Ping: FabFoodie or other food experts.

[Arch]

The Waitrose Xmas pudding we had on the day said on the label "Do not reheat after cooling". Isn't this nonsense? We always have leftover Xmas pudding reheated the next day, either in the microwave or maybe fried. It's part of the fun. I couldn't see any reason whatsoever why not, unless it's some very general thing about making sure reheated food is thoroughly reheated, in which case why not just say that? I wonder how much pudding was thrown away because of that.... Especially as I think people always tend to buy a big one in case there isn't enough.

Anyway, three of us had it reheated to no ill effect...

 

[ttcycle]

It's just avoidance of litigation.
It's in case people don't heat up properly or cool down properly the first time round before storing it. Can mean the pud is full of bacteria nasties.

Should be alright though if you heat it well and through and through...that is unless they've already cooked it once then when you have it at Xmas that's reheating it- so they just don't want you to reheat it too many times.

 

[upsidedown]

I think that as a rule you should avoid eating christmas pudding.

 

[lukesdad]

They re probably covering themselves against a visit from the EHO but you could check the ingredients to see as to why they might say this.lack of industrial preservatives probably which would be understandable with waitrose.

 

[longers]

Isn't it the job of a good strong rum sauce to kill off the bugs?

 

[rich p]

You've got to die of something, Arch. Live dangerously, live fast, die young!

That's what the Welsh food expert told me once, Dai Young.

 

[Arch]

They re probably covering themselves against a visit from the EHO but you could check the ingredients to see as to why they might say this.lack of industrial preservatives probably which would be understandable with waitrose.

The only thing I could see that might conceivably be tricky was 3% cream - but there must have been enough booze in there to preserve it - I saw rum, brandy and sherry!

It's just that it's the first time I've ever seen such a warning - in fact my Mum said it said so, and I regret to say I didn't believe her until she showed me the packaging.

Longers, we didn't have rum sauce, we had creme fraiche... And Oli had a special 'yellow cake' (plain sponge fairy cake) with chocolate buttercream icing...

 

[Night Train]

One of the other reasons for not reheating may be to do with the 'eating quality' of the product. It may not be dangerous to your health but it may not taste as good as the supermarket would like you to believe. It will probably have dry crusty edges or some of the fruit will have disintegrated inside.

Anyway, why would there be any left over? It is like 'left over wine' or 'left over chocolate'!

 

[lukesdad]

The only thing I could see that might conceivably be tricky was 3% cream - but there must have been enough booze in there to preserve it - I saw rum, brandy and sherry!

It's just that it's the first time I've ever seen such a warning - in fact my Mum said it said so, and I regret to say I didn't believe her until she showed me the packaging.

Longers, we didn't have rum sauce, we had creme fraiche... And Oli had a special 'yellow cake' (plain sponge fairy cake) with chocolate buttercream icing...

That ll be it then. The cream would be added after the main original cooking process then left to set. Some puddings are made this way now. Why ? I dont know perceived luxury I suppose But there is a small risk as the sugar content that normally preserves a christ. pud will not get incorporated into the cream.

The cooking instructions (temp.) will be such as to not allow the cream to curdle in the pud. (probably) Hence the risk as the temp. does not get hot enough to kill any lurking bacteria but, your saved by the length of time it would be in the danger zone to reproduce. Reheating would lengthen this time as would the cooling from your original heating increasing the risk.

Dairy products are high risk foods,Thorough cooking and re heating is always advisable.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The Waitrose Xmas pudding we had on the day said on the label "Do not reheat after cooling". Isn't this nonsense? We always have leftover Xmas pudding reheated the next day, either in the microwave or maybe fried. It's part of the fun. I couldn't see any reason whatsoever why not, unless it's some very general thing about making sure reheated food is thoroughly reheated, in which case why not just say that? I wonder how much pudding was thrown away because of that.... Especially as I think people always tend to buy a big one in case there isn't enough.

Anyway, three of us had it reheated to no ill effect...

I agree with you Arch. With the sugar and solids content (not to mention the alcohol content as well) a Xmas pud is pretty well bug proof. The fact that they have such a long shelf-life is testament to their safety.
As a rule heating, cooling and reheating is not good for all foodstuffs and in particular with some, its the slow rate of cooling that's the problem.

Example: Rice is the classic demonstration of reheating food. Rice contains a harmful bacterium called B.cereus (the butt of many a joke), it forms a tough spore in dry rice that is not killed when boiling the rice, but which leads to waking-up of the bacteria, if the rice cools slowly, then the B.cereus spores 'germinate' and grow in lovely warm wet conditions, as they do so, their waste-product is a toxin left in the rice. Reheating the rice kills thge growing B.cereus but does not destroy the toxin and hence... you get very icky.

In the case of a Christmas pud, I cannot think of anything that is likely to grow in a cooling pud, but I may be wrong. However, we've all been doing it for years so on that basis alone it would seem safe enough!

Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Bill Gates]

I agree with you Arch. With the sugar and solids content (not to mention the alcohol content as well) a Xmas pud is pretty well bug proof. The fact that they have such a long shelf-life is testament to their safety.
As a rule heating, cooling and reheating is not good for all foodstuffs and in particular with some, its the slow rate of cooling that's the problem.

Example: Rice is the classic demonstration of reheating food. Rice contains a harmful bacterium called B.cereus (the butt of many a joke), it forms a tough spore in dry rice that is not killed when boiling the rice, but which leads to waking-up of the bacteria, if the rice cools slowly, then the B.cereus spores 'germinate' and grow in lovely warm wet conditions, as they do so, their waste-product is a toxin left in the rice. Reheating the rice kills thge growing B.cereus but does not destroy the toxin and hence... you get very icky.

In the case of a Christmas pud, I cannot think of anything that is likely to grow in a cooling pud, but I may be wrong. However, we've all been doing it for years so on that basis alone it would seem safe enough!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Very pleased you posted that. I threw some rice away last week that was left over from a few days ago but was in two minds whther to reheat it or do some more afresh. Won't bother keeping any left over rice at all now. Explains now why reheating left over Indian takeaways didn't always agree with me.

Any more examples?

 

[Arch]

One of the other reasons for not reheating may be to do with the 'eating quality' of the product. It may not be dangerous to your health but it may not taste as good as the supermarket would like you to believe. It will probably have dry crusty edges or some of the fruit will have disintegrated inside.

Anyway, why would there be any left over? It is like 'left over wine' or 'left over chocolate'!

It was a big pudding, bought by bro in law's Mum, and we were all fairly full after our dinner. We always save half for the next day, unless my Mum has bought the pudding, in which case it'll be a smaller one.

It was just as good the next day, with a good dollop of creme fraiche. It's not my favourite dessert tbh, but it's part of the whole deal.

I'm glad to hear Fab agrees with me. I knew about the rice thing, and I do take care when reheating anything, but my frugal nature means I'd rather not throw anything away purely on the say so of a label or sell-by date...

 

[lukesdad]

Very pleased you posted that. I threw some rice away last week that was left over from a few days ago but was in two minds whther to reheat it or do some more afresh. Won't bother keeping any left over rice at all now. Explains now why reheating left over Indian takeaways didn't always agree with me.

Any more examples?

All food poisoning bacteria need 3 essentials to multiply time temp and moisture remove one and you reduce the risk. On average they reproduce every 20 mins. As FF has allready stated spores (bacteria in jackets if you like) and toxins cannot be destroyed by boiling. So to be safe here you need to remove one essential other than temp.

This is why rice for example needs to be cooled very quickly if it is to be reheated (not something Id advise).

Along with rice, poultry is dodgy as it is closely associated with salmonela.

Fresh fish is probably as safe as anything, as long as it has not been cross contaminated by either another foodstuff or humans.

Cross contamination is by far the most common form of food poisoning in the U.K.

 

[longers]

How about a jar of Seafood Cocktail in Sunflower Oil that went out of date in May?

Would you eat it? I'm tempted but cautious. I think it must have been close to the date when I got it given.

 

[lukesdad]

How about a jar of Seafood Cocktail in Sunflower Oil that went out of date in May?

Would you eat it? I'm tempted but cautious. I think it must have been close to the date when I got it given.

BIN IT!