Shopping groceries is done, you arrive at home and cut the vegetables and the meat on a plastic cutting board, which already might have a lot of cuts. With every cut plastic particles are coming off, which then stick to the food and are eaten. By you. Does this sound healthy to you?
You might say that a plastic cutting board can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. True. But high temperatures and detergents can dissolce more particles from the plastic (Why am I talking of this? You can read here.).
The solution: wooden cutting boards! I would not recommend bamboo, because it is very hard and therefore knifes will dull even quicker. Also the feeling of cutting is a lot different, because bamboo isn’t as elasic as wood. Do never ever cut on stone, glass or slate, it’s death for every sharpe knife! According to a study wooden cutting boards are even more hygienic that plastic cutting boards!
And aren’t wooden cutting boards more beautiful, anyway? I found great ones on handicraft markets (I LOVE handicraft markets!) and I found a huge acacia wooden board at TK Maxx recently (which you see on the photo).
Wooden boards should be cleaned under hot water with a drop of detergent or vinegar for desinfection and a brush (with a long handle so you won’t burn your hands and best made of wood). Place them upright to dry at the air. Like this it doesn’t take long.
Do never soak the wooden boards in water, because they soak full of water and the boards will crack!
Wooden boards need a bit of care every now and then. Use wood butter, then they are better than new!
You can easily make the wood butter yourself and it is completely natural. Dani and Michael of flowers on my plate picked up the idea first. I only increased the amount of coconut oil a bit, because like this the bees wax was more likely to melt. Just give it a try!
The wood butter becomes creamy when you touch it. I like to massage it into the wood by hand. First one side, then let it rest and then the other side.
By the way, you can renew your wooden boards by using some fine sand paper. Also abrasive boards will become beautiful and shiny again! After that, butter it ;)!
Wood butter
adapted from flowers on my plate
yields: 1 small jar
Ingredients
- 100 g coconut oil + optional 1 Tbsp (best organic and fairtrade)
- 30 g bees wax (best organic, you can also use your leftover bees wax candles)
Finely chop or grate the bees wax.
Melt the coconut oil and the bees wax on the lowest level on an induction hob or in a water bath, if you use a radiant or gas hob. I added an additional Tbsp of coconut oil, after that the bees wax was more likely to melt.
Pour the liquid oil in a jar and let it cool completely. Close it with a lid.
Use a spoon or knife to remove some of the wood butter. Use about 1 tsp per cutting board side. Massage the butter with your hands into the cutting board, don’t forget the rims. Let it infuse for a few hours or overnight. On the next day use a cloth to rub the board and to remove the leftovers of the butter. I like to use old socks with holes for that (of course laundered 😉 ).
Continue with the other side of the cutting board in the same way.
Tip: Abrasive and used boards can easily be upvalued again with some fine sanding paper! After sanding, wash, dry and butter the boards again!
Vielen Dank für den Tipp!
Ich habe auch nur Holzbrettchen, weil ich Plastikbrettchen nicht so… naja: toll finde. 😉
Gebuttert habe ich sie allerdings noch nie. Das nehme ich mir mal vor!
Liebe Grüße,
Christina