Care for Cutting Boards...
Author: rileypoole | Posted: 11.06.2012The cutting board is one of the most integral and, actually, amazing tools we have at our hands in the kitchen. Taking good care of your cutting board is thus one of the best things you can do to keep things working well and serving you well. This article will explain a bit more in this regard.
To oil your board, you’ll only need simple and natural olive oil. Some people say you might want to use mineral oil when you re-oil the board, because it will prevent the olive base from becoming rancid over time. The olive oil hardens off when you use it for an initial oiling, but then you can use the mineral oil to better seep into the grain and close off its pores. The reason you want to close the wood’s pores off is because they will hold water and moisture in them, which is a place for bacteria to grow. Moisture is the biggest indicator of whether bacteria will be thriving on a surface. Eliminating bacterial growth from your cutting board is what will prevent food-borne illnesses from contamination.
Some of the most attractive cutting boards are wooden. This is because you can have beautiful end grain wooden boards, with smooth tops and different shades of wood. When a plastic or glass cutting board merely looks like a kitchen tool, the cutting board of deep, strong wood appears to be more like a decoration as well, when it is not in use. You’ll want to maintain a good wooden surface by way of oiling the cutting boards. This is a process that isn’t too complex, but you’ll want to make sure you take the time to do it when necessary. It really prolongs the life of your board, and also can make it work better for you!
You can also use other natural oils such as beeswax, coconut oil, almond oil, and walnut oil to keep your cutting board fresh. You wait until the board sops up the extra moisture, and you continue to apply coats of oil until it no longer dries. Then you know that the pores are filled. To clean your board, you only need a simple peroxide solution that works better than heavy-duty sanitizers and is less harsh to the board.
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