2007-09-08 11:31:44 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
If it's wood, you should consider oiling it first. There are specific oils for wood products used in kitchens, so don't use cooking oils (which will eventually go rancid). The oil you want is mineral oil, which will keep the fibers from splitting lengthwise.
Never soak it, no matter what gets on it, and when you wash it, dry it rather than letting it evaporate dry.
2007-09-08 11:41:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No offense meant at all to you or others who answer but I'm confused about WHY it NEEDS "Breaking In"????????
If it's Wood, then hopefully it's specific to what wooden cutting boards most often are MAPLE. If so it's been manufactured to be used AS IS.
If it's any other material, IE: Glass/ plastic/ Teflon/ Stainless, then I see no need either.
No matter the substance ALL are subject to Cuts and food residue after the fact, and should be cleaned. OILING,,,no matter the type of oil, seems a waste of another material to me,,, It's still a surface that comes in contact with something you will INGEST.
Unless you are a professional Chef, or in some commercial operation, I cannot imagine this being a concern. Obviously if a manufacturer felt a need to add a substance in SEALING that wasn't toxic to a food prep surface, they would have worked it into the process. In fact,,,other than Wood will absorb blood and other juices etc, and be subject to various bacteria,,, it should still be cleaned after each use, and any fiber at all from a Wooden board would certainly be safer to ingest than Vinyl or Teflon
2007-09-08 20:38:34 · answer #2 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do yourself a favor and get some mineral oil to help keep the wood conditioned after you wash it. I personally use two different cutting boards: a wood one for veggies and a plastic one for meats, etc. I don't like using the same cutting board because there's a chance of contamination of food, etc.
2007-09-10 14:51:45 · answer #3 · answered by joem_1701 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mineral oil, not spirits, are rubbed into the board whenever you finish using it. Always keep it clean especially after using it on meats like chicken.
I have a nylon board for meats myself, I don't like using the same board for fear of food poisoning so, I use the nylon board, it's non-porous and doesn't hold the blood.
Obviously, DYI doc: The mineral oil seals the board against getting blood into the porus features of the wood, the manufacture doesn't really know what the board is going to be used for now, does he? I have several that we also use exclusively, for crafts, cutting etc and, to have oil on them from the manufacture would'nt help, would it? so, it's assumed you know what your doing and how to do it. You rub Mineral oil into it to seal it from outside blood, body fluids and hence, bacteria.
2007-09-09 07:04:36 · answer #4 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you mean? Cutting boards don't need to be broken in, just rinsed after you buy it. You can start using either plastic or wood ones immediately.
2007-09-08 19:10:17 · answer #5 · answered by zandyandi 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just cutting is good but wash it with a good soap like Joy and a coupla drops of cooking oil would be nice.
2007-09-08 18:41:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it's a wooden one, wipe it down with mineral spirits. It's like oil, can be bought at WalMart. Or, you can always just use regular oil. Let it soak in the oil. It'll keep it conditioned. Do this every so often. Best to never let it soak in water as this can dry the wood out. That's it! :)
2007-09-08 18:39:18 · answer #7 · answered by SuzieBox 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Rub it down with a thin coat of vegetable oil. (assuming that it is wood)
2007-09-08 18:39:54 · answer #8 · answered by .G. 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Get a knife and some veggies, and start chopping. That's all there is to it.
2007-09-08 18:36:01 · answer #9 · answered by orderly logic 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋