I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:

Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it evenly
over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day, rinse
thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any excess
cleanser.

Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on the
board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick rinse
under warm water and let dry.

This is said to sanitize and remove stains.

Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this for
reference.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>
> Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it evenly
> over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day, rinse
> thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any excess
> cleanser.
>
> Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on the
> board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick rinse
> under warm water and let dry.
>
> This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
>
> Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this for
> reference.

Cool tips! :-)

For mine, I just scrub it off with warm soapy water from the dishpan
every time I'm done using it and set it upright to dry.

When it starts getting dark or stained, I spread lemon juice over the
board and let it sit for awhile, then wash/rinse as usual. I've found
that lemon juice bleaches it nicely without damaging the wood.

I guess the salt might be a better sanitizer tho'?

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On 5 Mar 2005 21:31:37 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>
>Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it evenly
>over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day, rinse
>thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any excess
>cleanser.
>
>Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on the
>board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick rinse
>under warm water and let dry.
>
>This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
>
>Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this for
>reference.

Howdy,

For plastic, the dishwasher is probably the way to go.

For wood, the above is certainly over-kill (and would damage
the surface of the board.)

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

On Sat 05 Mar 2005 04:24:51p, Kenneth wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 5 Mar 2005 21:31:37 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>>
>>Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it
>>evenly over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day,
>>rinse thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any
>>excess cleanser.
>>
>>Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on
>>the board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick
>>rinse under warm water and let dry.
>>
>>This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
>>
>>Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this
>>for reference.
>
> Howdy,
>
> For plastic, the dishwasher is probably the way to go.
>
> For wood, the above is certainly over-kill (and would damage
> the surface of the board.)
>
> All the best,
>

My poly and nylon boards go in the D/W after every use.

The treatment for wood was suggested for only occasional use. I doubt this
would do much damage when done infrequently.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

In article >,
Kenneth > wrote:

> For plastic, the dishwasher is probably the way to go.
>
> For wood, the above is certainly over-kill (and would damage
> the surface of the board.)

Indeed. I'd worry about interfering with its ability to kill salmonella.

Priscilla
--
"And what's this crap about Sodomites? It's always Sodomites this and
Sodomites that. What about us Gomorrahians? We were there too; we
deserve some mention. Sodom always gets the credit, and Gomorrah always
does the work." - JohnN in alt.religion.christian.episcopal

I wouldn't use cleanser on a wood board. Yikes! Do you know what it
tastes like? You will.

I learned by sad experience that repeated water and soap washings, even
if "wiped off and set on end to dry," the wood will absorb the water
even after you wipe it up, and eventually warp and split along the
joins, if it is butcher block.

I learned from a caterer the "ten percent solution" actually required
by health dept inspectors. Keep a squirt container of bleach water,
one tenth bleach and nine tenths water. Wipe off your board and
counters with paper towels to remove obvious residue. (Remember your
kitchen sponge and dishcloth contain more bacteria than you bathroom
surfaces - but that's another thred in the past.)

Then squirt the bleach/water solution on your board and countertops.
Wipe with more paper towels. .Wipe dry with (third) paper towels.
Any remaining bleach that you smell is really in the air, not on the
surface. But if you wish, rinse again with more towels slightly
dampened with water - but remember that at this stage you are really
applying, not removing, fresh bacteria.

And, oh yes. Lemon is nice. It smells nice. Looks pretty. Doesn't
do a bit of cleaning.

wrote:
[snip]
> And, oh yes. Lemon is nice. It smells nice. Looks pretty.
Doesn't
> do a bit of cleaning.

What!? How can that be!? Do you have any idea how many millions of
advertising dollars have been spent to embed in our minds the equation
Lemon = Clean = Fresh = wonderful for everything in the
laundry/bath/kitchen?!

You are a heretic.

-aem

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>
> Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it evenly
> over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day, rinse
> thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any excess
> cleanser.

Essentially, this is concentratedly bleaching the wood and it will do
several undesirable things: It will raise the grain and make the wood
rough. It will penetrate the wood and flavor foods cut on it. It will
pull out any oil that's preserving the wood.

> Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on the
> board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick rinse
> under warm water and let dry.

Jeez, this is harsh and unnecessary. The salt acts as an abrasive and
the lemon juice is just more of (a different) bleach. This will
aggravate the first step's injuries even more without adding any
sanitizing value.

> This is said to sanitize and remove stains.

Sanitizing is a lot easier than that. A 5% bleach solution will do the
same thing with less damage to the wood. I note that there's no
instruction about smoothing the wood after the treatments above. This
advice is seriously suspect. The wood will be showing splinters after
this procedure.

The best sanitizer and oxygen bleaching technique I've seen and used
is to spray white vinegar and peroxide from different containers
simultaneously onto the board surface. Let sit for a few minutes,
wipe, rinse and let air dry. The combination of the two sanitizes as
well as or better than bleach. And it's less damaging to the wood.
Leaves no taste on the wood and no harsh smell in the air.

And the boards should be oiled to keep the surface a bit more
impermeable to liquids. I use any oil but olive but there are
crusaders who say that it will become rancid and your hair will fall
out and other dire predictions. They say that only mineral oil will
do. My experience days otherwise. That works for furniture, not
cutting boards. I have a pecan wood cutting board in my kitchen that
my grandfather made more than a century ago and it's been oiled with
whatever oil was at hand, including olive back in the day. It smells
clean and appetizing.

When they get rough from all that cutting, a little sandpaper or, for
those in the restaurant biz, a grill screen will take down the surface
a tiny bit and restore the smoothness.

That whole argument about whether they're antibacterial still rages
with neither side producing any convincing evidence. Best to think
they're not and treat them accordingly. This is one bet you don't want
to lose.

> Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this for
> reference.

Those boards profit from a dishwashing machine. That's where mine go.
Come out clean and sanitized.

Pastorio

On Sat 05 Mar 2005 10:18:16p, Bob (this one) wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>>
>> Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it
>> evenly over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day,
>> rinse thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any
>> excess cleanser.
>
> Essentially, this is concentratedly bleaching the wood and it will do
> several undesirable things: It will raise the grain and make the wood
> rough. It will penetrate the wood and flavor foods cut on it. It will
> pull out any oil that's preserving the wood.

Perhaps so, I never tried it. We've never used cleanser or bleach.

>> Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on
>> the board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final
>> quick rinse under warm water and let dry.
>
> Jeez, this is harsh and unnecessary. The salt acts as an abrasive and
> the lemon juice is just more of (a different) bleach. This will
> aggravate the first step's injuries even more without adding any
> sanitizing value.

I can't agree with this being destructive. My mother had the same maple
cutting board for her entire married life and beyond, nearly 60 years. She
routinely sprinkled it with salt and rubbed it with a lemon. I have the
board now, and it's no worse for wear, although I don't use it. I don't
like wood. My kitchen moto is, "if it can't go in the dishwasher, it
simply doesn't get used."

>> This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
>
> Sanitizing is a lot easier than that. A 5% bleach solution will do the
> same thing with less damage to the wood. I note that there's no
> instruction about smoothing the wood after the treatments above. This
> advice is seriously suspect. The wood will be showing splinters after
> this procedure.

There is nary a splinter in my mother's old board after countless
salt/lemon scrubbings.

> The best sanitizer and oxygen bleaching technique I've seen and used
> is to spray white vinegar and peroxide from different containers
> simultaneously onto the board surface. Let sit for a few minutes,
> wipe, rinse and let air dry. The combination of the two sanitizes as
> well as or better than bleach. And it's less damaging to the wood.
> Leaves no taste on the wood and no harsh smell in the air.

This sounds like the best solution yet.

> And the boards should be oiled to keep the surface a bit more
> impermeable to liquids. I use any oil but olive but there are
> crusaders who say that it will become rancid and your hair will fall
> out and other dire predictions. They say that only mineral oil will
> do. My experience days otherwise. That works for furniture, not
> cutting boards. I have a pecan wood cutting board in my kitchen that
> my grandfather made more than a century ago and it's been oiled with
> whatever oil was at hand, including olive back in the day. It smells
> clean and appetizing.

Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at least
after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable oil.

> When they get rough from all that cutting, a little sandpaper or, for
> those in the restaurant biz, a grill screen will take down the surface
> a tiny bit and restore the smoothness.
>
> That whole argument about whether they're antibacterial still rages
> with neither side producing any convincing evidence. Best to think
> they're not and treat them accordingly. This is one bet you don't want
> to lose.
>
>> Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this
>> for reference.
>
> Those boards profit from a dishwashing machine. That's where mine go.
> Come out clean and sanitized.

My poly and nulon boards go in the D/W after every use. I think they're
safe.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

aem wrote:
> wrote:
> [snip]
> > And, oh yes. Lemon is nice. It smells nice. Looks pretty.
> Doesn't
> > do a bit of cleaning.
>
> What!? How can that be!? Do you have any idea how many millions of
> advertising dollars have been spent to embed in our minds the
equation
> Lemon = Clean = Fresh = wonderful for everything in the
> laundry/bath/kitchen?!
>
> You are a heretic.
>
> -aem


Perhaps so. Read above. Here it is again.

>And, oh yes. Lemon is nice. It smells nice.
>Looks pretty. Doesn't
> do a bit of cleaning.

"aem" >, if that's their real name, wrote:

wrote:
>[snip]
>> And, oh yes. Lemon is nice. It smells nice. Looks pretty.
>Doesn't
>> do a bit of cleaning.
>
>What!? How can that be!? Do you have any idea how many millions of
>advertising dollars have been spent to embed in our minds the equation
>Lemon = Clean = Fresh = wonderful for everything in the
>laundry/bath/kitchen?!
>
>You are a heretic.

Yeah, everyone knows that it's either pine or orange that cleans.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

On 6 Mar 2005 06:42:09 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at least
>after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable oil.

Howdy,

If so, she was lucky that she did not lose the board to
rancidity... Mineral oil (from the pharmacy) is a much
better choice.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

On Sun 06 Mar 2005 05:07:07a, Kenneth wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 6 Mar 2005 06:42:09 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at
>>least after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable
>>oil.
>
> Howdy,
>
> If so, she was lucky that she did not lose the board to
> rancidity... Mineral oil (from the pharmacy) is a much
> better choice.
>
> All the best,

It probably never had a chance. :-) The board was used daily, washed
daily, and oiled probably every few times after washing. It never sat
around long without use and allowing the oil to become old.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

To my mind, the most important thing with porous boards such as wooden
ones, is to limit the amount of grot that soaks into it. To achieve
this, my personal preference is simply to wet the board with tap water
before each use, and rinse it off quickly with hot water after. It
then gets washed before the dishes (but usually after the plonk
glasses at the usual time -- and given a bit of a scrub with a nail
brush. I've been using the same 12" bit of 7" by 1/2" pine plank for
about 40 years without problems. (Mind you, it doesn't *look* the
best these days, but neither does anything else 40 years older.)

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>
>Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it evenly
>over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day, rinse
>thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any excess
>cleanser.
>
>Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt on the
>board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final quick rinse
>under warm water and let dry.
>
>This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
>
>Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep this for
>reference.

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

In article . com>,
" > wrote:

> I learned by sad experience that repeated water and soap washings, even
> if "wiped off and set on end to dry," the wood will absorb the water
> even after you wipe it up, and eventually warp and split along the
> joins, if it is butcher block.

I acquired two long narrow cutting boards by that method. Actually,
they're very useful. ;-)

Priscilla
--
"And what's this crap about Sodomites? It's always Sodomites this and
Sodomites that. What about us Gomorrahians? We were there too; we
deserve some mention. Sodom always gets the credit, and Gomorrah always
does the work." - JohnN in alt.religion.christian.episcopal

On 2005-03-06, > wrote:

> I learned by sad experience that repeated water and soap washings, even
> if "wiped off and set on end to dry," the wood will absorb the water
> even after you wipe it up, and eventually warp and split along the
> joins, if it is butcher block.

Depends on the board. I have a 10" cutting board I've been using for
7-8 years. Wash with soap and water with every use with an occasional
chlorine douche. Never wipe with paper towels, just drip dry. Never
been oiled. Has warped a few times from leaving too wet, but it
always straightens out when dry and has never split. It's still as
good as ever. I'd say a lot has to do with the quality of the board,
the wood and the glue. I sure wish I could remember where I bought
this thing.

I once bought an very nice (and pricey) bamboo cutting board. I
expected great things. It split in to places before I got it home!

nb

notbob wrote:
> On 2005-03-06, >
> wrote:
>
>> I learned by sad experience that repeated water and soap
>> washings, even if "wiped off and set on end to dry,"
>> the wood will absorb the water even after you wipe it
>> up, and eventually warp and split along the joins, if
>> it is butcher block.
>
> Depends on the board. I have a 10" cutting board I've
> been using for 7-8 years. Wash with soap and water with
> every use with an occasional chlorine douche. Never wipe
> with paper towels, just drip dry. Never been oiled. Has
> warped a few times from leaving too wet, but it always
> straightens out when dry and has never split. It's still
> as good as ever. I'd say a lot has to do with the
> quality of the board, the wood and the glue. I sure wish
> I could remember where I bought this thing.
>
> I once bought an very nice (and pricey) bamboo cutting
> board. I expected great things. It split in to places
> before I got it home!
>
> nb

I've got an old wooden (so old I didn't care if it disintegrated) cheap
(less than $5 about 25 years ago) cutting board that goes through the
dishwasher along with my plastic boards. The thing just won't die.
Of course now, I'd be disappointed if it warped or cracked, since it has
become my favorite.

BOB

Katra wrote:
> In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
> > I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board
cleaning:
> >
> > Make a paste of dry cleanser (such as Comet), and water. Spread it
evenly
> > over the cutting surface and allow to dry overnight. Next day,
rinse
> > thoroughly under warm water using a paper towel to rub off any
excess
> > cleanser.
> >
> > Sprinkle wet cutting board liberally with Kosher salt. Scour salt
on the
> > board with a half lemon until salt is dissolved. Give a final
quick rinse
> > under warm water and let dry.
> >
> > This is said to sanitize and remove stains.
> >
> > Since I use polypropylene and nylon cutting boards, I'll just keep
this for
> > reference.
>
> Cool tips! :-)
>
> For mine, I just scrub it off with warm soapy water from the dishpan
> every time I'm done using it and set it upright to dry.
>
> When it starts getting dark or stained, I spread lemon juice over the

> board and let it sit for awhile, then wash/rinse as usual. I've found

> that lemon juice bleaches it nicely without damaging the wood.
>
> I guess the salt might be a better sanitizer tho'?

I no longer use wood boards for wet food prep, I've switched to
plastic... they're inexpensive so I've amassed an assortment and
naturally they go in the dishwasher. My nice wood boards are now used
more as serving platters; cheese, dry sausage, fresh fruit, crackers,
bread... a paddle board is my favorite sandwich dish, for prep and
eating from. I occasionally coat my wood boards with beeswax... a
light rinse is the most that's necessary, often just brush off the
crumbs with a clean dry towel.

Btw, those who tend to slice or otherwise hack up their cutting boards
(whether wood or plastic) are in dire need of training in how to
correctly wield kitchen cutlery... there is never a reason to leave
knife marks, also means your knives are dull... not only are the boards
ruined so are the knives... and it's a sign that the food was hacked,
not sliced... may as well have prepped that onion by heaving it against
a brick wall. I actually know someone who shows off her hacked up
boards, as a symbol of her culinary experience, NOT. I'm always
facinated by the folks who purchase the most expensive top of the line
cutlery and then I see their gouged/slashed boards... just like the
people who need a $150 sauce pan to heat canned soup.

Sheldon

Kenneth wrote:

> On 6 Mar 2005 06:42:09 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>>Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at least
>>after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable oil.
>
> Howdy,
>
> If so, she was lucky that she did not lose the board to
> rancidity... Mineral oil (from the pharmacy) is a much
> better choice.

How, exactly, does one "lose the board to rancidity?" The mineral oil
mantra is a recent arrival on the wooden cutting board scene. It's
based on faith, not empirical fact.

A long time ago, it was animal fats. Butchers scraped their blocks and
rubbed them with lard or beef fat. Country people rubbed pig tails on
their skillets to grease them and their boards to "slick" them. Then
when liquid oils became available, they were used. Then the carpenters
and cabinetmakers got into the act and promoted mineral oil because it
works on armoires and dining room tables, and they just figured...
Normal people kept to food oils anyway, because they work just fine.

The simple fact is that food oils work. They get exchanged in the
course of normal use and cleaning so that they need replacement
periodically. In the decades I've been in professional food service,
using wooden boards which we oiled with any of several different kinds
of food oils, not once have I ever seen or heard anyone else in the
business say their boards smelled rancid. In nearly 20 years of
dealing with kitchen questions on my radio program, amid all the other
calls I've dealt with about cutting boards, not one person has ever
raised the question of rancidity and their boards. In writing a couple
thousand articles and columns about food and cooking, not once has
anyone ever emailed me about rancid boards, although I've gotten them
on myriad other cutting board and chopping block issues.

Forget that business about mineral oil. It's not necessary.

Pastorio

Bob in socal wrote:

> On 5 Mar 2005 21:31:37 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>=20
>=20
>>I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>=20
>=20
> FWIW:
>=20
> All About Cutting Boards
> http://whatscookingamerica.net/Cutti...s/AllAbout.htm

This web site if full of misinformation. They're still talking about=20
the antibacterial properties of wooden boards. In the face of good=20
research that says it isn't so.

And their maintenance advice is simply unworkable.

> Maintaining and Sanitizing Cutting Boards
>=20
> IMPORTANT: Whichever kind of cutting board you use, clean it
> frequently with hot soapy water. Sanitize both wood and plastic
> cutting boards with a diluted chlorine bleach or vinegar solution
> consisting of one teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach in one quart of
> water or a one to five dilution of vinegar. Flood the surface with a
> sanitizing solution and allow it to stand for several minutes, then
> rinse and air dry or pat dry with paper towels.
>=20
> Caution must be taken when using any type of cutting board. Here are
> some safety tips to keep in mind:
>=20
> * All cutting boards should be scrubbed thoroughly with hot water
> and soap.

You'll want to consider if you want your softwood boards to be done=20
this way. They're more porous than hardwoods and will absorb both soap=20
and water. Soap doesn't improve the flavor of food as much as you'd wish.=


> * All cutting boards, and other food surfaces, should be kept dry
> when not in use. Resident bacteria survive no more than a few hours
> without moisture. Keep moisture of any type from standing on the block
> for long periods of time. Beware of moisture collecting beneath the
> board if you leave it on the counter. If you can, prop one end up when
> not using your board.

This is good, as far as it goes. They don't mention the real prospect=20
of mold on the underside if left on the counter. It will get moldy. So=20
much for that idea that wooden boards have antibiotic value.

> * Use a good steel scraper or spatula often when using the board.
> Scraping removes 75% of the moisture that builds up on a wooden
> cutting board. An occasional sanding will return a wooden board to a
> smooth luster. But never scrub a wooden board with a steel brush (a
> steel brush will ruff up the finish and should be avoided).

That scraping business will tear up the grain on flat side-grain=20
boards and any made from soft woods. Moisture "builds up" on a cutting=20
board? Builds up...?" Wiping the surface with a paper towel will most=20
handily remove any "built up" moisture. It's like talking about a=20
heaping cup of water. What buildup could they possibly be talking about?

Smooth luster isn't any sort of important issue with boards. And that=20
can only happen with hardwoods that are very close-grained. That's=20
cosmetics. Oak or walnut boards won't keep much of a luster unless=20
they're waxed.

> * Wooden boards need oiling once a week to seal the grain against
> bacteria.

Once a week. Puhleeze. Or maybe it does with all that scrubbing and=20
scraping.

> An oil finish helps to prevent the wood from cracking or
> pulling apart at the seams. Use a product that is (1) edible; and (2)
> tasteless. USP-grade mineral oil is a popular choice as it is the
> cheapest pure food-grad oil you can buy (do not use vegetable or olive
> oil because it can turn rancid).

More of this rancidity foolishness. If you're scrubbing thoroughly=20
"with hot water and soap" like they say, how long will that oil be on=20
the board? Right. So - not long enough to become rancid.

> Before applying oil to butcher block,
> warm the oil slightly. Apply oil with a soft cloth, in the direction
> of the grain, allowing the oil to soak in. Allow oil to soak in a few
> minutes, then remove all surface oil with a dry, clean cloth.

Oiling with or across the grain will make no difference. Warming the=20
oil won't make much difference unless it has beeswax in it.

> Some professional cooks like to add a little beeswax to the mineral
> oil for a tougher finish.

It's not a tougher finish, it just clogs the pores in the grain a bit=20
better than plain oil. It's solid wax instead of liquid oil, that's all.

> Simply shave about 1/2 teaspoon beeswax into
> a microwave safe dish with a cupful of mineral oil; microwave on high
> for about 45 seconds.=20

I'd suggest a tablespoon of wax in 2/3 cup oil - any oil. It's about=20
the ratio of my wax mixture that I sold.

And if you want the board to smell good, like food, put a couple drops=20
of oils of rosemary, thyme, garlic, ginger, marjoram, basil or some=20
other edible essential oil in the mix. A partner and I sold cutting=20
boards for a couple years at the Dayton Farmers' Market in Dayton, VA.=20
He made the boards - I'm not the woodworker and he is - and I made=20
the maintenance kits. We provided a bottle ot vinegar and a bottle of=20
peroxide for sanitizing - better than bleach with no nasty residual=20
smell. Some sandpaper to refinish the board. Some steel wool for=20
buffing a soft patina on the woods. And a beeswax compound that was=20
formulated from beeswax, olive oil and essential oils - smelled like a=20
kitchen cooking for a holiday. It's what I'd been using in my=20
restaurant operations for a couple decades.

The way I told people to use it was to rub a very thin coat on the=20
board and pop it into a warm oven - like maybe 150=B0F for about 10=20
minutes. Then give it a good buffing with a paper towel. Hang it up so=20
air can get to all sides.

> Apple to the cutting board or butcher block
> while still warm. Save of dispose of the remainder of the oil.
>=20
> To learn about THE MICROBIOLOGY OF CLEANING AND SANITIZING A CUTTING
> BOARD, read this scientific article written by by O. Peter Snyder,
> Jr., Ph.D.=20
> http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Cutboard.html

Pete Snyder is a good scientist and a good writer, but here he's=20
behind the times. This was written before the vinegar-peroxide=20
research was done. Still, it gives you a good technical understanding=20
of what happens on the surfaces.

Maintaining a cutting board is a whole lot simpler than all the=20
experts want us to think it is. Wash it quickly with soapy water,=20
rinse and either stand or hang up to dry. Oil every couple months.=20
Maybe see if it needs sanding to bring the grain down maybe once or=20
twice a year.

Pastorio

In article >,
"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

<snipped lots of good stuff>

>
> Maintaining a cutting board is a whole lot simpler than all the
> experts want us to think it is. Wash it quickly with soapy water,
> rinse and either stand or hang up to dry. Oil every couple months.
> Maybe see if it needs sanding to bring the grain down maybe once or
> twice a year.
>
> Pastorio

That's the way I've treated my boards all my life...
I do bleach them occasionally with lemon juice, but that is strictly
cosmetic.

I like the idea of adding essential oils to the oil. :-)
I keep basil and rosemary oil on hand so that's do-able.

Thanks for posting this!


>

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:29:57 -0500, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:

>Kenneth wrote:
>
>> On 6 Mar 2005 06:42:09 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at least
>>>after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable oil.
>>
>> Howdy,
>>
>> If so, she was lucky that she did not lose the board to
>> rancidity... Mineral oil (from the pharmacy) is a much
>> better choice.
>
>How, exactly, does one "lose the board to rancidity?" The mineral oil
>mantra is a recent arrival on the wooden cutting board scene. It's
>based on faith, not empirical fact.
>
>A long time ago, it was animal fats. Butchers scraped their blocks and
>rubbed them with lard or beef fat. Country people rubbed pig tails on
>their skillets to grease them and their boards to "slick" them. Then
>when liquid oils became available, they were used. Then the carpenters
>and cabinetmakers got into the act and promoted mineral oil because it
>works on armoires and dining room tables, and they just figured...
>Normal people kept to food oils anyway, because they work just fine.
>
>The simple fact is that food oils work. They get exchanged in the
>course of normal use and cleaning so that they need replacement
>periodically. In the decades I've been in professional food service,
>using wooden boards which we oiled with any of several different kinds
>of food oils, not once have I ever seen or heard anyone else in the
>business say their boards smelled rancid. In nearly 20 years of
>dealing with kitchen questions on my radio program, amid all the other
>calls I've dealt with about cutting boards, not one person has ever
>raised the question of rancidity and their boards. In writing a couple
>thousand articles and columns about food and cooking, not once has
>anyone ever emailed me about rancid boards, although I've gotten them
>on myriad other cutting board and chopping block issues.
>
>Forget that business about mineral oil. It's not necessary.
>
>Pastorio

Hi Bob,

Might you explain to me what it is about cutting boards that
prevents vegetable oils from becoming rancid? (Or do you
believe that characteristic of vegetable oil to be a myth as
well.)

Thanks,



--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Kenneth wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:29:57 -0500, "Bob (this one)"
> > wrote:
>
>>Kenneth wrote:
>>
>>>On 6 Mar 2005 06:42:09 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Mom always oiled her cutting board after practically every use, or at least
>>>>after contact with liquid. I think she usually used vegetable oil.
>>>
>>>Howdy,
>>>
>>>If so, she was lucky that she did not lose the board to
>>>rancidity... Mineral oil (from the pharmacy) is a much
>>>better choice.
>>
>>How, exactly, does one "lose the board to rancidity?" The mineral oil
>>mantra is a recent arrival on the wooden cutting board scene. It's
>>based on faith, not empirical fact.
>>
>>A long time ago, it was animal fats. Butchers scraped their blocks and
>>rubbed them with lard or beef fat. Country people rubbed pig tails on
>>their skillets to grease them and their boards to "slick" them. Then
>>when liquid oils became available, they were used. Then the carpenters
>>and cabinetmakers got into the act and promoted mineral oil because it
>>works on armoires and dining room tables, and they just figured...
>>Normal people kept to food oils anyway, because they work just fine.
>>
>>The simple fact is that food oils work. They get exchanged in the
>>course of normal use and cleaning so that they need replacement
>>periodically. In the decades I've been in professional food service,
>>using wooden boards which we oiled with any of several different kinds
>>of food oils, not once have I ever seen or heard anyone else in the
>>business say their boards smelled rancid. In nearly 20 years of
>>dealing with kitchen questions on my radio program, amid all the other
>>calls I've dealt with about cutting boards, not one person has ever
>>raised the question of rancidity and their boards. In writing a couple
>>thousand articles and columns about food and cooking, not once has
>>anyone ever emailed me about rancid boards, although I've gotten them
>>on myriad other cutting board and chopping block issues.
>>
>>Forget that business about mineral oil. It's not necessary.
>>
>>Pastorio
>
> Hi Bob,
>
> Might you explain to me what it is about cutting boards that
> prevents vegetable oils from becoming rancid?

Did you see anywhere above where I said that food oils - not just
vegetable - are prevented from becoming rancid?

Perhaps your immersion in the theoretical has overwhelmed your
capacity for pragmatism. Perhaps you think that history started when
mineral oil became a commodity. I cited why I state that the food oils
don't become rancid, the conditions under which the boards are handled
and the results of that handling. I offered history. I offered the
reasons for my skepticism. I offered a clear lack of anything to even
remotely support your assertion about rancidity in cutting boards.

You have repeated the mineral oil mantra. And avoided answering the
question posed above: How, exactly, does one "lose the board to
rancidity?" For it to be credible, you have to offer a bit more than a
web site with bad information. A bit more than an unsupported opinion.

In another post I said that I was in the cutting board business for a
couple years. I investigated very widely about the manufacturing,
finishing and maintenance of boards. I tested the suggestions I read
and heard. And I found that the old ways with wood in the kitchen
worked better than the cabinetmaker's way. Animal fats are wonderful.
Food oils are grand. Those oils with wax melted into it is yet more grand.

And, sure, mineral oil can work, too. But it's not something most
people have on hand and it's simply not necessary. It's rather more
expensive than soybean or canola oil.

>(Or do you
> believe that characteristic of vegetable oil to be a myth as
> well.)

I believe that you think you've imparted great wisdom - that you
picked up and dropped in here without questioning it. Copied from
others who also don't know anything much empirical information about
how cutting boards work.

Explain how one can "lose a board to rancidity." Give me the name of
one person who has lost a board to rancidity. Tell me how long a board
with food oils on it will go before getting rancid. Show me one
reliable source that has an example of a board lost to rancidity. Back
up what you're saying with something a bit more concrete than "I said so."

Pastorio

notbob wrote:
> On 2005-03-06, > wrote:
>
> > I learned by sad experience that repeated water and soap washings,
even
> > if "wiped off and set on end to dry," the wood will absorb the
water
> > even after you wipe it up, and eventually warp and split along the
> > joins, if it is butcher block.
>
> Depends on the board. I have a 10" cutting board I've been using for
> 7-8 years. Wash with soap and water with every use with an
occasional
> chlorine douche. Never wipe with paper towels, just drip dry.

Just curious... what about paper towels prevents their use for wiping a
food prep board? Btw, I detest the term "cutting board"... it implies
cutting the board rather than the food, why would anyone want to cut
into their food prep board... with correct technique there should never
be any cuts/gouges imported into a food prep surface. Cover the food
prep surface with butcher paper and practice your knife wielding
technique until you can do your food prep without making any slices
through the butcher paper. For butchering (beef, fowl, fish, etc.) on
wood always choose an end grain surface, professinal butchers don't
work on the flat of the grain and neither should you. Of course
nowadays butchers, and all food prep venues are more and more switching
to plastic and so should we all.



Never
> been oiled. Has warped a few times from leaving too wet, but it
> always straightens out when dry and has never split. It's still as
> good as ever. I'd say a lot has to do with the quality of the board,
> the wood and the glue. I sure wish I could remember where I bought
> this thing.
>
> I once bought an very nice (and pricey) bamboo cutting board. I
> expected great things. It split in to places before I got it home!
>
> nb

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 09:01:56 -0500, "Bob (this one)"
> wrote:
>
>Did you see anywhere above where I said that food oils - not just
>vegetable - are prevented from becoming rancid?
>
>Perhaps your immersion in the theoretical has overwhelmed your
>capacity for pragmatism. Perhaps you think that history started when
>mineral oil became a commodity. I cited why I state that the food oils
>don't become rancid, the conditions under which the boards are handled
>and the results of that handling. I offered history. I offered the
>reasons for my skepticism. I offered a clear lack of anything to even
>remotely support your assertion about rancidity in cutting boards.
>
>You have repeated the mineral oil mantra. And avoided answering the
>question posed above: How, exactly, does one "lose the board to
>rancidity?" For it to be credible, you have to offer a bit more than a
>web site with bad information. A bit more than an unsupported opinion.
>
>In another post I said that I was in the cutting board business for a
>couple years. I investigated very widely about the manufacturing,
>finishing and maintenance of boards. I tested the suggestions I read
>and heard. And I found that the old ways with wood in the kitchen
>worked better than the cabinetmaker's way. Animal fats are wonderful.
>Food oils are grand. Those oils with wax melted into it is yet more grand.
>
>And, sure, mineral oil can work, too. But it's not something most
>people have on hand and it's simply not necessary. It's rather more
>expensive than soybean or canola oil.
>
> >(Or do you
>> believe that characteristic of vegetable oil to be a myth as
>> well.)
>
>I believe that you think you've imparted great wisdom - that you
>picked up and dropped in here without questioning it. Copied from
>others who also don't know anything much empirical information about
>how cutting boards work.
>
>Explain how one can "lose a board to rancidity." Give me the name of
>one person who has lost a board to rancidity. Tell me how long a board
>with food oils on it will go before getting rancid. Show me one
>reliable source that has an example of a board lost to rancidity. Back
>up what you're saying with something a bit more concrete than "I said so."
>
>Pastorio

Hi Bob,

I have not had the problem on cutting boards, but have with
wooden spoons. The oil on then has become rancid leaving the
spoon with a terrible taste that I could not eliminate.

That's why I switched to mineral oil, and suggest it to
others.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Kenneth wrote:
>
> I have not had the problem on cutting boards, but have with
> wooden spoons. The oil on then has become rancid leaving the
> spoon with a terrible taste that I could not eliminate.
>
> That's why I switched to mineral oil, and suggest it to
> others.

How do you know how your wooden spoons taste, you must put them into
your mouth... don't do that... it's not a civilized habit. I use a
tasting spoon... a metal soup spoon that sets in a saucer along the
stove, never goes into the pot... dip into the pot with your pot spoon
and dribble some into your tasting spoon. The dribbling also cools the
food to the proper tasting temp, and then you don't need to blow on
it.. blowing on a spoon you're going to dip back into the pot is
another uncivilized habit.... and nothing to do with sterile, a
simmering pot is rather sterile... but doing stuff that gets your
spittle in the pot is an ugly habit.

I also segregate my wooden spoons... those I use for clean liquids, ie.
boiling pasta and veggies, etc. are never used to stir foods containing
fats and other stuff that stains, like tomato sauce. Some of my
'boiling spoons' are ancient but as pristine as the day they were born.
Wooden spoons that stir sauces, soups, stews, and the like are also
kept to just those chores... they get hand washed right after use and
also are in pristine condition but are generally stained. Then I have
wooden spoons reserved for hard use, for moving stuff about while
frying and scraping during deglazing and like that. Those I also hand
wash directly after use but those tend to show wear from abrasion...
ever so often I will spend two minutes giving one a lick with sand
paper, removes discoloration and smooths the wood. I don't oil or
otherwise coat my wooden spoons... when one of my hard use spoons has
finally had it I move up one of my medium duty spoons to take it's
place, and so on down the line... wooden spoons are very inexpensive
(don't think I've ever spent more than a buck for one, usually more
like half that, or less), so when I see a bundle of nice ones at a good
price I will add it to my kitchen stash. It's probably been more than
two years since I had to break out a new wooden spoon (they usually
break before wearing out). I ain't gonna put a whole lotta time and
effort into regularly coating with preservatives something that costs
like 39=A2. And I don't know about yoose but I will occasionally run a
wooden spoon through the dishwasher, mine don't stink. Some of yoose
sure seem spend a lot more time talking about and agonizing over
kitchen stuff than actually doing kitchen stuff... I mean, sheesh, it's
a friggin' 39=A2 hunk of wood, costs less than a decent pencil... buncha
obsessed neurotics... I bet yoose don't wash yer crotch as good...
maybe that's what yoose smell... prolly where yer spoons been. <G>

Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha. . . . .

Sheldon

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:29:57 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
wrote:

>
>A long time ago, it was animal fats. Butchers scraped their blocks and
>rubbed them with lard or beef fat. Country people rubbed pig tails on
>their skillets to grease them and their boards to "slick" them. Then
>when liquid oils became available, they were used. Then the carpenters
>and cabinetmakers got into the act and promoted mineral oil because it
>works on armoires and dining room tables, and they just figured...
>Normal people kept to food oils anyway, because they work just fine.


Ahem-- Cabinetmakers use hardening oils, like "boiled" linseed and
tung.Mineral oil doesn't polymerize. But woodworkers get nervous when
they make cutting boards and salad bowls, because their normal
finishing materials aren't rated for contact with food.

Mineral oil (USP) at least won't poison anyone, even if it does the
cutting board no good.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


"Be careful. The toe you stepped on yesterday may be connected to the ass you have to kiss today." --Former mayor Ciancia

Rodney Myrvaagnes says:
Mineral oil (USP) at least won't poison anyone, even if it does the
cutting board no good.


Learn from the masters... go here and click on "Tips":
http://johnboos.com/Default.htm

Don't forget to click on the "Sanitation" link too.

Sheldon

Sheldon wrote:

> buncha obsessed neurotics... I bet yoose don't wash yer crotch as
> good...maybe that's what yoose smell... prolly where yer spoons been. <G>

Reminds me of this old joke:

A man entered a restaurant and sat at the only open table. As he sat down,
he knocked the spoon off the table with his elbow.

A nearby waiter reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a clean spoon and
set it on the table. The diner was impressed. "Do all the waiters carry
spoons in their pockets?" The waiter replied, "Yes. Ever since we had that
efficiency expert out, he determined that 17.8% of our diners knock the
spoon off the table. By carrying clean spoons with us, we save trips to the
kitchen."

The diner ate his meal. As he was paying the waiter, he commented, "Forgive
the intrusion, but do you know that you have a string hanging from your
fly?" The waiter replied, "Yes, we all do. Seems that the same efficiency
expert determined that we spend too much time washing our hands after using
the men's room. So, the other end of that string is tied to my penis. When I
need to go, I simply pull the string to get my penis out, go, and return to
work. Since I don't actually touch myself, there's no need to wash my hands.
Saves a lot of time."

"Wait a minute," said the diner. "How do you get your penis back in your
pants???"

"Well, I don't know about the other guys, but I use the spoon!!!"


Bob

"Sheldon" >, if that's their real name, wrote:

>... wooden spoons are very inexpensive
>(don't think I've ever spent more than a buck for one, usually more
>like half that, or less), so when I see a bundle of nice ones at a good
>price I will add it to my kitchen stash.

The wooden spoons that I usually find are made of balsa wood, I swear. I'm
not sure what happened to the good, solid, made-for-life spoons that my
mother had. As King of the Appropriate URL, can you suggest a place where
I can find good quality wooden spoons that don't break every time you stir
something?

On the other hand, it may not be the spoons, rather my brute strength.
Yeah, that's it!

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> "Sheldon" >, if that's their real name, wrote:
>
> >... wooden spoons are very inexpensive
> >(don't think I've ever spent more than a buck for one, usually more
> >like half that, or less), so when I see a bundle of nice ones at a
good
> >price I will add it to my kitchen stash.
>
> The wooden spoons that I usually find are made of balsa wood, I
swear. I'm
> not sure what happened to the good, solid, made-for-life spoons that
my
> mother had. As King of the Appropriate URL, can you suggest a place
where
> I can find good quality wooden spoons that don't break every time you
stir
> something?
>
> On the other hand, it may not be the spoons, rather my brute
strength.
> Yeah, that's it!
>
> Carol

I usually find them displayed in the housewares aisle of the
stupidmarket, usually 3-4 in a plastic bag for around a buck
twentynine, or thereabouts. Sometimes I forget my own strength and rap
a wooden spoon on the edge of a pot, snaps the business end right off.

Sheldon

In article >,
"Bob (this one)" > wrote:


--snippage--

> > * Use a good steel scraper or spatula often when using the board.
> > Scraping removes 75% of the moisture that builds up on a wooden
> > cutting board. An occasional sanding will return a wooden board to a
> > smooth luster. But never scrub a wooden board with a steel brush (a
> > steel brush will ruff up the finish and should be avoided).
>
> That scraping business will tear up the grain on flat side-grain
> boards and any made from soft woods.

No, it won't. Woodworkers have known for centuries that using a scraper
will produce a *smoother* finish than sanding, especially on hardwood.

I regularly scrape my rock maple cutting board with the *back* edge of
my chef's knife, especially after the board's gotten wet. You'd be
amazed at the amount of greasy "gunk" that shows up on the knife. And
the board is *smooth* and much lighter in color, too.

I do the same thing with my plastic cutting sheets, too. The amount of
gunk is even more amazing, considering that I clean those with hot soapy
water and a green "scrubber".

I have heard that professional butchers scrape their carving blocks.

Isaac

"Sheldon" >, if that's their real name, wrote:

With regard to flimsy wooden spoons:

>Sometimes I forget my own strength and rap a wooden
>spoon on the edge of a pot, snaps the business end right off.

Happens to me all the time.

Aha! Here's a URL I'm giving Santa for this Christmas!
http://www.kitchencarvers.com/Stirring_and_Serving.htm

Carol, happy camper
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Isaac Wingfield wrote:
[snips]
> I regularly scrape my rock maple cutting board with the *back* edge
> of my chef's knife, especially after the board's gotten wet. You'd be
> amazed at the amount of greasy "gunk" that shows up on the knife. And
> the board is *smooth* and much lighter in color, too.

I can second this, though I don't do it regularly. Don't know why I
don't, come to think of it, because whenever I do, it does produce
'gunk'.
>
> I do the same thing with my plastic cutting sheets, too. The amount
> of gunk is even more amazing, considering that I clean those with hot
> soapy water and a green "scrubber". [snip the conclusion]

Haven't ever tried it with those. Figured the dishwasher took care of
them.

-aem

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 22:18:12 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:


>Aha! Here's a URL I'm giving Santa for this Christmas!
>http://www.kitchencarvers.com/Stirring_and_Serving.htm
>
>Carol, happy camper

Arrrrrrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!

Why did you have to post this?

Now I want a whole bunch of stuff I don't have room for in my van!

Christine

Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:29:57 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
> wrote:
>
>>A long time ago, it was animal fats. Butchers scraped their blocks and
>>rubbed them with lard or beef fat. Country people rubbed pig tails on
>>their skillets to grease them and their boards to "slick" them. Then
>>when liquid oils became available, they were used. Then the carpenters
>>and cabinetmakers got into the act and promoted mineral oil because it
>>works on armoires and dining room tables, and they just figured...
>>Normal people kept to food oils anyway, because they work just fine.
>
> Ahem-- Cabinetmakers use hardening oils, like "boiled" linseed and
> tung.

My bad, then. My partner in the cutting board business often used
lemon oil alone and other oils with wax melted into them. I guess I
assumed things I shouldn't have.

> Mineral oil doesn't polymerize.

But food oils do, under certain conditions. Seasoning on cast iron
assumes polymerization. The edges of my ancient cutting boards made at
the beginning of the last century have edges that are smooth and
slightly slippery. I'm guessing it's polymerized oil, but I could be
wrong.

> But woodworkers get nervous when
> they make cutting boards and salad bowls, because their normal
> finishing materials aren't rated for contact with food.

Nor are their glues. We discovered when we made our first few boards.
They became the display models and my partner proceeded to assemble
the woods with food-safe glues and I made the oil/beeswax finishing
material. People used it on their boards and came back to buy some for
their furniture.

> Mineral oil (USP) at least won't poison anyone, even if it does the
> cutting board no good.

<LOL> A fine reason to use it. It probably does do the board good, but
my assertion is that it isn't necessary to use any other oils than are
routinely used in food applications, saving the ones that are strongly
scented. I've used oils from walnut, grapeseed, soy, corn, peanut (but
only once - it smelled faintly of peanuts for a while) and "vegetable"
which could have been any of several.

Pastorio

Kenneth wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 09:01:56 -0500, "Bob (this one)"
> > wrote:
>
>>Did you see anywhere above where I said that food oils - not just
>>vegetable - are prevented from becoming rancid?
>>
>>Perhaps your immersion in the theoretical has overwhelmed your
>>capacity for pragmatism. Perhaps you think that history started when
>>mineral oil became a commodity. I cited why I state that the food oils
>>don't become rancid, the conditions under which the boards are handled
>>and the results of that handling. I offered history. I offered the
>>reasons for my skepticism. I offered a clear lack of anything to even
>>remotely support your assertion about rancidity in cutting boards.
>>
>>You have repeated the mineral oil mantra. And avoided answering the
>>question posed above: How, exactly, does one "lose the board to
>>rancidity?" For it to be credible, you have to offer a bit more than a
>>web site with bad information. A bit more than an unsupported opinion.
>>
>>In another post I said that I was in the cutting board business for a
>>couple years. I investigated very widely about the manufacturing,
>>finishing and maintenance of boards. I tested the suggestions I read
>>and heard. And I found that the old ways with wood in the kitchen
>>worked better than the cabinetmaker's way. Animal fats are wonderful.
>>Food oils are grand. Those oils with wax melted into it is yet more grand.
>>
>>And, sure, mineral oil can work, too. But it's not something most
>>people have on hand and it's simply not necessary. It's rather more
>>expensive than soybean or canola oil.
>>
>>
>>>(Or do you
>>>believe that characteristic of vegetable oil to be a myth as
>>>well.)
>>
>>I believe that you think you've imparted great wisdom - that you
>>picked up and dropped in here without questioning it. Copied from
>>others who also don't know anything much empirical information about
>>how cutting boards work.
>>
>>Explain how one can "lose a board to rancidity." Give me the name of
>>one person who has lost a board to rancidity. Tell me how long a board
>>with food oils on it will go before getting rancid. Show me one
>>reliable source that has an example of a board lost to rancidity. Back
>>up what you're saying with something a bit more concrete than "I said so."
>>
>>Pastorio
>
>
> Hi Bob,
>
> I have not had the problem on cutting boards, but have with
> wooden spoons. The oil on then has become rancid leaving the
> spoon with a terrible taste that I could not eliminate.

It may be the oil, but I doubt it. If you stir sauces with it, all
those ingredients permeate it. Stir soups. Stews. I've never heard of
anyone oiling wooden spoons before. They're thought of as essentially
disposable items in most cultures and typically treated as such.

But, again, my experience differs markedly from yours. I have wooden
spoons that I use that I got from my grandparents more than 40 years
ago. I use them, wash quickly with hot soapy water, rinse and let
air-dry in a drainboard. On rare occasions, I'll scour them with a
stainless steel scrubby pad if they're stained by what I just cooked.
I've never worn one out, never had any smell bad, never had any have
any sort of rancidity.

> That's why I switched to mineral oil, and suggest it to
> others.

To each his own.

It also may just be possible that I deal with cleanup differently than
most. All those years of foodservice taught me to clean as I go.
Nothing sits around dirty. Any cooking utensils I use during a meal
except those that will go through the dish machine will be washed on
completion of use. The ones to be machine washed are put into the
machine as I go. That way I always have all my counter space
available, just like it has to be in restaurants.

Pastorio

Bob in socal wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 01:59:29 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
> wrote:
>
>>Bob in socal wrote:
>>
>>>On 5 Mar 2005 21:31:37 +0100, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I just caught this on the tube, for periodic cutting board cleaning:
>>>FWIW:
>>>
>>>All About Cutting Boards
>>>http://whatscookingamerica.net/Cutti...s/AllAbout.htm
>>
>>This web site if full of misinformation. They're still talking about
>>the antibacterial properties of wooden boards. In the face of good
>>research that says it isn't so.
>>
>>And their maintenance advice is simply unworkable.
>
> Thanks for your input, however I'll stick with published data which
> works and has worked well for me. I wash my board after use if
> needed, with a hot soapy dish rag,

Eeeeeewwwww. Germs all over the place...

> rinse and dry with a paper towel.
> I oil it with mineral oil regularly as mineral oil is quite reasonably
> priced and readily available in any drug store.

Or ammo shop or sex toy emporium or machine shop or laxative vending
machine or hobby palace...

> I wholeheartedly agree with Sheldon's post on the subject as I don't
> use my good end-grain board for meat or sloppy wet food either. I have
> several plastic boards, one for chicken, one for sea food and one for
> red meat, all purchased new at the local swap meet quite reasonably
> and replaced regularly when needed.

Few things:
1) That you wholeheartedly agree with Sheldon's blather on the subject
speaks it's own volumes. As usual, he's blowing smoke.
2) And your avoiding answering the question about how one "loses " a
board to rancidity after you brought it up speaks yet more.
3) Your inability to offer one case, one example, one person who has
had the shattering heartbreak of the Dreaded Rancid Cutting Board
speaks the rest.

You're a positive Brittanica of volumes of empty air.

Thanks for playing.

Pastorio

Sheldon wrote:

> Kenneth wrote:
>=20
>>I have not had the problem on cutting boards, but have with
>>wooden spoons. The oil on then has become rancid leaving the
>>spoon with a terrible taste that I could not eliminate.
>>
>>That's why I switched to mineral oil, and suggest it to
>>others.
>=20
>=20
> How do you know how your wooden spoons taste, you must put them into
> your mouth... don't do that... it's not a civilized habit. I use a
> tasting spoon... a metal soup spoon that sets in a saucer along the
> stove, never goes into the pot... dip into the pot with your pot spoon
> and dribble some into your tasting spoon. The dribbling also cools the=

> food to the proper tasting temp, and then you don't need to blow on
> it.. blowing on a spoon you're going to dip back into the pot is
> another uncivilized habit.... and nothing to do with sterile, a
> simmering pot is rather sterile... but doing stuff that gets your
> spittle in the pot is an ugly habit.

Bwah. Sheldon lecturing on manners and what's uncivilized. And holding=20
himself as an example of how to act. You couldn't make up stuff this rich=
=2E

<LOL> FOITN

> I also segregate my wooden spoons... those I use for clean liquids, ie.=

> boiling pasta and veggies, etc. are never used to stir foods containing=

> fats and other stuff that stains, like tomato sauce. Some of my
> 'boiling spoons' are ancient but as pristine as the day they were born.=

> Wooden spoons that stir sauces, soups, stews, and the like are also
> kept to just those chores... they get hand washed right after use and
> also are in pristine condition but are generally stained. Then I have
> wooden spoons reserved for hard use, for moving stuff about while
> frying and scraping during deglazing and like that. Those I also hand
> wash directly after use but those tend to show wear from abrasion...
> ever so often I will spend two minutes giving one a lick with sand
> paper, removes discoloration and smooths the wood. I don't oil or
> otherwise coat my wooden spoons... when one of my hard use spoons has
> finally had it I move up one of my medium duty spoons to take it's
> place, and so on down the line... wooden spoons are very inexpensive
> (don't think I've ever spent more than a buck for one, usually more
> like half that, or less), so when I see a bundle of nice ones at a good=

> price I will add it to my kitchen stash. It's probably been more than
> two years since I had to break out a new wooden spoon (they usually
> break before wearing out). I ain't gonna put a whole lotta time and
> effort into regularly coating with preservatives something that costs
> like 39=A2. And I don't know about yoose but I will occasionally run a=

> wooden spoon through the dishwasher, mine don't stink. Some of yoose
> sure seem spend a lot more time talking about and agonizing over
> kitchen stuff than actually doing kitchen stuff... I mean, sheesh, it's=

> a friggin' 39=A2 hunk of wood, costs less than a decent pencil... bunch=
a
> obsessed neurotics... I bet yoose don't wash yer crotch as good...
> maybe that's what yoose smell... prolly where yer spoons been. <G>
>=20
> Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha. . . . .

What could this be...? OCD? Some boundary syndrome?

Pastorio

Isaac Wingfield wrote:

> In article >,
> "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
>
> --snippage--
>
>>> * Use a good steel scraper or spatula often when using the board.
>>>Scraping removes 75% of the moisture that builds up on a wooden
>>>cutting board. An occasional sanding will return a wooden board to a
>>>smooth luster. But never scrub a wooden board with a steel brush (a
>>>steel brush will ruff up the finish and should be avoided).
>>
>>That scraping business will tear up the grain on flat side-grain
>>boards and any made from soft woods.
>
> No, it won't.

Try it on a piece of cedar or pine. There are softer parts (the wide
spaces in the grain) that will compress under the pressure of serious
scraping.

> Woodworkers have known for centuries that using a scraper
> will produce a *smoother* finish than sanding, especially on hardwood.

Using a scraper as would a woodworker is different than how a baker
uses one. Bakers usually push scrapers; woodworkers usually pull them.
Softwoods (which are still used for cutting boards) will suffer damage
unless the scraping is done as in a woodshop. Wooden bakers' tables
are edge-grain lengthwise precisely so they can be scraped efficiently.

> I regularly scrape my rock maple cutting board with the *back* edge of
> my chef's knife, especially after the board's gotten wet. You'd be
> amazed at the amount of greasy "gunk" that shows up on the knife. And
> the board is *smooth* and much lighter in color, too.

Of course it would be. You've taken a micro-thin bit of the board with
whatever's down in whatever pits and nicks. You're doing a combination
of scraping and squeegeeing with a tiny bit of refinishing. But a good
waxing would fill most of those little pits and prevent that gunk from
getting down in there to begin with.

> I do the same thing with my plastic cutting sheets, too. The amount of
> gunk is even more amazing, considering that I clean those with hot soapy
> water and a green "scrubber".

Run them through the dish machine or use a commercial dish washing
detergent. Costco's orange-colored dish detergent is as good as
anything you'll find in a restaurant kitchen. Use a brush in swirling
motions. It gets into all the nooks and crannies.

> I have heard that professional butchers scrape their carving blocks.

Chopping blocks, they're called. They do, indeed scrape them. Right
after they run a wire brush hard against the surface. Hot water, most
still use a bit of bleach in it, and a good rinse. If you don't smell
antiseptic in a butcher shop, buy elsewhere.

It's how we dealt with our butchering tables. We didn't chop, we used
band saws to break down carcasses. Then we pulled out the primal cuts
and butchered them from there. trimmings became meatloaf or burgers.
Since we did no chopping, we didn't have any end-grain blocks. We had
several wooden-top tables for cutting all sorts of flesh. We
sterilized with bleach in a 100ppm solution (which is stronger than
mandated by the dept of health) while scouring with stainless steel
scrubbies and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed... Floor drains are
wonderful things. Oiled with fryer oil.

Pastorio