Re: How to treat cutting board

[Wilson Lamb]

I just did a Google Groups search on this newsgroup and filtering on 3 > words: >

> Cutting board treat > > I came up with some stuff but prominent in several posts was a referral > to the FAQ. However, searching on "cutting board" at this page: > > > finds nothing. > > I'd be pleased if I could be pointed in the right direction - either the > subject in the FAQ or some answers. > > I just bought a cutting board that's hardwood and I sanded it very > smooth but before using it I want to know how or if I should treat it. > > Thanks for any help. > > Dan

[Herman Family]

I use a mixture of mineral oil and paraffin wax for the end grain up boards. I have heat the mixture up to melt it, so it tends to solidify within the wood. I tend to really soak the board to get full penetration of the oil. I've dealt with boards in which the vegetable oil went rancid. That wasn't a lot of fun.

[Michael Daly]

I wouldn't use these for any food contact if they contained heavy metal catalysts or petroleum distillates.

Mike.

[George]

1.) Nothing. Wood seems to have its own way of dealing with bacteria. No sense interfering.

2.) A polymerizing oil like tung or walnut oil. As most "tung oil" products are otherwise adulterated, you need to read the label. This is fine for a "no-cook" board, where wet vegetables will be prepared, or even for bread. Sheds water, displays fairly well, but you lose the benefits of woods antibacterial action.

3.) Mineral oil, a "petroleum distillate," of course, which isn't bad, even though the "organic" types use it as if it were so. Problem is, it doesn't form a film. When it's there, it collects oil-soluble dirt and shelters bacteria from the physical and chemical effects of washing. When it's not, because it's been washed away (quickly) you're close to number one anyway.

Make/buy at least two boards, markedly different. One is for food which will not be cooked, one for food which will. Avoid cross-contamination, leave 'em bare.

[Mzone719]

MINERAL OIL IS OKAY IF YOU FEEL LIKE RE-DOING IT FREQUENTLY. YOU COULD ALSO TRY

AND TRY THE MILLIES'S POLYMERIZED TUNG OIL; WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

[Doug Miller]

Your keyboard is defective. Or you are.

Please locate, and learn to use, your CapsLock key before you post again.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

[Mzone719]

Hey Doug, I usally don't bother responding to stupid comments, but I couldn't resist in this case.

First, get off your high horse.

Second, the purpose of the message board is about providing answers, not about typing etiquette.

Third, I wasn't replying to you, I was replying to the original poster.

Fourth, I doubt the original poster could care less if I was typing in caps as long as I helped provide an answer.

Finally, dIdn't your mother ever tell you if you don't have anything nice (or helpful in this case) to say............I'm think you might be able to finish that one

[Todd]

I've read this post twice and can't figure out where it's either nice or helpful. I know that etiquette is general and perhaps netiquette in particular are on the downswing, but (I'm sure you already know this) typing in all caps is considered to be the same as walking into a room and shouting, which most people don't like. If I provided an answer to someone's question, but told him to f--- off while answering, I doubt he'd be pleased. So, clearly, people are concerned with more than just the raw content of a post, but also with how it is delivered. I'm happy to see that you located the caps lock key on this post though.

There....nice AND helpful.

todd

[Morgans]

"Mzone719" wrote

And this doesn't apply to you? There is nothing wrong with being polite, you should try using Usenet etiquette, if you don't like being yelled at.

Ploink

-- Jim in NC

[Montyhp]

I just rub mine down with olive oil. One year and still not rancid.

Montyhp

[Dan Musicant]

:I just rub mine down with olive oil. One year and still not rancid. : :Montyhp

Yes, the only kind of cooking oil I buy anymore is olive oil and I usually get the Extra Virgin at Costco, pretty reasonable ($10 for 3 liters or so). I use it for everything including deep frying. I can't recall noticing olive oil going rancid.

I'm wondering still. Is it advisable/necessary to retreat at some point? I'm wondering what will happen if I use nothing. I currently use two wooden cutting boards and I've never treated them with anything. I wash them all the time after using with soap and water and let them dry. I have no idea what kind of wood they are.

I think all this depends some on the nature of the wood. This new cutting board is obviously very hard wood - it's quite heavy for the size. I don't know what tree this is from. It looks kind of like a cherry, unfinished, but it's less redish/pinkish than cherry, I think. I figure it's probably not cherry. Here's what it said on the label:

Product of Chaosheng Grocery.Zhaoqing, along with some Chinese.

I believe this is in the Southeast "corner" of China.

Dan

[George]

Olive oil is in the same class as mineral oil. It does not "cure" to a film finish, and, as you wash with a surfactant, emulsifies and rinses away. Leave as is unless you want to brighten up for show.

For more than you ever wanted to know. Note to protect from heat >75 F and light!

[Doug Winterburn]

That explains why olive oil is the only type I have had go rancid. I can't get the OverLord to turn the AC lower than 85 F. Other vegetable oils work fine on the cutting boards.

-Doug

[Trent©]

You should look into the benefits of soybean oil, Dan.

Does the oil wash from your plates?...after a meal. Why would you think that oil put onto wood wouldn't also wash off?

That's exactly the way they should be used, Dan. Putting oil on them is simply for show. As soon as you cut on them, the cut put into the wood from the knife is prone to breeding of bacteria.

Cutting boards should be washed and scrubbed after each use...preferrably with a wire brush. I use a copper scrubber that you can buy in almost any grocery store....with as hot a water as you can stand.

If anyone has any doubt as to the proper maintenance of a cutting board, contact your local meat market and ask them what the State requirements are for daily cleaning.

Just like yourself, my wooden cutting boards are not treated.

Hope ya'll had a nice weekend...

Trent

Proud member of the Roy Rogers fan club!

[FOW]

[PM6564]

Like a woman - use it once then throw it away.

Either that or mineral oil

[Larry Jaques]

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 10:06:31 GMT, "PM6564" pixelated:

Um, Renata, is that your red dot I spy on the back of his head?

- Inside every older person is a younger person wondering WTF happened. ---

Website Application Programming

[Dan Musicant]

:On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 16:35:10 GMT, Dan Musicant : wrote: : :>Yes, the only kind of cooking oil I buy anymore is olive oil and I :>usually get the Extra Virgin at Costco, pretty reasonable ($10 for 3 :>liters or so). I use it for everything including deep frying. I can't :>recall noticing olive oil going rancid. : :You should look into the benefits of soybean oil, Dan.

Why? I used to buy it and other cooking oils, however after hearing so much about how good olive oil is for you I stopped buying other oils. Less health problems for people who consume olive oil.

: :>I'm wondering still. Is it advisable/necessary to retreat at some point? : :Does the oil wash from your plates?...after a meal. Why would you :think that oil put onto wood wouldn't also wash off?

The reason is simply that wood absorbs oil. The oil on the surface will certainly wash off when you wash with soap and water, brushing like I do. But a fair amount of that oil gets absorbed below the surface, unlike a ceramic plate, and that oil won't soon wash away.

: :>I'm wondering what will happen if I use nothing. I currently use two :>wooden cutting boards and I've never treated them with anything. I wash :>them all the time after using with soap and water and let them dry. I :>have no idea what kind of wood they are. : :That's exactly the way they should be used, Dan. Putting oil on them :is simply for show. As soon as you cut on them, the cut put into the :wood from the knife is prone to breeding of bacteria.

You mean the bacteria will breed in the oil? : :Cutting boards should be washed and scrubbed after each :use...preferrably with a wire brush. I use a copper scrubber that you :can buy in almost any grocery store....with as hot a water as you can :stand. : :If anyone has any doubt as to the proper maintenance of a cutting :board, contact your local meat market and ask them what the State :requirements are for daily cleaning. : :Just like yourself, my wooden cutting boards are not treated. : : :Hope ya'll had a nice weekend... : :Trent

I haven't used this cutting board yet, but I figure there's at least an even chance at this point that I won't treat it at all. Thanks.

Dan

: :Proud member of the Roy Rogers fan club!

[Dan Musicant]

:Use food safe mineral oil. Some people like to use Bees wax in a :solution of mineral oil. Some use tung oild and boild linseed oil but :there are no studies proving these are safe and they (and most other :oils) can become rancid. : :You can find wood block oil at most good culinary shops. One trick is :you can also find food safe mineral oil in the pharmacy. It is used as :a stool softener (gross). This type is actually eeven more refined :than the type approved for food contact. : :BW

I decided this is what I'm going to do. I used the board untreated yesterday but it picked up a few spots from butter, etc. and washed it well with soap and water and am going to sand that side of the board again and then treat with food safe mineral oil. I figure that the wood is going to pick up grease no matter what I do if I don't seal it with oil. Better it be a uniform substance (the mineral oil) than a hodge podge of greases and oils over time. Funny I didn't notice grease stains on my other two cutting boards which I've never treated.

[Gfretwell]

A big bottle of USP grade mineral oil is a couple of bucks in any drug store or even Ace Hardware. I wiped my virgin cutting board several times with a generous coat of this stuff and it sealed up real nicely. Just get it wet looking with the oil and let it soak in for a few hours, repeat until it stops soaking in. Now I just wipe it with the oil once a week.