Which oil to choose for processing cutting boards?

Almost every kitchen has a cutting board, and not one. For the culinary attribute to serve for a long time, it needs care, and this is not only timely washing and drying. To process the boards, it is necessary to purchase oil - it is regular impregnation that guarantees their durability, strength and quality that does not cease to please.

Suitable for processing products only special oils: olive and sunflower will not give any sense.

Oil is required for the impregnation of both new wooden boards, and already used. In the right oil there is no smell and taste, it leaves no visible traces, does not affect the food characteristics of products. As soon as you bring home a new cutting board, wash it in warm water before use, dry it and apply special oil to the surface of the board.

Why it is necessary to process a product:

• it absorbs unpleasant odors, thus removing them;
• does not allow microbes, mold, fungus inside the wood itself to appear on the board, which happens much more often than you think;
• prevents chipping and cracking, which is characteristic of very dry material that does not receive special timely impregnation.

The very structure of the wood has to oil processing: the liquid penetrates into the fibers, filling the pores of the material.

Oil for impregnation should be in every food block, but even for home cooking such a composition is required. Soak the board need once in 1-2 months, avoiding long breaks. Especially carefully it is worth carrying out processing of wooden kitchen products in a cold season when in the kitchen radiators work. The proximity of the heat source makes the board vulnerable: its structure is prone to deformation at this time.

Mostly used mineral oil for cutting boards. It is a product of petroleum origin, obtained by distillation of fuel oil. Sometimes in the manufacture of mineral oils can be used crops. The tool, despite the technical characteristics, is absolutely safe. It is actively used in the food industry, the composition of the oil makes it popular in the medical, cosmetic field.

Edible mineral oil:

• guarantees a high level of protection of the processed product;
• has no taste or smell;
• easy to apply;
• environmentally safe;
• dries quickly;
• It has no color (unless it contains special additives).

Mineral oil is often combined with beeswax, and this combination is optimal. Wax assumes the function of a sealant, it protects the porous wood structure from moisture. And although it increases the moisture resistance of wood, it does not make it waterproof.

If you apply the oil without wax, the effect will not be complete: the protective film on the board is not formed, it will not be reliable enough.Bacteria, food pieces, dirt in the structure of the tree will not get exactly if you mix mineral oil with wax.

But there are other processing options: in the pharmacy, you can buy petroleum jelly, and in the store - flaxseed. Both products are suitable for processing boards. Vaseline oil should also be mixed with beeswax. Vaseline oil is also a purified fraction of oil, which is obtained after the distillation of kerosene, there is no harmful organic matter in it. The basis of the synthetic product can be considered liquid paraffin. Oil is not absorbed into the skin, which some housewives are afraid of, because it is very comfortable in everyday life (and in the kitchen as well).

The components of flaxseed oil, impregnating wood, under the influence of external factors will thicken - polymerization occurs. So the liquid turns into a semi-solid mass, which is a protection for the tree.

Cutting boards are different - from plywood (the easiest and cheapest option), and also the end boards - from oak, pine, beech. Whatever oil you have purchased, when used correctly, they will be useful for the product.

But some nuances are worth noting.

• If you take flaxseed oil to impregnate a pine board (and some like to replace it with peanut, which is theoretically possible), over time, the product may start to produce a not very pleasant, rancid smell.
• Sometimes there are promotions in the store, and cutting boards are sold along with oil for impregnation. Remember, what kind of oil offered to you by the manufacturer (or shops specialists), most likely, in the future you need to use this option.
• Mineral oil is not always possible to find on sale: if there is no building shop nearby, there will most certainly be a pharmacy. Therefore, a petroleum jelly composition would be preferable.
• Oak boards are the strongest, strongest, reliable. Saturate them with a mixture of mineral oil and wax, do not be afraid to overdo it, the wood will absorb as much as it needs. Timely impregnation and respect will allow the board to be used for many years.

Thin plywood boards are not as hygienic and durable as the end ones. Few people pay attention to the processing of thin boards, and this is an omission.

Plywood chopping boards consist of several sheets of wood glued together. Multilayer plywood material is very sensitive to water, because the glue in the composition of the board is characterized by low moisture resistance. Therefore, a plywood product often swells, mold and microbes “settle” in it, the very structure of the board collapses. Therefore, the processing of such a product is required.

Let's consider how to cover with oil a plywood board.

• If the board is new, then it must be applied several layers of mineral oil mixed with beeswax. If you made the board yourself, there should be 3 layers (each will dry for at least 12 hours).
• If after applying the funds formed its surplus, they must be carefully removed with a soft cloth.
• For regular processing, you need to do the mineral coating of the board once a month, this is enough to be sure of the cleanliness and safety of the kitchen accessory used.

In order to carry out the treatment of the end board (or the board from the saw cut of the tree), it must also first be washed and dried. If you made the board yourself, and after the first treatment, it seems rough, you should go over it with fine sandpaper.

• To saturate and lubricate the end plate, you need to cover it with mineral / linseed / mineral oil. To do this, you can pour a tablespoon of oil and simply pour it on the surface of the board. Then, using a soft cloth tampon (or just a hand), rub the composition to be impregnated over the entire surface.
• It is very important that the processing is uniform - if you do hastily, some areas will be left unprotected.Saturate all sides of the board, and side too.
• If the board is new, do not rush to use it on the day of purchase - oil impregnation of a new product will be organized several times in a row. Treat the object at least twice, wiping off the remaining oil with paper towels.

If you yourself do impregnating composition, use the following formula. Take 1 part of beeswax and 4 parts of vaseline oil: the mixture is prepared in a water bath. First, heat the oil, and then put the wax in it. The mixture after cooking must be cooled and applied to the board. If it is inconvenient to work with a cloth or with your hands, you can use a wide brush.

If the composition remains, it can not be stored in the refrigerator until new use. It is reasonable to process all the wooden dishes that are in the house: and this, as a rule, rolling pins and spatulas, spoons.

And one more important point. In the professional kitchen there is a clear differentiation of boards: some serve for cutting vegetables, others for meat and fish. Far from all the housewives follow this separation, although elementary sanitary rules repeat it as an axiom.

Good care of kitchen utensils is both frugality, rational attitude to dishes, and care for their own health.

See below for how to soak the board.