Chopping Board Care

How to care for your chopping board & keep it looking great.

What oil is best to seal wooden kitchen products & where can you buy it in Australia?

• What Oils are Safe to be in contact with food?

• What Oils are ALL Natural?

  Below these care instructions is a list of safe oils you can use on your cutting boards and any wooden utensils you have in your kitchen.
  *Please consider these options as advice only and your unique circumstances may be different,
  for example Peanut Oil is not a good option for those allergic to nuts.
  
  

  *Please use the heading links, do your own research then decide which oil is best for your situation. This list may be updated at any time.

Care Instructions

Care & Maintenance instructions for chopping boards – I’d received a couple of emails asking what oil is best to use, so rather than re-write most of it I thought I’d paste it here for all to read.  This is my email reply to a happy owner of one of my chopping boards.

CHOPPING BOARD MAINTENANCE

• The main thing you need to do is make sure nobody puts it in the DISHWASHER as this will dry out the wood fibres and may cause it to warp or split.
  
  
• Wipe it down after use.
  We just wipe ours clean with a damp cloth when needed, it stays on the bench, has quite a few cuts on the surface now from making sandwiches over the years but it just adds a bit of character, can’t worry too much as that’s what it’s for.
  As long as you don’t leave stuff on there to dry crusty I think that’s the best way to look after them.Wet chopping boards need to be put up on edge to allow both sides to dry.

• How safe are wooden cutting boards?
  Wood is the safest cutting board, in my opinion, plastic boards trap moisture and germs breed like crazy in the cuts.

• Can I cut Meat on it?
  Of course you can – Butchers have used Ash and Oak for cutting meat on for 1000’s of years, as long as it’s wiped then allowed to dry it should be fine, even if it does get a bit stained sometimes. Just remember the rules when handling raw meat.

BEST OPTIONS FOR SEALING CUTTING BOARDS

• Do I really need to use oil?

Some recommend that you don’t oil them at all because that can trap moisture but I find it helps to keep them clean and stop dirt penetrating so as long as you don’t slap oil on it every day I think it’s fine.

1. What Oil is best?

   What Chopping Board Oil is best?

   
   Although there are Cheap Chopping board Oils mentioned below it’s always best to buy a ready made oil that is especially suited and foodsafe to protect your chopping boards and wooden kitchen utensils. 

   What do I use for maintaining my wooden kitchen items and chopping boards?
   
   

   1. Gilly’s Chopping Board Oil – I find this oil is best for maintaining wooden chopping boards, spoons, spatulas and any other wooden kitchen utensils. It has a nice fresh orange aroma and has rave reviews, read more and make a purchase right here at Biome, one of my favorite online sites to chop for environmentally friendly oils, wood waxes and household products.

   

   
   
   
2. I also use Livos Countertop Oil on the wood when I make them, that’s the best hardwax oil I’ve ever tried and it’s fully natural, unlike others that have poisons & drying agents even though they claim to be all natural.
   

   So you could always buy a tin of this if you have a few boards you need to maintain but there are some alternatives below that are easy to find at your local supermarkets or chemists.

   

    

Other Cheap Oils Commonly Used on Wooden Kitchen Products

1. Some people rub Canola Oil on every now and then but I’ve heard mixed reports – some say it goes rancid eventually. This is the same with most vegetable oils.
   But if it’s getting constant use and not left sitting in a damp dark cupboard for 6 months I think you’ll be fine with any oil.
   
   

2. Grapeseed Oil

   is better, less likely to go rancid.
   This is a great natural chopping board oil & available in most supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths or IGA.
   
   

3. Coconut Oil

   Is great for use on chopping boards any many other uses (see below). In our cold winter it is solid in the jar though so you need to heat it first to make it liquid,  easily done with a hair dryer on the board while you rub it in with your hand being careful not to overheat.
   
   I’ve been using it on pine chopping boards and the Beard Combs and it adds a nice colour which is surprising because it looks white in the jar when solid. It’s also totally natural, edible, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, so I think it’s possibly the best choice I’ve come across at the local shops.
   
   
4. Coconut Oil has many uses & benefits to your health but there are some things you may not be aware of.
   If you would like to learn more about the health effects (and topical uses!) of coconut oil, its potential benefits and downsides, and its components such as lauric acid and MCTs.
   please visit Gerard’s helpful website called ManyEats. A wealth of information!
   https://manyeats.com/health-effects-of-coconut-oil/
   
   
   
   
5. The other alternative is
   

   Liquid Paraffin Oil

   a highly refined mineral oil sold in the chemist as a laxative so it is safe to use on chopping boards, it’s a liquid so sold in a bottle usually.
   I used to use it on boards but these days I’ve gone more for natural oil products, rather than products from industries that are bad for the environment.
   (PETROLEUM PRODUCT WARNING!)

Hopefully that helps answer some of your questions about oils on chopping boards & hasn’t just confused you with my rambling on!
Please contact me if you have any questions about your wooden kitchen items.

With a little care you will continue to enjoy them in your kitchen for many years to come.

Regards
Andrew Wilkerson