Cutter Board Care

The wood in these cutter boards is select grade, kiln dried hardwood and will not shrink or warp. All of our cutter boards have been coated with a mixture of mineral oil and paraffin or bee's wax, all of which are inert and approved for food preparation. Commercial waxes, vegetable, olive, and animal oils should never be used to treat wood cutter boards. Over time these substances will turn rancid and impart a poor taste to anything that touches them. After using your cutter board for food preparation, clean the surface with a dishcloth, rinse under running water, and wipe dry. Never soak the cutter boards in any cleaning solution and do not apply any finish to the cutter boards other than mineral oil or the wax mixture described below.

The natural beauty of these cutter boards can be maintained easily by a periodic wax treatment. The wax mixture used on the cutter boards is 1/8 cup of mineral oil to one half slab (1/4 cup) of paraffin, both of which are inexpensive. Paraffin is packaged four slabs to a box and is available at most grocery stores. Small plastic containers such as yogurt tubs are ideal for melting the paraffin. Place the plastic container in a water bath and heat until the wax melts. Then add the mineral oil and let the mixture cool and harden. It will spread easily on the wood with the use of a plastic putty knife and a cotton cloth. The cutter boards can be left to dry overnight or they can be placed in an oven for 1-2 minutes to allow the mixture to penetrate the wood. Use the lowest oven setting, 170 degrees or "warm," and leave the cutter boards in the oven for approximately twenty minutes. The excess wax mixture can be wiped off with a paper towel or cotton cloth.

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