D-I-Y catering with Herrings In?

[SteveW]

Worse than that are pills (for my wife) specifically for rheumatoid arthritis, that come in childproof bottles, that no-one with RA is ever going to be able to open, even with tools!

[Bob Henson]

They were known as "Granny-proof" caps in my pharmacy. The kids could have them off in no time, the elderly and infirm used to leave them only loosely screwed on (frequently very much to the detriment of the drugs therein) because they couldn't deal with them. Foil wrapping was probably just as much disliked, but it did work better in that child poisoning cases fell a lot more after the introduction of foil packing.

A lifetime of trying to tell parents to keep all medicines out of children's reach had as little effect as telling them not to keep Domestos and other potentially lethal chemicals in a low level, unlocked cupboard under the kitchen sink - so the foils were a very good thing even if they do slash my old fingers unmercifully these days.

[Brian]

I like horseradish on smoked mackerel - one reason I want to grow horse radish.

[Brian]

Good point. That said, cooling may cause a slight vacuum effect, causing air to carry any spray in as you break the seal.

[Brian]

Ok.

I like mustards. I want to return to Dijon which his ‘mustard heaven’ but on our previous trip someone stole our cool box - the only time we’ve experienced crime while travelling- and Senior Management has a thing about Dijon now.

[Rod Speed]

Even more pathetic than you usually manage.

[Sam Plusnet]

Packaging might vary from one country to another. In a different group, a chap who lives in Florida says he has one type of pill which comes in blister packs which he cannot pierce without the use of tools. His usual method (thumbnail) doesn't work on this particular construction.

[Sam Plusnet]

For a similar reason, SWMBO has Calais engraved upon her heart (or was it her spleen?).

[Sam Plusnet]

I buy ground coffee in sealed tins. They always have an excess pressure inside (probably packed under nitrogen). I take care where I aim, when opening them.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have a scalpel here where I take my daily pills, just in case.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I got my whole f****ng car stolen and partially dismantled in Brussels.

[Tim Lamb]

Packaging varies from one pill manufacturer to another!

As with many here, I have a daily intake of pills. The prescription is for 28 days but not all manufacturers supply 28 pill packs so there is either a creeping accumulation or a shortfall. The supplying Chemist clearly has a financial interest and the actual manufacturer changes. The blister packs vary considerably with some obvious economies: where a tiny pill is supplied in a pack suited for something much larger.

Surely all blister packs are intended to be opened by pressing the plastic *blister* allowing the pill to pierce the foil?

>

[Tim Streater]

Don't open it upside down, then :-)

I always start with a tissue on the counter top, with the tin on it, as it's impossible to prevent a few drops of liquid (sunflower oil in my case) from getting out. Hold the tin firmly on the counter with the ring away from you, and ease the ring up gently to pop it and then pull it towards you until the lid has split along to about half the tin. I don't go further than this as when you get to the end the resistance-to-pull characteristics of the lid change. Then use a fork to get the contents out.

Using a tin-opener will just ensure you and the floor are covered with all the contents.

[gareth evans]

Yes; half way followed by a bit of forking about, then rinse the tomato sauce under the tap; then lever the rest of the lid off to render it more safe.

I've found the Amaon offerings of Herrings In to be very variable in the contents; although the tomatos sauce is nice and spicy. Sometimes only hald full of fish whereas the Sainsburys John West flat tins are packed full of fish. But John West tins of fish do not seem in general to be as succulent as other sources.

[Andrew]

I always thought that this was the 'intuitive' way to extract pills from blister packs. Are people *really* attempting to dig through the foil lid ???.

[Andrew]

You mean they lick up the tomato sauce and ignore the fish ?.

[Andrew]

Botulism. very nasty. I believe you cannot even detect it with the 'nose test'.

[Tim Streater]

One of my pills sometimes comes in seriously bad packaging. There are four jobbies inside the box, seven pills on each. First thing is to split each one into two parts: one with three, other with four pills. Only then is it possible to follow the instructions to *peel* *back* the covers and thus obtain access to the pills. You can't push the pill through the non-blister side, it's not possible and if you try, you crush the pill to powder. I can manage these but some poor sod with arthritic mitts is going to have trouble.

[Tim Streater]

As anyone who has watched "The Long Goodbye" with Elliot Gould, can testify.

[Tim Streater]

I have several of these:

and I load two of them up with a month's worth of pills at a time, takes about

10 minutes even with the Fort Knox style packaging some of these suppliers use. Handy for travelling, too, just pick up a loaded one and slip into one of those plastic wallets that short cables come in - with room for the prescription too.

Hmm, I'm sure this only cost a couple of quid each when I first got some.