To think that, unless you know the kitchen they were made in is very clean, homemade edible gifts go straight in the bin

[Bearbehind]

Especially this year

Given we’re sanitising things we touch and are ultra conscious about the spread of germs etc - AIBU to think that if you get edible gifts from someone’s who’s kitchen you either don’t know or don’t think is very clean - you’d just bin it?

I’m not saying you can catch Covid from the food but it’s the principle of not knowing how hygenic stuff is

I’m not a fan of homemade gifts at the best of times - I think a sort of rule should be that unless your homemade items are good enough to sell for actual money, then please don’t do it

No one is going to admit they binned it but I do hope those who would make homemade edible gifts, especially for teachers, this year think twice

Lookfortheheros because obviously, it could be hugely offensive to refuse a home made gift! What does that say to the giver? That they aren't trusted to be hygienic? That their baking or chutney is rubbish? I think if you are asked in advance then you could say something about being on a diet but if you're close enough to be made something for then it would probably still hurt their feelings.

@funnylittlefloozie

I think this germ-paranoia is a bit pitiable, tbh. My immune system is pretty bullet-proof, and i love eating, so i am always pleased when people give me homemade treats!

If you cant cope with eating things made by other people, thats your choice, but its not really on to assume that your views are "normal". Decades of school cake sales, church fetes and community street parties would prove you wrong.

Frankly, I'd rather take the risk with the germs rather than confine myself to the febrile offerings of shops.

Some commercial baking is good, but all the best baking I've ever tasted was made by someone in a home kitchen.

@FreezerBird

The home-made stuff I give people generally has a high enough alcohol content to be safe I reckon.

You sound just like my lovely French friend who is an excellent cook everything (and I mean everything!) has a very large glug of alcohol incorporated.

That cows’ milk has pustules of some sort (I forget the details now), that fruity juice is allowed a proportion of rotten fruit, and that chocolate has a proportion of cockroaches.
Technically true. Practically not. I.e. the percentages are miniscule, and mainly because the testing accuracy has limits. Most people’s kitchens have no chance in a commercial safety test (interestingly enough, many bathrooms will pass...)

I love homemade cakes and biscuits from friends and family (and colleagues when I had them)!

The only thing I’d worry about is as a PP mentioned - foraged mushrooms. I trust MIL to pick mushrooms (dh ate them all his life) but that’s about it.

Oh, thanks very much Susan, it's so thoughtful of you to make me these. Unfortunately I wont make the most of them as I do not like homemade food, have you got someone else to pass them on to? Or would you mind if I passed them onto DH or Bob our neighbor at number 32?. Sorry Susan. I realise this makes me look a fool. But I would hate for you to waste all your time and effort on me when I won't eat them. Unfortunately for me I have a slight phobia about eating from kitchens I don't know. It's the same with restaurants and takeaways. Would you like to come in for a coffe?

It wouldn't cross my mind to bin it. Ridiculous.

Having seen the state of many pub kitchens I would rather eat something my mate has made me than eat in a pub.

Wouldn't Chuck any food away unless it was gifted by someone who was really dirty but then again I don’t think I know anyone with a dirty house.

It is why teachers have fat labradors

You sound a bit obsessive OP. Most people I know are more than happy to receive homemade gifts.

PMSL lookfortheheros

I guarantee you wouldn’t actually say that IRL!

Well I would.

I would far rather people saved their time and money and gave me nothing rather than homemade gifts but if they present you with such gifts , and you don’t like / want them, what do you really actually say?

You own your paranoia and tell them that it won't allow you to eat their home-made gifts, and hope they understand. It's terribly rude and wasteful to accept a gift that you know you are going to throw in the bin.

The WI stall at any fair I've ever been to has been the one people rush to first, precisely because they make home-made cakes, jams etc. That's because most people know their value.

I have very fond memories of a chocolate cake my friend made me for my birthday. It was edged by a 'fence' of chocolate fingers, and this 'fence' was used to hold in a massive pile of Fruit Pastilles on the top. 'Twas luvverly.

Nah, no way am I turning down food gifts. Even as a teacher I ate stuff they gave me. A year 8 boy once made me lunch in his home economics class chicken fajitas, what a win.

But then I'm also not sanitising my shopping or quarantining the post.

I’ve just given away something and the lady who received it gave me a lovely box of homemade gingerbread. I’m certainly not throwing those out!

Do you not eat out in restaurants? Or go for dinner at your friends houses? And there's plenty of nasty stuff you can catch from badly prepared food. Even before covid.. which is highly unlikely to be passed on in this way.

It's your ego that won't let you tell the truth.

I’m also astounded by the number of people who know what a gift is when they’re given it

Surely it’s usually wrapped up and more often than not opened when you’re not with the giver?

Some of my favourite gifts have been home made edibles. I ate the mini christmas cake my toddler & his grubby buddies made at preschool last year. Cooking things kills bugs!

I trust my friends and family to be practising normal/decent levels of hygiene when preparing food.

Restaurants have to maintain standards of cleanliness as their livelihoods depend on it, not to mention it gets checked - less so your neighbour with their kids licking the mixing bowl

It's your ego that won't let you tell the truth.

😂😂😂

I’m making Xmas pudding gin this year - hope the alcohol will kill off any germs
Last time I made it I had many repeat orders so assuming it will be popular this time

@Bearbehind

I’m also astounded by the number of people who know what a gift is when they’re given it

Surely it’s usually wrapped up and more often than not opened when you’re not with the giver?

Well to be honest I don't think I have ever received a homemade food item wrapped up saved for Christmas day. It's normally just handed over to me.

Honesty is the best policy. Especially when it's your own paranoia that means you will be rude if your not honest. It's probably paranoia that makes people unhonest in the first place. Drop your ego and you will find that you will open up to people more and people will be more accepting of who you really are.

I’m not paranoid - I just don’t want homemade stuff - it’s not even limited to food - I hated those mittens too

I would genuinely rather receive nothing

Restaurants have to maintain standards of cleanliness as their livelihoods depend on it, not to mention it gets checked - less so your neighbour with their kids licking the mixing bowl

But they also have to make a profit. Those two imperatives can be in conflict.