Beeswax another popular alternative when it comes to finishing wooden cutting boards.
Wood cutting board finishes.
Kitchen utensils bowls spoons platters etc raw meat prep surfaces cutting boards butcher blocks etc eat on surfaces bar tops tables counters etc childrens toys.
Seems like cutting boards are on everyone s minds these days.
They will tend to shed chips on cutting board surfaces so alternative finishes may be desired in those applications.
You don t need any finish on a cutting board.
Such kitchenware as a cutting board may be roughly used with metal utensils so consider oil finishes instead of film finishes that have a chance of cracking.
Mineral oil it is a popular choice when it comes to finishing a wood cutting board because it is colorless odorless flavorless and its prevention of water absorption.
Water won t hurt it and no finish will keep water out anyway after a few knife cuts.
So you may want your finishing material to contain only ingredients that you personally consider to be edible.
After scores of conversations with chemists regulatory agencies finish manufacturers finishing experts and woodworkers i found that there are a few finishes that everyone agrees are food safe.
Probably because we are all making holiday gifts.
Mineral oil also known as liquid paraffin and butcher s block finish is easy to apply has lower water resistance and requires reapplication more frequently.
If you ve purchased a wooden cutting board you ll need to apply a finish to prevent the board from becoming damaged with use.
The first step is to choose your preferred finish.
Note that there are various types of mineral oils and some are toxic so choose the one that is food safe.
If you plan to use your butcher block as a cutting board you could conceivably ingest small amounts of the finish and the wood when you use it.
Cutting board finishes come in 2 categories.
You can check some at amazon.
How to finish and maintain a wood cutting board or butcher block posted on january 29 2014 you ll find thousands and thousands of tutorials and products to help you finish protect and maintain wood food surfaces on the web may it be cutting boards butcher blocks or other surfaces where food is cut.
However these food safe wood finishes sometimes called cutting board finishes tend to be the least protective and the great majority are in a kind of limbo with many experts saying most are.
A few vegetable based oils were listed previously that can be used as a wood finish.
Nor will the finish continue to look nice after numerous knife cuts.
If the cutting board begins to warp due to the water contact on just.
That makes it an adequate finish for items that will not be roughed up like serving trays for example.
Oil finishes soak into the porous wood surface.
