A beautiful wooden cutting board can last for years if you maintain it properly. But how exactly do you maintain a wooden cutting board? In this article you can read everything you need to know about maintaining your wooden cutting board.
Why a wooden cutting board?
Why would you buy a wooden cutting board if you have to thoroughly clean it regularly? After all, you can easily throw a plastic cutting board into the dishwasher. A wooden cutting board has a very nice feature, namely the material: wood. When you cut on a cutting board, grooves are created in the cutting board that can harbor dirt and bacteria. A groove in a plastic cutting board partly closes around dirt and bacteria. Then you can scrub all you want, but there will always be food residue and bacteria left in the grooves.
With a wooden cutting board, on the other hand, something different happens. Wood is a natural product and is, as it were, alive. When a groove forms in a wooden cutting board, this groove opens itself. This allows you to easily wash all dirt and bacteria from the grooves. Another advantage of a wooden cutting board is tannin. Tannin is a collective name for certain chemical compounds that can be found in wood. Tannin has a self-cleaning effect and therefore kills a large part of the bacteria itself, so that you no longer have to do that.
Clean after use
After using your wooden cutting board, it is wise to always clean it. It is best to rinse it under a lukewarm tap and wipe clean with a washing-up brush or sponge. If you have cut raw meat, it is wise to wash the cutting board with mild dishwashing liquid. Then dry the wooden cutting board thoroughly with a tea towel. If you put a wooden cutting board away wet, there is a good chance that cracks will appear or it will warp. Once you have dried the cutting board thoroughly, place it upright. It is important that the grain of the wood is vertical, so the chance of the cutting board warping is much smaller.
Can a wooden cutting board also be put in the dishwasher?
A wooden cutting board should never be put in the dishwasher! The large temperature differences and the large amount of water are bound to cause cracks in your wooden cutting board, so never put it in the dishwasher.
The big cleaning for your wooden cutting board
Simply rinsing and wiping clean is not enough to maintain the quality of your cutting board in the long term. It is therefore important to thoroughly clean your wooden cutting board once every 2 to 4 months. For major cleaning you will need lemon juice or white vinegar, (sea) salt and a paper towel or clean dishcloth. Below you can read step by step how to clean a wooden cutting board:
- Step 1 is to rub the wooden cutting board with lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Then sprinkle a handful of sea salt on top.
- Now take the kitchen paper or clean dishcloth and rub the lemon juice or vinegar into the cutting board.
- Then wait 15 minutes, while you wait the board will be thoroughly cleaned.
- After the 15 minutes, rinse the board under the tap and dry the cutting board thoroughly with a paper towel or tea towel.
And voilà, your cutting board is now thoroughly cleaned and freed of all bacteria, stains and odors. To provide the cutting board with an extra protective layer, you can rub it with oil after cleaning. You can read below how the oiling works.
Cutting board oil
In addition to rinsing and wiping clean after use and servicing every 2 to 4 months, it is wise to oil your cutting board. If your wooden cutting board feels and looks dry, then you know it is time to oil your wooden cutting board. The oil is absorbed by the wooden cutting board and forms a protective layer, which keeps your wooden cutting board in top condition. When oiling, use an oil without odor or flavor such as coconut oil , avocado oil or almond oil.
The first step in oiling is pouring the oil onto the cutting board. Then rub the oil into the cutting board with a paper towel or clean dishcloth. Let the oil seep into the cutting board and repeat this process a number of times until the cutting board no longer absorbs oil. Then you know that the cutting board is saturated. Then wipe the cutting board thoroughly with a dry cloth and you're done. Your wooden cutting board will be in top condition again with an extra protective layer.
In short ,
If you take good care of your cutting board, it will last for years. Let us know if our tips were helpful to you.
Greetings,
CookGigant