Before Christmas I noticed that my chopping board (made of bamboo) was definitely in need of oiling, not having been oiled in some time. So I oiled it (with olive oil). But how often should it be oiled?
Olive oil and other vegetable oils will go rancid and off-tasting exposed to that much light and air. Better to use a food-safe mineral oil, often called cutting board oil, or butcher block oil.
Once you start oiling, you can tell by looking, when it looks ‘dry’ it’s time . I have found that Bamboo needs much more oiling then wood, perhaps 3x or 4x as many times.
Cooking oil is acceptable and better then nothing, but yes get the right stuff.
I haven’t noticed anything in several years.
Duly noted.
Given that it’s had umpteen dressings (ahem) of olive oil, how should I prepare it for proper oil?
I oil mine when it gets a very thorough wash after cutting something with strong aromas. Such as fish or onion. Usually I rinse and wipe dry, for daily care. I use an acrylic board for chicken so I don’t generally worry about cross contamination.
We’re supposed to oil our wooden cutting boards? I have never heard of this. What is the benefit of oiling them? I have a couple that I’ve had since the early 90’s, and I’ve never oiled them. They work just fine and look fine to me. I use them, then I wash and dry them. After they are thoroughly dry, I put them in the cabinet. What am I missing?
I’ve had some that have warped and also separated at seams the oil seems to prevent that.
Some wooden cutting boards get noticeably dry with a lot of repeated use and washing. The surface roughens up and in the long run they can crack or warp. If you’re happy with your cutting boards the way they are then I wouldn’t bother oiling them. Maybe it would keep them from cracking or warping years down the road, or maybe it wouldn’t.
I oil my cutting boards when they seem sort of parched but I probably don’t get around to it more than once or twice a year, and I have done no experiments to determine whether it actually keeps them in better condition (except maybe for the surface feeling smoother, which ISTM is perceptible after oiling) than simply leaving them un-oiled.
The manufacturer of my board says to do it once a month. Besides keeping the wood from drying out and possibly cracking, it also helps to form a barrier that keeps meat juices from sinking in to the board, where it might be hard to remove from the fibers even with washing. I always think of it as similar to seasoning a skillet - things don’t stick if you do it right.
Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, then once a month for the rest of your life.
Acrylic boards are not recommended because bacteria can lurk and thrive in the tiny scratches.
Thank God it isn’t just me. Never crossed my mind!
I don’t put them through the dishwasher, so I’m not a complete philistine.
Thriced. Actually, I came to the thread because I thought didn’t get what it meant.
In fact, I would never buy a board that needed oiling. My cutting board is 20 years old and can’t picture us getting a new one ever again.
I’ve had a number over the decades and if I don’t oil them sufficiently frequently they tend to crack and split.
Warping and cracking depends largely on what kind of wood was used to make the board, how it was constructed, and how it’s cared for. Oiling a cutting board is primarily for aesthetics. If you have a hand-made board that’s constructed from some decorative woods like walnut, purple heart, etc., an application of mineral oil will bring back the luster. Oil and other finishes typically only penetrate 1/16" (at most), regardless of what the label may say about “deep penetration”. If a board is constructed using end grain or side grain, it’s less likely to warp.
A washed wooden board should have all excess water wiped off. Leaving a washed board wet is the biggest culprit in warping. I have one hand-made board that, if left wet, will cup radically. It’s not all that difficult to return it to flatness, though, by wetting the cupped side and applying heat to the other side. I’ve done this by wetting the cupped side and setting the board out in the sun (cupped side down) on a hot day.
Another non-oiler here. When dirty, I wash it and wipe it. I don’t let it soak in water. If mine ever cracks (which I’ve never had happen in my long life) I’ll get another. It’s a board. Lumber yards are full of them. It’s not a fine-tuned piece of machinery.
Interesting discussion - like many, i’ve never oiled any of my cutting boards - but I am in the process of getting my countertops replaced with ‘butcher block’ (solid walnut, end grain) and have been researching a bit on this whole oiling thing.
The primary purpose - as others have mentioned - is to keep it from drying out/cracking.
I’ve heard that too, while wood has properties that help prevent that.
Perhaps, though on a bamboo board I got it emphasizes to oil it, and pretty often. Bamboo is not a wood, but a grass, so perhaps it might be more then aesthetics for those materials IDK. In general, due to this I prefer a wood one board over bamboo.
Could be. Bamboo, while tough laterally, splits easily along its axis. Perhaps oiling helps prevent that. And I can also see where more porous woods would benefit from oiling. Hardwoods like maple or madrone may not. When cutting boards split, it’s usually along a glue joint, and happens because of warping or poor construction.