.

I don't think I could EVER give them a sabotaged recipe. I would just say that I am not at liberty to share that recipe - for whatever reason or even no reason given.

I have a couple of recipes that friends gave me. They were family recipes of those friends. I was asked not to share them so I don't.

I have a couple of recipes that I made up that I don't give out. That is mostly because I was making money selling the products. No big thing, but I figured it seemed ridiculous to give them out.

Be ready to catch all kinds of grief here, however, because when people say that they don't choose, or are not at liberty, to share recipes they are called all kinds of awful names and insulted in various ways.

I'll freely admit that I DO have harsh judgment toward sabotaging recipes but I think that people should be free to not share recipes without being insulted.

I've always shared recipes!!!! Lots of people have "gone on" with recipes, then no one else can make and enjoy it. SHARE, SHARE,SHARE!!!

Just because you have a recipe, doesn't mean it's gonna turn out exactly like the one you tasted. You may measure things differently.

A friend tasted my Sweet Potato Pie and wanted the recipe, so I shared. She said hers didn't taste like mine. I asked if she did anything different, she'd added some cinnamon and something else. I thought, no wonder it didn't taste like mine, she doctored it up.

I always share recipes. Most people makes changes to make recipes their own anyway.

Yes, I always share, not just recipes, but other things, too.

I'll just never forget that I asked this one lady for a recipe for the creamy fudge she brought in, said she made it. She refused to give me the recipe. I swore I would never do that! It is more blessed to give than to receive!

There is nothing wrong with keeping something special in your family for all to share at one time or another. As long as you pass it on to other members of your family.

My Aunt is in her 80's and does not want to give even to her own daughters the recipes for her special coconut and chocolate pies. I sit down with the empty pie dish at holidays and SCRAPE SCRAPE SCRAPE in front of everyone it so good and I have no shame. She does need to pass on the secrets before it is too late.

I think they should be shared. What will it hurt. Wished I had all my moms recipes. After she died & dad remarried all moms stuff was thrown out, taken to good will etc. The woman my dad married did not want any of it in her house. Dad was not aware of this until after the fact. She should have gave us her recipes, cookbooks & other possessions. She even cut my mom out of family pics. Share them while you can.

Omit an ingredient? That a mean spirited thing to do. I would never do that. I think being honest and saying that the recipe is cherished family secret is perfectly okay. It sounds silly in this day and age but it's honest. I have recipes and old cookbooks that there handed down to me from my grandmother and my great aunt I've always been happy to share them with anyone who asks. Especially now that I don't cook on a daily basis. I think the women in my family are pleased that someone is enjoying the recipes they loved and in many case actually developed.

On 3/6/2015 Nightowlz said:

I think they should be shared. What will it hurt. Wished I had all my moms recipes. After she died & dad remarried all moms stuff was thrown out, taken to good will etc. The woman my dad married did not want any of it in her house. Dad was not aware of this until after the fact. She should have gave us her recipes, cookbooks & other possessions. She even cut my mom out of family pics. Share them while you can.

That's awful! Your dad married an insecure witch. Actually, mom started handing down recipes and family jewelry to my sisters and me when we married. My aunt did the same with her daughters. My mom was a bit of a worrier and she gave us the things she wanted us to have early "just in case" there was ever a fire or flood or a "falling out between us". She didn't think it was safe to hold on to things until she was elderly because "you never know what life has in store for any of us".

Nightowlz - I agree. That's an awful thing that this woman did. First she should have consulted with him and then had the kids come over and take what they wanted. Then HE could decide what to do with the rest. She treated your father AND you poorly. That speaks to her character. I'm sorry she did that to you.