next day or turned into another meal (roast chicken I'm looking at you) disgraceful.

If you live with someone who refuses to practice proper hygiene and you're not well enough to take over food prep yourself, you're not really making a choice when it comes to refusing leftovers are you? Circumstances have made it for you. In that situation, the person at fault is the person who makes responsible food consumption impossible, not the person who is already sick and can't take the risk.

Someone upthread asked about big chickens - it is fairly easy to get big chickens from Ocado (2-2.5kg). They tend to be free-range or organic but they usually taste much better than the skinnier ones.

DD's fav leftover recipe is shredded chicken and veg in miso soup with udon noodles (if I remember, I'll defrost a few prawns to throw in as well).

Some meals taste best freshly cooked (grilled sardines, pizza). For those, I would only prepare enough for people to eat in one meal.

Others taste much better cooked a day before (curries, ragout). For these, I usually prepare enough for a few meals.

With some ingredients, I definitely over cater with the expectation of using them as ingredients in future meals made in the wok, curries, soups, bubble & squeak. All more delicious than the original 'plain' meal.

I have a close family member that won't put an opened pack of ham back in the fridge.

Opens it, makes sandwiches for DH and DC, what's left goes in the bin. Unless I'm there, if I'm there I tell they're being ridiculous and take it home with me.

They'll gladly eat a takeaway though, and she's no idea how that's been prepared or kept!

I have a close family member that won't put an opened pack of ham back in the fridge.

Opens it, makes sandwiches for DH and DC, what's left goes in the bin.

We got half a dozen meals out of our Christmas turkey: the Christmas meal itself, curry, pie, two lots of soup and a pasta dish, as well as a few rounds of sandwiches. We waste as little as we can as I was brought up by parents who remembered rationing! Food waste is mostly avoidable and I’d you practice good food hygiene then you can really make those leftovers stretch. The last time I had food poisoning was from a supermarket prawn sandwich, never from my own kitchen.

Brownrice, you’ve illustrated the issue perfectly there. Those throwing away perfectly good leftovers (and we’re NOT talking about manky scraps from dirty plates, just for the dim people on here who think that’s what we mean) are doing just the same as the mad ham chucker imho.

I think people are misunderstanding leftovers. I wouldn't scrape a spoon of unbeaten baked beans off a plate to eat later but if I used half a tin, I'd put the remaining half in a container to eat the next day.

We had slow roast pork yesterday and bits left on plates went in the bin and the rest that was never served up was popped in some tupperware and will go in a pie for tea later.

If it's kept hygienically then I don't see an issue.

Ham chucker is a lovely, lovely person IRL, they just have bonkers ideas about leftovers.

This won't go down well on Mumsnet but it's the same scenario with CHEESE! They buy slices for sandwiches in a bid to minimise waste, however over the Christmas period they hosted us all and they were going to throw away the leftover cheeseboard!!! Half a Camembert, Stilton, a quarter of a wheel of Brie...

They did give it away to visitors but only because someone (it was me) asked if they'd like help wrapping the cheese to put back in the fridge. Otherwise they would have stealth binned it so they didn't look wasteful/weird.

I have a close family member that won't put an opened pack of ham back in the fridge.

Opens it, makes sandwiches for DH and DC, what's left goes in the bin. Unless I'm there, if I'm there I tell they're being ridiculous and take it home with me.

This is so fucked up, and it demonstrates nicely how detached we've become from the supply chain. No one would ever rear, slaughter, butcher, cook, and parcel up a piece of ham only to throw it in the bin.

This won't go down well on Mumsnet but it's the same scenario with CHEESE! They buy slices for sandwiches in a bid to minimise waste, however over the Christmas period they hosted us all and they were going to throw away the leftover cheeseboard!!! Half a Camembert, Stilton, a quarter of a wheel of Brie...

This is exactly what my lot do with anything they cannot justify giving to the dogs

It’s funny people mention those who were alive during rationing are more careful about not wasting food, in my family it’s the opposite, both my grannies and my MIL vastly over cater and waste tons of food. We think it’s because they don’t ever want us to know what it’s like to be hungry. The last meal I had at MILs she cooked a 3 bird roast from Aldi and a ham and a turkey crown plus four roasting trays full of veg for 4 adults and two very small children. Apart from the dreadful food waste it must cost her a fortune too.

I took a pot of leftover gravy, braised red cabbage and cherry semolina bake home with me last night from my mum's after our big German new year meal, to use with our dinner tonight. I love leftovers, particularly lasagne or stew, which often taste better the next day.

have a close family member that won't put an opened pack of ham back in the fridge.

this is the most batshit crazy thing I've ever read on MN, and that's saying something.

What's the Mumsnet consensus on cooked rice being reheated or even eaten cold in a salad?

I am fine with leftover rice. I hear it up the next day and have never got ill. And we eat a lot of rice as I love Indian food. Boiled rice or pilau or biryani are staples in my house.

I deliberately make extra to freeze so we have "left overs" in the fridge/freezer for days when time runs away from me.
I occasionally forget about them in the back of the fridge but they usually get eaten.
Boxing Day Dinner was all left overs except for the bread buns and condiments

What I don't get is why people care if others eat leftovers? It's not like it's any less wasteful eating food that you don't want!
It's not like I can send it over to someone who wants it, and if I paid for it surely I can do whatever the fuck I want with it

I struggle with this... was just visiting wasteful relatives last week. They both grew up poor with frugal parents who salvaged everything out of meals. Nothing ever wasted.

The elderly relatives are financially comfortable now, so order whatever they like in a restaurant, leave >= half of it to be binned. Same at home, they over-buy a lot of foods. Their food waste gets on my nerves. They do try to keep things in fridge at least, so won't go off.

@noenergy I use leftover rice too, it makes great egg fried rice.

My DM was outraged though, said we'd all come down with food poisoning. Wanted me to cook more rice and cool it make egg fried rice. She is a VERY close relative of Ham Chucker so I shouldn't be surprised.

@mabel Turn it in to food you do like then?

this is the most batshit crazy thing I've ever read on MN, and that's saying something.

Is it? I'd say there are a lot of people on MN who have incredibly over-developed fears about, and very poor risk assessment of, food safety. Discussions about throwing meat and dairy away at 00:01 the day after the "use by" date, and even more ludicrous discussions about "best before" dates, are common. The consensus is pretty sensible, but it's pretty obvious that a significant minority have absorbed very over-cautious messages.

Isn't it time for a rinsing chicken thread, anyway?