'preparing' a chopping board

In article <[email hidden]>,

Kylie said:

Hello everyone,

A while ago I bought a wooden chopping board, at a fete. It's brand new..... made especially for
the fete & looks quite nice with fancy edges, etc.

My question is............. Am I supposed to do something to the wooden board to 'prepare' it?

Raelene -

Just wash it... :-)

I always make my own cutting boards out of a piece of 1" x 12" oak, sanded smooth and cut to about
18 inches or so. Pine will work too, but oak seems to be more resistant to scoring.

One of these days I'd like to spring for some black walnut, but I have to check the wood toxicity
charts first. <G> Ebony might be nice too, but OY that's expensive!

I just keep them well scrubbed, no prep, no varnish, just the raw wood.

K.

--
^ ^ Cat's Haven Hobby Farm ^ ^ [email hidden] ^ ^

Quoted message said:

,,< >,,< >,,<

Kylie said:

Hello everyone,

A while ago I bought a wooden chopping board, at a fete. It's brand new..... made especially for
the fete & looks quite nice with fancy edges, etc.

My question is............. Am I supposed to do something to the wooden board to 'prepare' it?

Rub it down with mineral oil a few times.

-sw

Oh, I did that. I thought (like woks & frypans) it's supposed to be greased up with something.

I started using it but (apart from getting cut marks on my new board ;-) ) I got slithers/splinters
of wood. *shrug* Haven't used it for a while....... must go find it.

Raelene - owner of Ozzie *meow*

"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Katra-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Kylie said:

Hello everyone,

A while ago I bought a wooden chopping board, at a fete. It's brand new..... made especially for
the fete & looks quite nice with fancy

edges, etc.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My question is............. Am I supposed to do something to the wooden

board to 'prepare' it?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Raelene -

Just wash it... :-)

I always make my own cutting boards out of a piece of 1" x 12" oak, sanded smooth and cut to about
18 inches or so. Pine will work too, but

oak seems to be more resistant to scoring.

Quoted message said:

One of these days I'd like to spring for some black walnut, but I have to check the wood toxicity
charts first. <G> Ebony might be nice too, but

OY that's expensive!

Quoted message said:

I just keep them well scrubbed, no prep, no varnish, just the raw wood.

K.
--
^ ^ Cat's Haven Hobby Farm ^ ^ [email hidden]

---
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In article <[email hidden]>,

Kylie said:

"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Just wash it... :-)

I always make my own cutting boards out of a piece of 1" x 12" oak, sanded smooth and cut to
about 18 inches or so. Pine will work too, but

oak seems to be more resistant to scoring.

Quoted message said:

One of these days I'd like to spring for some black walnut, but I have to check the wood
toxicity charts first. <G> Ebony might be nice too, but

OY that's expensive!

Quoted message said:

I just keep them well scrubbed, no prep, no varnish, just the raw wood.

K.
--
^ ^ Cat's Haven Hobby Farm ^ ^ [email hidden]

Oh, I did that. I thought (like woks & frypans) it's supposed to be greased up with something.

I started using it but (apart from getting cut marks on my new board ;-) ) I got
slithers/splinters of wood. *shrug* Haven't used it for a while....... must go find it.

Raelene - owner of Ozzie *meow*

Ah, but what grit did you sand it down to? I start with 250 and go down to 600 before I'm done. :-)

Nary a stray splinter. <G>

If you are getting splinters off your new cutting board, either the wood is way too soft, or it
was not finished properly? That is why I prefer Oak to Pine, and why I was joking about harder
woods. ;-)

K. (wishing that Manzanita grew large enough to make cutting boards...)

--
^ ^ Cat's Haven Hobby Farm ^ ^ [email hidden] ^ ^

Quoted message said:

,,< >,,< >,,<

"Kylie" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hello everyone,

A while ago I bought a wooden chopping board, at a fete. It's brand new..... made especially for
the fete & looks quite nice with fancy edges, etc.

My question is............. Am I supposed to do something to the wooden board to 'prepare' it?

Raelene - who got an ice-cream machine & a Juice Fountain from santa.

Quoted message said:

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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (grisoft.comgrisoft.comOpen ↗).
Version: 6.0.556 / Virus Database: 348 - Release Date: 26/12/03

mineral oil. Go to the pharmacy and buy a small bottle of mineral oil. With a soft lint free cloth
rub a small amount of the oil into the wood. Do this yearly.

--
And the beet goes on! (or under) -me just a while ago

In rec.food.cooking said:

Rub it down with mineral oil a few times.

I like to use a combination of melted parrafin and mineral oil. I put the board in a warm oven and
heat it up to 200 or so, and then I melt the wax in some mineral oil in a saucepan. I paint this
onto the warm board and let it soak in. The warmth allows the wax to stay liquid until it soaks well
into the wood.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 00:44:15 -0800 (PST), [email hidden] (Jean

Clarke) said:

After it is aged for a while, I rub my down briskly with a fresh lemon half and kosher salt. It
removes the smell that it accumulates with the cutting and chopping of the highly aromatic items;
onions, garlic, meats etc. It also bleaches out many of the stains. Wipe it off with a damp cloth
and let it air-dry.

White vinegar sterilizes it as well as being cheaper than lemons (unless you have a lemon tree).

-sw

On 12/30/2003 8:48 PM, in article [email hidden], "Steve
Wertz" <[email hidden]> opined:

Quoted message said:

(Jean Clarke) said:

After it is aged for a while, I rub my down briskly with a fresh lemon half and kosher salt. It
removes the smell that it accumulates with the cutting and chopping of the highly aromatic items;
onions, garlic, meats etc. It also bleaches out many of the stains. Wipe it off with a damp cloth
and let it air-dry.

White vinegar sterilizes it as well as being cheaper than lemons (unless you have a lemon tree).

-sw

Wipe it down with mineral oil once in a while.

Steve Wertz said:

(Jean Clarke) said:

After it is aged for a while, I rub my down briskly with a fresh lemon half and kosher salt. It
removes the smell that it accumulates with the cutting and chopping of the highly aromatic items;
onions, garlic, meats etc. It also bleaches out many of the stains. Wipe it off with a damp cloth
and let it air-dry.

White vinegar sterilizes it as well as being cheaper than lemons (unless you have a lemon tree).

While agreeing *completely* about the cost of lemons (79 cents each last time I looked), neither
vinegar nor lemon juice "sterilizes" anything. Both are acetic substances that "cut the grease" and
may hustle a few bacteria into an early grave. They also leave a scent associated with cleanliness.

"Frogleg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

While agreeing *completely* about the cost of lemons (79 cents each last time I looked), neither
vinegar nor lemon juice "sterilizes" anything. Both are acetic substances that "cut the grease"
and may hustle a few bacteria into an early grave. They also leave a scent associated with
cleanliness.

I've always understood that the real purpose of the lemon juice was to bleach the surface --get rid
of the old stains. It certainly works that way. Janet

Frogleg said:

Steve Wertz said:

(Jean Clarke) said:

After it is aged for a while, I rub my down briskly with a fresh lemon half and kosher salt. It
removes the smell that it accumulates with the cutting and chopping of the highly aromatic items;
onions, garlic, meats etc. It also bleaches out many of the stains. Wipe it off with a damp cloth
and let it air-dry.

White vinegar sterilizes it as well as being cheaper than lemons (unless you have a lemon tree).

While agreeing *completely* about the cost of lemons (79 cents each last time I looked), neither
vinegar nor lemon juice "sterilizes" anything. Both are acetic substances that "cut the grease"
and may hustle a few bacteria into an early grave. They also leave a scent associated with
cleanliness.

Yep. If it's sterility you want, a two-part wetting with hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar is very
good. Works on any wettable surface. Separate bottles, poured on simultaneously and wiped.

Pastorio

Kylie said:

Hello everyone,

A while ago I bought a wooden chopping board, at a fete. It's brand new..... made especially for
the fete & looks quite nice with fancy edges, etc.

My question is............. Am I supposed to do something to the wooden board to 'prepare' it?

Raelene - who got an ice-cream machine & a Juice Fountain from santa.

Quoted message said:

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Version: 6.0.556 / Virus Database: 348 - Release Date: 26/12/03

Does anyone actually wash their boards? i.e. submerge in the bowl along with the plates and stuff?

In rec.food.cooking said:

Does anyone actually wash their boards? i.e. submerge in the bowl along with the plates and stuff?

I have a thick maple board, made of glued-up pieces. If it gets stained or greasy, I wash it with
hot water and soapy steel wool. I usually re-oil it after it dries.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

Alex said:

Does anyone actually wash their boards? i.e. submerge in the bowl along with the plates and stuff?

Regularly. Always, after cutting up meat things. Have had 2-3 wooden boards for at least 15 years
getting this treatment and they're as flat and unsplit as they were on day 1. Have never applied any
sort of oil, either.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Frogleg said:

Alex said:

Does anyone actually wash their boards? i.e. submerge in the bowl along with the plates
and stuff?

Regularly. Always, after cutting up meat things. Have had 2-3 wooden boards for at least 15 years
getting this treatment and they're as flat and unsplit as they were on day 1. Have never applied
any sort of oil, either.

Ditto. My boards get scrubbed well, especially after cutting up poultry!

I'm wondering, if yours is splintering that badly, if it is soft pine. Some boards are decorative
and made to be hung on the wall. Kinda like that copper cake pan I have shaped like a persian cat
above the stove.
<G>

The current board I am using is one I made myself, and it's oak.

Making a cutting board is easy. Just buy an 18" pieces of 1 x 12 oak board from the lumber store,
(make sure that it is NOT chemically treated for outdoor use!) and sand it well. Usually it's pretty
smooth so you can start out with a 350 grit and work up to 600. Finish with a bit of steel wool. :-)

Does not take all that long either.

This one has some mild scoring from slicing with the big chef's knife, but I'm not getting splinters
or wood slivers in my food.

If all else fails, you could get a plastic cutting board. <shiver, ick!>

H.

--

Quoted message said:

,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<[email hidden]>,,<

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In rec.food.cooking said:

If all else fails, you could get a plastic cutting board. <shiver, ick!>

They're not THAT bad. I have a couple of them that I use for raw meat. I throw them in the dishwaser
the moment I get done using them. That keeps the counter clean, and keeps my main maple butcher's
block reasonably sanitary.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

Frogleg said:

Alex said:

Does anyone actually wash their boards? i.e. submerge in the bowl along with the plates and
stuff?

Regularly. Always, after cutting up meat things. Have had 2-3 wooden boards for at least 15 years
getting this treatment and they're as flat and unsplit as they were on day 1. Have never applied
any sort of oil, either.

I like to oil the raw wood at least once to give them a fast start seasoning. I don't submerge my
cutting boards, but they certainly do get wet and soapy (& swished with a dish brush or Dobie). The
real trick is to dry them or at least let them drip dry where they don't sit with an edge in the run
off water.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

In rec.food.cooking said:

If all else fails, you could get a plastic cutting board. <shiver, ick!>

They're not THAT bad. I have a couple of them that I use for raw meat. I throw them in the
dishwaser the moment I get done using them. That keeps the counter clean, and keeps my main maple
butcher's block reasonably sanitary.

I'm a traditionalist. ;-)

K.

--

Quoted message said:

,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<[email hidden]>,,<

cgi6.ebay.comeBayISAPI.dllOpen ↗

In rec.food.cooking said:

Quoted message said:

They're not THAT bad. I have a couple of them that I use for raw meat. I throw them in the
dishwaser the moment I get done using them. That keeps the counter clean, and keeps my main
maple butcher's block reasonably sanitary.

Quoted message said:

I'm a traditionalist. ;-)

Fair enough. So am I. But just for the heck of it, spend $3 on a plastic board the size of your
wooden one, and put it on top the next time you cut up some raw chicken. As soon as you're done, put
the plastic board in the dishwasher. Then make a salad on the wooden board.

You might change your mind. There's a difference between being a traditionalist and a Luddite. 🙂

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who