Containers for Christmas puddings

[cookie1]

Last year I used metal moulds for my Christmas puddings.  This year I have some plastic ones I'd like to use. Do you think they would be ok and could I freeze them in the plastic moulds ready for re heating?

[johnro]

Cookie we have often used the nestle dariole moulds with the hospitality students at school where desserts have been either been pprepared and/or precooked and then frozen prior to being used at functions the following week with no problem.

Cheers

Robyn   

[cookie1]

Thanks Robyn. I thought I could then I had this little bit of doubt creep in. Hope the holidays are going well. DH can't wait for Friday, he says he is never doing a full terms relief again. He says he is really retiring this time.........for ever.

[Merlin]

I just found some of the plastic Nestle dariole moulds at my local homewares/kitchen store. They are fine for microwave use and steaming ie Varoma dishes, but not for use in a conventional oven. Seems obvious really, but the sales assistant in the store specifically mentioned that they weren't for use in a normal oven. Obviously a lot of people out there have!! They are a perfect size for individual puddings and panacottas etc. I haven't used them yet as I have the silicone cupcake moulds for puddings but these look sturdier than the silicone ones and also, as they are plastic and can be squeezed, theoretically they would be easier to unmould than the metallic ones. Oh well, more stuff to fill my cupboards with and for my kids to discover. Note to self: STOP GOING INTO KITCHENWARE SHOPS!!

[cookie1]

That's where I got mine Merlin. I love kitchen shopos. I searched everywhere for something recently and when I went to a big kitchen shop they had it of course.

The Christmas puddings are all cooked and in the freezer. The raw mix was Mmmmmmmm.

[timfulford]

I just found some of the plastic Nestle dariole moulds at my local homewares/kitchen store. They are fine for microwave use and steaming ie Varoma dishes, but not for use in a conventional oven. Seems obvious really, but the sales assistant in the store specifically mentioned that they weren't for use in a normal oven. Obviously a lot of people out there have!! They are a perfect size for individual puddings and panacottas etc. I haven't used them yet as I have the silicone cupcake moulds for puddings but these look sturdier than the silicone ones and also, as they are plastic and can be squeezed, theoretically they would be easier to unmould than the metallic ones. Oh well, more stuff to fill my cupboards with and for my kids to discover. Note to self: STOP GOING INTO KITCHENWARE SHOPS!!

The assistant was quite right to remind you that these plastic items should not go in a  conventional oven and it is not obvious why: some plastics can be used in normal ovens.
As a technologist I would like to remind everyone that when ANY kitchen plastic items become discoloured, stained or start to 'scale' (come apart) they should be discarded by recycling. Plastics which have gotten into this state are unhygienic and can be a health hazard.

[Cuilidh]

Thank you, that is good advice, Mindmapper, I must start clearing out all my old plastic containers - not that they are particularly bad, but I am becoming more and more aware of the possible disadvantages of relying so much on plastic.  I have already started replacing a lot of my plastic storage containers with glass jars. 

I recall reading a comment (somewhere on this forum I think) from someone who said that the silicone type molds left a 'plasticy' taste in the mouth after they had been used and re-used for a while - what is the current thinking on these silicone tools that are now becoming more common?

[timfulford]

Thank you, that is good advice, Mindmapper, I must start clearing out all my old plastic containers - not that they are particularly bad, but I am becoming more and more aware of the possible disadvantages of relying so much on plastic.  I have already started replacing a lot of my plastic storage containers with glass jars. 

I recall reading a comment (somewhere on this forum I think) from someone who said that the silicone type molds left a 'plasticy' taste in the mouth after they had been used and re-used for a while - what is the current thinking on these silicone tools that are now becoming more common?

Silicone is not supposed to taint and is used extensively in the food industry for that reason. I use a lot of silicone tools but do not find silicone bakeware of any advantage at all. It generally gives poor results, moves a lot and is very easy to damage. Having said that silicone baking sheets are great and I use these to line my traditional bakeware instead of using papers.