To make covid fudge

[Decorbreadthegingerate]

DD, 6, halfway through covid isolation and climbing the walls with boredom. We thought about making fudge today to gift to family members when isolation ends on Xmas eve. Would you eat the covid fudge?

*Why is my way of eating automatically irrational, but yours is totally rational, though?

I haven't said home-cooked food is germ-ridden or disgusting, btw, but I am (trying to) stand up for people like me who have been labelled rude, disgusting, selfish, weird, strange and arrogant by other posters on this thread, simply because we've said we wouldn't eat any home-cooked gifts we were given.

Everyone has eating habits that could be considered weird to others, but I don't see why it's necessary to get offended and throw nasty insults out just because someone does things differently.*
You've pretty much implied all the way through the thread that home cooked food is unhygienic, you are now slightly changing tack and making it about food textures, but you are still 'defending' posters that hold that view.

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, then thinking all home cooked food is unhygienic compared to outside sources is odd, which you have pretty much validated, by explaining you have issues with food.
What you eat is your own business, but if you are talking about insults and being rude. I think its quite rude to put perfectly good food in the bin, implying or stating that home cooked food is dirty, disgusting and germ ridden.
I don't bake, but would imagine a few home bakers might be quite offended by that, what about their feeings ?

@CrumpledCrumpet But why would you be concerned about someone coughing or sneezing on it if you didn’t think that transferred live virus?

I know this wasn't addressed to me, and the person it was addressed to has already answered...but I can't believe you've had to ask why someone wouldn't eat food that's been sneezed on

If you make proper fudge, the heat alone (115c) will kill anything off!

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, then thinking all home cooked food is unhygienic compared to outside sources is odd, which you have pretty much validated, by explaining you have issues with food.

I've never said I think all home-cooked food is unhygienic.

What you eat is your own business, but if you are talking about insults and being rude. I think its quite rude to put perfectly good food in the bin, implying or stating that home cooked food is dirty, disgusting and germ ridden.

Of course the obvious thing is to not accept it in the first place, but what are the other options once you've already been gifted the food, though? For example, if someone has given you some homemade fudge but it was wrapped up and you didn't open it for a few weeks as you were waiting for Christmas. Nobody has actually given me an answer as what the alternatives are if you're not going to eat it yourself.

You can't return it, you can't really re-gift it to someone else, you can't donate it to a food bank or charity as they won't accept it, so if you won't eat it, what else is there to do with it?

I don't bake, but would imagine a few home bakers might be quite offended by that, what about their feelings?

Well, if I was a home baker, I wouldn't bake for people who hadn't already asked me to do so, so no feelings would be hurt if they said no.

Yh good point, hopefully my friend actually wants to eat the cake. I am staggered at the position of some on here tho, that many many people feel like this about home made food.

I have worked in the food industry and if you are squeamish about your friend the amateur baker, then you had better not eat anything processed. I could tell you some tales. It's not really practical tho to only eat what you grow and prep yourself. Or is it? Not for me anyhow

@icedcoffees

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, then thinking all home cooked food is unhygienic compared to outside sources is odd, which you have pretty much validated, by explaining you have issues with food.

I've never said I think all home-cooked food is unhygienic.

What you eat is your own business, but if you are talking about insults and being rude. I think its quite rude to put perfectly good food in the bin, implying or stating that home cooked food is dirty, disgusting and germ ridden.

Of course the obvious thing is to not accept it in the first place, but what are the other options once you've already been gifted the food, though? For example, if someone has given you some homemade fudge but it was wrapped up and you didn't open it for a few weeks as you were waiting for Christmas. Nobody has actually given me an answer as what the alternatives are if you're not going to eat it yourself.

You can't return it, you can't really re-gift it to someone else, you can't donate it to a food bank or charity as they won't accept it, so if you won't eat it, what else is there to do with it?

I don't bake, but would imagine a few home bakers might be quite offended by that, what about their feelings?

Well, if I was a home baker, I wouldn't bake for people who hadn't already asked me to do so, so no feelings would be hurt if they said no.

I've never said I think all home-cooked food is unhygienic

You have stated, or implied all the way through this thread that home baked food is unhygienic, you are also defending people with a similar view point.

Of course the obvious thing is to not accept it in the first place, but what are the other options once you've already been gifted the food, though? For example, if someone has given you some homemade fudge but it was wrapped up and you didn't open it for a few weeks as you were waiting for Christmas. Nobody has actually given me an answer as what the alternatives are if you're not going to eat it yourself
I have never been gifted food by a stranger, let your family, friends, work colleagues know about your issues and intolerances, that would presumably go someway to reducing what would appear to be the avalanche of unsolicited home baked good you receive ?
Any stubborn gift givers that are undetered by this information, can have their gifts taken into work, hobbie group etc and distributed there.

Well, if I was a home baker, I wouldn't bake for people who hadn't already asked me to do so, so no feelings would be hurt if they said no.

Well that's just you and you've explained countless times on this thread you have issues with food, plenty of people don't and they like to share what they make. Providing that they are not physically forcing you to eat the food, then why should other people miss out.

[quote icedcoffees]@Pigeoninthehouse - yes, I'm aware of that, but I suppose I just think people should be allowed to decide what they do and don't want to eat without being labelled weird, rude or selfish for doing so. Everyone has reasons for eating the way they do and most of those reasons won't be rational, but that doesn't mean people should be labelled rude or selfish as a result.

I do eat out in restaurants but as I said, I don't have a personal relationship with the staff, so if there's an issue, I can speak up and complain, not eat the meal/just pick at the chips or whatever - it's not as easy to do that when the food is made and prepared by someone whose feelings you care about, so it's easier to avoid the situation by not eating that homemade food in the first place.

My personal issue is more with textures than germs anyway - I'm autistic and have serious problems with some textures and I would hate to try something a friend baked me and have to rush off to spit it out or be sick. So I just don't try it in the first place as I find it a lot easier that way.[/quote]

You're right and it makes me squeamish when people talk over my food, or I have to watch someone prepare it. But you just can't think about these things because it's one of those things you can't fully control

One thing I think worth mentioning is home-made baked goods at home is a totally different kettle of fish to something like peppermint creams made at school.

At home it’s 1:1 supervision and the cakes/biscuits/fudge have been cooked and not excessively handled.

In school, with a ratio of 15 children to an adult and often uncooked and high nibble-risk items such as peppermints, fruit salad or rocky roads, I could understand the squeamishness. But I don’ think anyone gifts the stuff their kids make in school!!

@CrumpledCrumpet the idea of little snotty hands mixing the fudge just makes me heave. I dont care what is in the snot, its the fact there is spit and snot flying round. In my experience little ones arent 100% on hygiene so if I knew one had a bit of extra mucus flying round i wouldnt be eating things they made. I rarely eat things kids (or some adults) have made anyway.