The Best Oils for Wood Cutting Board Care
When I first got my wooden chopping board, I was happy to use it, but I was also confident that I was going to ruin everything. I did manage it in the end, but I would have done it much sooner if I had a detailed guide to caring for things in Food 52.
The section on oil selection is especially helpful. Everyone knows that you need to protect a wooden board with oil so that it does not dry out and does not absorb food odors, but which oil is better to use? Rape? Olive? Motor? There are a lot of options. (Hint: the three I just mentioned are not viable.)
According to Food 52 , your best bets are:
- Flaxseed and Walnut Oils: These “polymerizing oils” solidify as they dry to form a fairly durable coating. They can take a while to create and your board may darken in color, but once you have a solid foundation, they are fairly easy to maintain. (Another thing to keep in mind is that they can cause reactions in people with nut allergies.)
- Mineral oil: This odorless, colorless, neutral oil byproduct is completely food safe and widely used in the food industry. It never dries completely (although you can just wipe off the excess) and you’ll have to reapply it quite often, but it’s super cheap and has a pretty long shelf life. (Both Food 52 and this article say it stays good forever.)
- Wax- based balms : These wax / oil hybrids provide easier controlled application and real hold. In fact, once he is there, it’s almost impossible to get rid of it. (Although, like anything that is used regularly, your cutting board needs regular application to stay in top shape.)
Aside from greasing, cutting boards may need sanding or even a full finish, but with a little care, you can learn how to bring all your wooden utensils back to the brink of death.
This post was originally published in 2016 and was updated on November 12, 2020.