oil finish for cutting board

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Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

What Tex said.

(This has already been covered many, many times, BTW. You'll find a LOT of info by doing a search for "finish chopping board". :wink:)


(Now stand by and watch the can of worms unravel. Again.)

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Skew,
Couldn't agree with you more. Wood has it's own protection against bacteria and a test on wood and on plastic cutting boards proved that wood killed all pathegens in a very short time. Plastic did not.
My wife has, as many women have, the habit of throwing the cutting boards into the dishwasher. Doesn't do any finish much good.
So my question is why finish?
Tex,
I have a warped sense of humour and the idea of coating cutting board with a laxative conjures up a weird scene, but that's just me.

Jerry

Wot Skew said.

IIRC it was only a species of pine that had anti-bacterial properties. Parasites, viruses and other nasties haven't been tested.

FWIW, putting your wood board in sunlight (not filtered by glass) after washing will allow the UV light to deal with a good deal of the bacteria.

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Originally Posted by jerryc

My wife has, as many women have, the habit of throwing the cutting boards into the dishwasher. Doesn't do any finish much good.

So my question is why finish?

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Is it too late to get a new wife? :U

Why finish? Because it makes the wood looks better when you give/sell it to someone.

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Originally Posted by Wongo

Is it too late to get a new wife? :U

Why finish? Because it makes the wood looks better when you give/sell it to someone.

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Wongo,

Answer to your first statement.
Wouldn't want to. Superb cook. Great crew when sailing even in stormy seas. Always happy. Good woodworker. Let's me buy all the tools I need.
Want me to go on?

Answer to second statement.
A cutting board is just another tool in the kitchen. It's like they used to say about handkerchiefs. Show or blow?

Jerry

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Originally Posted by jerryc

A cutting board is just another tool in the kitchen.

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Do you buy your wife nice clothes? :fisch:

:brick:

It is called packaging. :U

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Originally Posted by Wongo

:brick:

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Wongo you gotta stop peking and duck :D

Think you'll find paraffin oil as a laxative is actually a lubricant not a laxative as such.

It is also the only completely safe and inert oil for food implements. Not only that but unlike some of the other oils it won't taint food in any way (if it has aromatics like orange, lemon, camphor, pure turpentine, etc it will taint food). Oil should in my opinion only be used for keeping the board looking good prior to being used, after that the only thing needed is hot soapy water and as rssr said some sunlight occasionally.

Cleanliness is far more important than oil or other finish for any wooden chopping board or cooking utensil.

HOWEVER: I think there will be more of a problem with the timber than the finishes as there are probably as many people if not more, who are allergic to Silky Oak as there are to nuts etc. I sure wouldn't be using it as a bread board or for any sort of food.preparation. I personally know of a of 2 people who break out in a rash and start wheezing as soon as they walk into a room that has silky in it.

Be very careful. Not all timbers are suitable for food utensils. SOME ARE EVEN DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. So are some of the finishes.

Cheers - Neil

PS Paraffin oil is available at chemists and most supermarkets. Don't use baby oil which is paraffin oil with a fragrance oil added. Oh yeah and paraffin oil here in Australia is completely different to paraffin or pink paraffin sold in UK and other places as a fuel. That stuff's more closer to kerosene. Paraffin oil is also known in US and other places as Mineral Oil.

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Originally Posted by Wongo

Do you buy your wife nice clothes? :fisch:

:brick:

It is called packaging. :U

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Wongo,

I didn't add to the list of this lady's accomplishments that she has studied dress making and is very good at it. I know she sounds a paragon but it's one of the reasons I've stayed married to her for fifty years. Also she puts up with me.

As to packaging, well I've never placed much emphasis on that. Like I said too much show and no blow. Form follows function, it doesn't need a party dress.

Jerry

Neil,

I had my tongue firmly in my cheek when I talked about laxative oil.

Jerry

I personally would avoid peanut oil. I can't stand the smell enough to get through application.

Bunnings stock Paraffin Oil with all their metho and turps. Do you know if this is the food safe variety, or is it the dangerous variety?

If its the 1lt and it looks like water then it'll be the bad one.

Never seen food safe variety at Bunning :no:

You need to go to a chemist or your local supermarket might even stock it. It's usually in a small bottle like 150ml.

I personally just use olive oil - when I can be bothered using anything. I know, I know, it will go rancid blah blah blah.However, I am yet to be convinced about that. I have never become sick form using it on the board. The oil just soaks in and I don't think it would contact food in large enough amounts to cause a problem anyway.

I tried searching the internet for information about oil oil going rancid. All I managed to find was hearsay and people saying this is what they heard. I could not find any primary source which confirmed this.

The reason I use olive oil is cos a tv chef told me too - Huey or someone like that.

Funnily enough, on ACA the other day they reviewed olive oils. The pompous little twat that did the review said that olive oil will go rancid in a few days if exposed to air and light. I keep my olive oil in a clear jar, and the kitchen is quite bright. When the bottle is mostly empty, I imagine the oil is quite exposed to air. SO based on this, my oil is already rancid before it goes on the cutting board, or more importantly - in my cooking!

Anyway, you will probably find that after a few months you won't care what oil your board is finished with, because you have other thigns to do...that is what happens to me, but maybe I am just lazy :D

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Originally Posted by Sparhawk

However, if you use peanut oil, some caution may be necessary. Cold-pressed expelled or extruded peanut oil may contain peanut protein and cause a reaction. Always check the manufacturer of the peanut oil and be sure it's a reputable one. The quality controls of some foreign manufacturers are not as good as quality controls in Australia.

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My wife is a kindergarten teacher. One year, she had a kid whose allergic reaction was set off by the next kid's peanut sangers, still in the unopened lunchbox. No contact necessary.

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Originally Posted by Duffenator

I personally just use olive oil - when I can be bothered using anything. I know, I know, it will go rancid blah blah blah.However, I am yet to be convinced about that. I have never become sick form using it on the board. The oil just soaks in and I don't think it would contact food in large enough amounts to cause a problem anyway.

I tried searching the internet for information about oil oil going rancid. All I managed to find was hearsay and people saying this is what they heard. I could not find any primary source which confirmed this.

The reason I use olive oil is cos a tv chef told me too - Huey or someone like that.

Funnily enough, on ACA the other day they reviewed olive oils. The pompous little twat that did the review said that olive oil will go rancid in a few days if exposed to air and light. I keep my olive oil in a clear jar, and the kitchen is quite bright. When the bottle is mostly empty, I imagine the oil is quite exposed to air. SO based on this, my oil is already rancid before it goes on the cutting board, or more importantly - in my cooking!

Anyway, you will probably find that after a few months you won't care what oil your board is finished with, because you have other thigns to do...that is what happens to me, but maybe I am just lazy :D

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I have a bought board which gets olive oil occasionally. It gets washed under the tap, often with a soft scourer and dishwashing detergent.

There has been no sign of any problems other than it's cupped from sitting in water a while back. I'll continue to use olive oil until I see a problem.

I have two woks, both get lightly coated in olive oil after washing. The smaller one sometimes goes months without being used, sitting on top of a kitchen wall cupboard. No sign of the oil going off, last time I used it it got a light rinse in case it was dusty.