Chopping Board Care Instructions

Coconut Oil with coconuts

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?

Chopping Board Oil Instructions

  • 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

chopping board 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.
    Bottle of Gilly's Chopping board oil 100ml orange oil
    An easy to use 100ml bottle of the finest chopping board oil. Gilly’s Chopping Board Oil is great for all your kitchen utensils.


  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.
    a can of livos countertop oil environmentally friendly plant oil finish
    This is the best oil I’ve found in all the years of using natural oil finishes. It’s a unique blend of organic food grade sustainable environmentally friendly plant oils. And as an added bonus it really works!

     

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/

    Coconut Oil with coconuts

  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

Green Living Festivals

Victorian Gum Tree at the Apex Park in Heyfield

Green Living Festivals

Looks like a fun day for the family & the planet at the same time!

After reading an interesting post on Tammy Logan’s blog Gippsland Unwrapped about the Casey Green Living Festival (which evolved from a Cloth Nappy Expo) I thought it might be a good idea to provide a resource of links to other Green Living Festivals or similar events around Australia (not limited to Victoria or the Gippsland region).  They often have a great list of FREE activities for the family.  So take your kids for a look if you’re in the area, looks like a fun day.

VICTORIA

Casey Green Living Festival

– from Casey’s Website
When? – 16 Nov 2019 | 10.00 am – 3.00 pm

Where?
Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick North East Drive, Narre Warren 3805 Check on map

Free activities!!

  • Bike n’ Blend – make your own pedal-powered smoothie
  • Reptile encounters – up-close wildlife experiences 
  • Face painting – recycling themed
  • Recycling truck – jump in the driver’s seat to have your photo taken
  • Interactive water catchment model and water bug activity 
  • Roving bubble entertainer (supporting the “Bubbles not Balloons” campaign)
  • Roving entertainment by “The Connies” sharing swap cards on local birdlife and waste reduction actions

Talks and workshops

Please click the links to book your spot in the talks and workshops:

10.30am – 11.00am: Home composting
11.15am – 11.45am: Reduce your waste
12.00pm – 12.30pm: Having a wildlife friendly garden
12.45pm – 1.15pm: SECCCA: Energy efficiency in the home
1.30pm – 2.00pm: Making beeswax wraps
2.15pm – 2.45pm: Recycling right

Stallholders

You can view the complete list of stallholders from our website.

Go to the Events Page here for more details and info on stall holders.

If you’re planning a festival or even a craft market in your area and would like to be listed here please Contact Me and I’ll be more than happy to add you to this list as it grows.

For more information about Gippsland Unwrapped and the great work that Tammy does you can read her story here https://gippslandunwrapped.com/our-story/

You might just find yourself reading through all the great tips she has on sustainable living and minimalist lifestyle and how you can apply these things to your own life in small ways.  Every little bit counts but often we are overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin so I think blogs like this are fantastic for those that would like to get more involved in sustainable living but need simple clear instructions or ideas without having to spend hours doing your own research reinventing the wheel.

Tammy’s original article about the Casey Green Living Festival can be viewed through this link below, looks like a big day planned and I hope it all goes well.

https://gippslandunwrapped.com/2019/10/29/casey-green-living-festival-from-cloth-nappies-to-green-funerals/

 

Help me grow this list!!!

Have fun!
Andrew

MERBAU TIMBER DECKS Sustainability? > Bad

Orangutan family

Merbau Timber Sustainability

The Hidden Damage Caused By Merbau Decks In Australia

Orangutan family endangered
Orangutan families are losing their homes and populations are becoming extinct just so we can improve our homes and have a nice looking deck! – Ridiculous!

“Merbau is not only considered an endangered species, at the prevailing rate of indiscriminate usage it will also be extinct within the next 35 years.”

Does this sound like a 
Sustainable timber to you?
Come on Australia, we can do better than this. PLEASE READ ON!


What about the animals?
Does anyone care?
Or do you just love your new deck & not aware where it came from?

“I looked into the eyes of this vulnerable orangutan and pledged to do something to be part of the solution.”

Learn more about Tracey Bailey’s story here.

Click the link above to learn more about Tracey’s business, helping the rainforest by buying sustainable products.

Why not use Merbau?

  • The destruction of large forest areas to get just one tree is shocking!
  • It doesn’t grow easily in plantations.
  • The small Islands of Indonesia cannot sustain this continued destruction
  • It is very difficult to enforce any laws put in place.
  • Logs are often smuggled over near-by borders or officials are paid off to turn a blind eye.
  • It is rapidly causing the extinction of beautiful defenceless animals
  • Not only losing their homes – THEIR SPECIES IS BEING WIPED OUT!

Where there is big money involved it will only continue.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

I think it’s important to get the word out about the sustainability issues & damage from Merbau timber as many people are not aware of the destruction caused by the continued importation of this timber species to Australia.

Please read then share this post.

Merbau seems to be a very popular choice here in Australia
– DIYer’s walk into their local hardware store looking to build a deck and don’t know better!
The sales staff will probably point you in the direction of the Merbau racks without a second thought.

CHANGE IS UP TO YOU – Your choice of decking timber can help
So what can we do?  – Education and choice when purchasing is the key to this change, we must make change happen through the choices we make when building decks and other outdoor projects.
Get the FACTS right before making a decision based on price and colour alone!

Do we trust them when they tell you it’s sustainable and being managed? – IT’S NOT!

Read more

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