On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 23:10:58 -0400, James Egan >
wrote:

>While cooking something like spaghetti sauce, I taste the
>sauce (or gravy) occasionally to test. My wife maintains

I taste-test with a clean teaspoon... then just put into the sink with
the dirty dishes - it can get washed later! There are some things that
are utterly ruined by the addition of saliva - like milk dishes. I
learnt that the hard way when I was quite young. You don't want to see
a custard that's been 'double-dipped' and left to stand in the fridge
overnight. For most things however, it doesn't make a jot of
difference. I still try to avoid it though - my mother taught me that
it was 'not nice'.
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com
*remove 'nospam' to reply

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 23:10:58 -0400, James Egan >
> wrote:
>
>>While cooking something like spaghetti sauce, I taste the
>>sauce (or gravy) occasionally to test. My wife maintains
>
> I taste-test with a clean teaspoon... then just put into the sink with
> the dirty dishes - it can get washed later! There are some things that
> are utterly ruined by the addition of saliva - like milk dishes.

Sorry. No. You won't get enough saliva in the dish to matter. Any
enzymes present would be inactivated virtually instantaneously by the
heat and bacteria likewise. Doesn't leave much else to worry about

> I
> learnt that the hard way when I was quite young. You don't want to see
> a custard that's been 'double-dipped' and left to stand in the fridge
> overnight.

*Any* custard that's been cut or damaged by *any* means will purge
liquid. That's called syneresis. It happens with all gels including sour
cream, yogurt and most puddings. Happens with starch and gum gels, too,
unless specifically formulated to avoid it. Jams and jellies will "weep"
over time. Has nothing to do with saliva or any of its ingredients.

Pastorio

> For most things however, it doesn't make a jot of
> difference. I still try to avoid it though - my mother taught me that
> it was 'not nice'.
> ~Karen aka Kajikit
> Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
> http://www.kajikitscorner.com
> *remove 'nospam' to reply