Cutting Board Care

Now that you have your fancy, personalized cutting board, how do you keep it looking great for a long period time? For us southern folk, I compare it to taking care of your cast iron skillet, expect you don't have to put your cutting board in the oven.

Remember some basics. A cutting board is made from wood and in most cases, it it going to have been glued together. Think about what happens to any piece of unsealed wood when it is left out in the weather. It is going to warp and crack. This is what we are trying to prevent with your cutting board. To stop this there are some simple things, but just like that cast iron skillet, you have to be diligent in the upkeep.

Here are some things you shouldn't do with your cutting board

• DON'T it in a dishwasher to clean. The moist heat and water will work it's way into the cutting board causing the glue to dissolve. When you see a cutting board starting to split at a change in the grain of the wood, the glue has dissolved causing the wood to separate.

• DON'T let it soak in water. The same thing as up. We don't want water to penetrate the board. This causes the wood to warp because it will start to dry unevenly.

• DON'T leave it flat to dry. Again this causes uneven drying which can cause the wood to warp.

• DON'T use bleach. The bleach will dry out the cutting board. Think about a board that has been sitting in the sun for a long time. The grain of the wood raises, it starts to have splinters and begins to peal. A cutting board should have some moisture, but not be so dry that it looks like an old piece of barn wood.

• DON'T put raw chicken, fish, or meat on a wood cutting board. The bacteria can soak into the wood, and this is where we want to use the bleach on the board to disinfect it or putt it in the dishwasher to clean it. You should use a plastic cutting board for these items.

• If you cutting board is engraved, and you still want to use it, then don't use the engraved side. The side with the engraving has a chance of catching food particles that will be missed when cleaning.

Now that we have talked about everything you have been doing wrong. I know I have done at all of these to my cutting boards and wondered why they weren't lasting for more than a couple years. Some of you might think, "Well, a couple of years isn't bad for the life of a cutting board." But what if you have a cutting board you spent a good amount on, or it was maybe one that wasn't as expensive, but has sentimental value because of who gave it to you.

• Do clean with just soap and water. You can run it under the faucet or put it in the sink (just don't leave it there). Just make sure to scrub vigorously with a towel or soft bristle brush.

• Do use a food grade oil to condition your board. There are many brands out there. The key is that it is food grade. Don't use cooking oil or vegetable oil. These have tendency to go rancid when left to the open air. When these oils go rancid, they will contaminate the food placed on the board.

• Do condition your board at least every 2 months.

  • Most cutting boards come to you with no oil having been placed on them. The first tim

Personalized Cutting Board

e you condition your board use more oil than you think you need. Stand it up and then come back in a couple of hours and check. If all the oil has soaked in, reoil and stand it up. Keep doing this until the board does not soak up anymore oil. Different woods will take more or less oiling. After this the board just needs to be oiled every couple of months.

• After you have oiled, your can also you a food grade wax to further protect you cutting board. The wax will further help condition the wood and keep food particles out.