This appears to be a common difference between couples, my wife and I included. But we seem to make it through life despite this difference.
BTW, I discard, she keeps.
There are much more important things in life. Like how to load the dishwasher, or who has to make the bed.
I’m kinda half-and-half. Or maybe “mostly but not always” (I voted “sometimes”).
I can tell you for sure that I’ve got the plastic seal hanging out on the raisins and prunes in my cupboard, and on the block of pre-sliced cheese in my fridge.
I think for a large tub of yogurt or sour cream, I will generally remove the foil. I haven’t had one in a while though.
I think I’m slightly paranoid that the contents will go stale if I take it off, so I leave it on and it doesn’t bug me.
This probably annoys people too: I leave the ring on the milk jug after I first open the cap. That’s just pure laziness.
I’m with you! Drives me crazy if something is left on the rim. I’ll take a knife to it if I have to!
Usually remove it. The only times I don’t are when there is too little ‘lip’ to peel the seal back. In these cases I simply puncture it.
I peel it off and toss it, with minor exceptions: The only things I leave the inner seal on are certain herbs and spices like basil and paprika, because they have delicate volatile aromas; I just open a little hole in the inner seal. Oregano and cayenne, by contrast, don’t need the protection. Anything else, away it goes. No sense leaving a temporary barrier partly blocking the way.
I leave it on for yogurt and similar perishable items because the Use By date is on the seal and I like to know if I’m about to eat out-of-date food. I usually take it off for Pringles and other items where that’s not a concern.
My mom is the only one I know who keeps it–particularly on her cottage cheese. And, yes, the reason is generally that she thinks it seals better. My logic is that, even if it does, the difference is rarely relevant.
The one reason I do see to keep the cover is with a single serving container when you’re not near a trash can. It makes sense to keep all the trash together in one piece, for easy disposal when available. The only time I don’t in that situation is when I want to let my dog lick it while I’m still eating.
I voted peel and toss. Not only does that get rid of the annoyance of having to move it each time I want to spoon out some yoghurt, for example, but I figure it reduces the chance of the foil dipping into the product and transferring my dirty finger smears to the food.
One I see very often is the paper on top of tubs of butter or other butter/margarine spreads. So many people leave that on the top and peel it back when scooping with their knife. That’s one I really can’t figure. It’s not even sealed on when you get the tub, just sitting there.
Oh, and most products I see with a BB or Use By date has it printed on the edge of the outer lid, not the foil inside.
I would just pull it off and toss it, but my wife insists I keep it on. That was how her parents did it, and they probably thought it kept it fresher.
I don’t bother arguing. It’s too petty an issue.
I lied! There are 2 items I keep the inner foil seals on - oil and bleach. I just puncture a hole in it so it’s easier and less messy to pour.
Sometimes it’s not practical to throw away the inner seal plastic or foil material if there’s no place to discard it tactfully. That’s the only time I don’t toss it immediately.
That probably depends on the brand. There are lots of multi serving yogurt that has a plastic replaceable outer lid and a plastic or foil inner seal.
If the container is filled with small pieces of matter (pills, nuts, etc.), my wife showed me that it simplifies life to tear off only enough of the seal to allow a desirable amount of the matter to pass at a time. How much this is varies, of course, but it sure does make, for instance, shaking out 2 ibuprofen at a time easier.
Remove the seal!
Leaving it on will encourage bacterial growth and shorten the usable life of whatever it is. Plus, since you’re not able to glue it back down nice and flat, it can keep the actual container lid from sealing properly.
I can’t remember the brand, but I’ve seen “Remove this completely and discard” type instructions printed on them.
This is me. I do it to pill bottles, too. I get really aggravated at any clingy bits of foil or plastic. :mad:
I remove it completely. The original seal material won’t securely cover the top again after it’s peeled back, so what’s the point?
If, for some reason, I want a better seal, I cover the top of the container with a piece of saran wrap before I put the lid on.
Note that putting saran wrap under the lid when re-using a container to freeze something holds off freezer burn nicely.