Check If Your Wooden Cutting Board Needs Lubrication by Adding a Few Drops of Water
From time to time, wooden cutting boards need to be oiled and cared for if you want to extend their life. If your cutting board doesn’t look like the photo above, it’s time.
The photo came to us via J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats along with this tip:
How do you know when to grease with oil? Sprinkle a few drops of water on the board with your fingertips. If the board has been properly and freshly seasoned, drops of water will appear on its surface. This is a good sign that nothing will penetrate it. Over time, its water repellency will begin to deteriorate, and water droplets will spread further and further, clinging to the tree. In the end, the water will look like it is about to soak into the wood, even when it first hits it. This is a sign that you are ready for another layer of oil.
I’m pretty sure my cutting board looks like a sponge right now, so I’m going to butter. Read Kenji’s post below for more instructions on seasoning and maintaining your wood chopping board.
How to season and maintain a wooden cutting board “wiki useful Serious food