How to Care for Wood Cutting Boards

There is nothing better than a big chunky wood cutting board–with all its knife cuts and marks to prove that you have, in fact, spent your fair share of time in the kitchen.  A good quality wood cutting board, even with all of the marks, will last you years…with the proper care.

There are basically three things to keep in mind when maintaining a wood cutting board:  cleaning, deodorizing and oiling.

Cleaning is easy peasy.  Just a little soapy water and a scrub brush will do the trick.  After each use, give it a wash, wipe it down with a towel, and let it air dry the rest of the way.  If you want to disinfect the cutting board,  you can add some vinegar to the soap and water scrub.

Every so often, I like to give my cutting board a little deodorizing treatment.  Years ago, someone taught me to sprinkle course salt all over the board.  Let it sit for a couple of hours.  When you are ready, cut a lemon in half and use it as a sponge over the entire cutting board, moving the salt as a scrubbing agent as you go.  When you are done, wipe the cutting board down with a slightly damp dishcloth, and call it good.  It will smell all lemon-y fresh, and the salt and lemon combo will help to obliterate any lingering bacteria that might have worked its way into the surface of your board.  It’s like a deodorizer and sanitizer all in one.

Finally, remember wood was once a living thing, and if you want to keep it from splitting and cracking as it ages, you’ll need to oil it.  How often you oil totally depends on your climate.  Humid climates can get away with oiling less, while dry climates probably should oil more regularly.  You can use a couple different types of oil to condition  your cutting board.  The simplest is mineral oil.  Just drizzle some oil {you don’t need a ton} onto your cutting board and wipe it with a clean cloth.  Make sure to go with the grain of the wood.  I like to oil my entire cutting board–front, back and sides. If you want to avoid using mineral oil, you can also use walnut oil.  Other oils go rancid pretty quickly, so avoid those.

Do you do anything else to maintain your wood cutting boards?

~Mavis