I'm trying to find information on which woods are safe to make kitchen utensils out of & which woods should be avoided. I tried google and didn't have very good luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA
Take a look at the kitches stores?
I've seen birch, beech, maple, bamboo, cherry, olive...
Chris
When I started, I used maple. I figured any tree that we drink the sap from is probably safe for touching food with. I've also seen olivewood utensils on sale.
Bill
Chris Friesen wrote:
Monkeypod bowls are popular (not to be confused with poplar)
I'd imagine most any common hardwood would be "safe". Hard to imagine a wood would be "unsafe"... except maybe splinters ;-)
avoid Yew it will make you ill , teak will leach oils which will taint anything you use them on
That depends if you're planning to cook fish on it....
On one of the _Woodwright Shoppe_ episodes Roy visited with a spoonmaker who made spoons from a variety of woods including poison ivy vine.
Generally speaking, you probably should NOT use poison ivy vine, nor any of the woods with a reputation for toxicity or alergic reactions.
So, woods to avoid would be black walnut, most of the tropical exotics especially cocobola and rosewoods, redwood, cedars, etc. Probably most softwoods, being resinous, would at least tend to add some undesireable flavors to the food.
Woods that have been commonly used for kitchen utensiils include orchard woods like apple or pearwood, and also olive, maple, cottonwood, beech, birch, cherry.
Probably it would be best to avoid porous woods like red oak.
I have heard bad things about walnut and many of the tropicals are toxic. AFAIK any other domestic hardwood would be fine.
beech or maple Dave
...in which case you need to seal it in a good polyurethane...;)
My favorite is cherry. Maple shows black mildew if the user leaves it submerged too long, and shows up food colors easily as well.
Nothing with a lot of large pores or extractives used as dyes.
As to resins, some of the best-looking and most durable spoons I've sold - and have - have been made of tamarack.
You forgot to mention Sassafras. It is the wood of choice for peels [pizza shovels]. Most fruit woods are acceptable. Olivewood is one of the best. Bugs
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