How polite are you?

If it does get put out for the birds please be careful that no dogs can get to eat any of it as dried fruit is very poisonous to them. I’d just say that I’d had to change my diet for health reasons and could no longer eat rich puddings ( which, in my case, is actually true).

Politeness does not come into it. It is kindness to a dear friend. It costs you nothing but a few words and you can chck it out on new years day.

winterwhite

Tend to agree with Avalon. Suggest telling her perhaps as early as August that your digestive problems are getting worse and this year you won't be able to eat rich Christmas food.

Seems to make a bit of a mockery of her to let her pay for it and make it and then throw it away.

This idea seems the best way out. As we age we cannot eat the same as we used to or as much, well I can’t, so it would be true in my case.

Your Church might accept Christmas pudding to use during coffees?

Madgran77

Give it to a place that does Xmas meals for homeless etc

Wise advice and hurts nobody ..

Have a lovely holiday season and all our best wishes for a healthy, amazing and successful 2026 ..

It is a fact that as we age so do our digestions, so a little white lie in the next few months along those lines might be best. Ingredients for a Christmas pudding are expensive so it seems wrong to say nothing and let her continue spending her time and money on making you one.

I would:

1) Give it to a place that does meals for the homeless.

2) Bring it to the nearest church that hosts a Christmas dessert tasting for the impoverished and poor.

This is what I would definitely do ..

Another would be an orphanage for parent.less children or children in hospitals .. that can have sugar.

This reminds me of my grandmother’s inedible fruit cake which she doled out when we were sat on the beach at Seaton. She hated waste but as soon as she went shopping Dad (her son) said throw it to the birds. This we did but even they wouldn’t eat it😂

The OP describes these puddings as dense dark and claggy. Why inflict them on the homeless. What have they done to deserve them.

This year I didn't have my usual Christmas pudding recipe as it was in store between moves, so I tried to recreate it, searching the internet for the original recipes aand remembering the various changes I made, but without success. The results of my half remembered recipe and researches matches the description by the OP of the gifted pudding - dense dark and claggy -. DH and I had one slice each before putting the remains of one, and all of the other in the bin.

I think you do have to change it a bit Accept it and thank her but yes give it to the homeless I don’t think it was inferred it was a bad pudding just not to posters liking
worse case scenario give it to the birds but don’t waste it that’s really bad news

I agree with MOnica- why should the homeless have this inflicted on them?

If OP doesn't want to eat it then why assume other people should?

I would be tempted to pickle the whole thing in brandy and eat it next year!

It’s so wasteful to bin food. It sounds the sort of pudding I like! So others might.
Last resort, the birds, but please not the bin.

JaneJudge

I wouldn't say anything. It's an act of kindness, she doesn't need to know

I agree with this. If it is that bad ,throw it away but keep schtum.

I would thank her and say it was lovely and then dispose of it in the New Year. It’s best not to cause any hurt.

I have a lovely friend who buys me gifts I would never use and completely not my taste but I always thank her and quietly pass them on to someone who appreciates them. I suspect she does not like my gifts much either😂 We are friends but oh such different tastes.

I would say that you've really appreciated the puddings that you've received and you're aware of the time and effort that goes into making them. For that reason, because you (or a random family member) has had to change their eating habits, in future you're going to have to change the Christmas fare on offer and the Christmas pudding will, unfortunately, not be able to be served next Christmas. As you don't want her to waste her time making you one that won't be able to be eaten, you thought you'd tell her in plenty of time. This way food won't be wasted.

"Does she read Gransnet? Your problem may be solved!"

Yes- I often wonder if we might meet our real life 'problem people" on this forum.
Let's see if the pud transpires next year!
Meanwhile, I think it's unfair and quite an insult to throw it to the birds/bin. Personally I would cut it into small chunks, wrap in foil and freeze. Just eat a piece every so often x

The friend’s pudding isn’t to the OP’s taste, but that doesn’t mean other people wouldn’t like it.

Perhaps the lighter type of pudding she prefers isn’t the choice of some people either.

Just pointing out to those who say ‘why inflict it on others?’ that some may find it delicious and be glad of it.

hollysteers

It’s so wasteful to bin food. It sounds the sort of pudding I like! So others might.
Last resort, the birds, but please not the bin.

it is wasteful to bin food, but now and again it has to be done.

Thank you everyone for your very useful answers. We actually break it into tiny crumbs and feed it to the birds but only in very small amounts. These takes about 8 weeks to complete each year. Perhaps we shall just continue in this vein. They do eat it all up and seem to be pleased to eat it at this time of year alongside the seeds and fat balls on the feeding station.

Have you googled “ways to use up leftover Christmas pudding”? You probably have, but it’s just a thought. Perhaps have a small amount at a time (steamed really well and maybe softened with some alcohol or boiling water) to be served with some stewed fruit - apple &/or pears would go well with it. And of course some custard or cream. Or maybe a Christmas pudding trifle, with a small amount as the base, steeped well in sherry? I love Christmas pudding, but not the hard, claggy type, so I know where you’re coming from. I certainly wouldn’t want to upset my friend, it’s not worth the embarrassment to you both or the hurt it would bring her. She’d be upset if she knew that after all these years you didn’t like Christmas pudding. There’s also merit in honesty being the best policy, but I think that diplomacy also has a part to play, so it’s a tricky one! If all else fails and as others have said, give a little bit to the birds (but not if you have a dog!)

Calendargirl

The friend’s pudding isn’t to the OP’s taste, but that doesn’t mean other people wouldn’t like it.

Perhaps the lighter type of pudding she prefers isn’t the choice of some people either.

Just pointing out to those who say ‘why inflict it on others?’ that some may find it delicious and be glad of it.

Just so. I actually love a dense, dark, traditional Christmas pud. Sadly, these days, it doesn’t love me so I have to make do with a light one.

It's a bit awkward.
Of course ,
it's kind and thoughtful of your friend to make you a Christmas pudding,but sad that no one likes it in your family.
A close relative used to give us a tongue every year .We loathed it .
Eventually she was persuaded to give us a ham .

I have a pile of unwanted gifts left over from Christmas .
I think that they were charity shop buys .
As the friends ,who gave them to me are charity shop addicts I can't donate them locally !

I would thank her which in itself will make her feel worthwhile. Give the pudding away to someone who may appreciate it.

OP the birds will love your garden and your friend. Win win all round.