What's the best wood for a cutting board. Is there anything else I would need to know? Thanks

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000

Answers

I'm not sure it makes much differences. For about 30 years my cutting board has been a piece of 12" x 12" 1/2" thick roofing sheeting.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 10, 2000.

Hard rock maple -- it stands up to years of abuse if you don't let it soak in the dishwater, and won't flavor your food. Oak is too open grained, some other woods have flavors that might taint your food. There are others you can use, but maple is generally used for the wood cutting boards and chopping blocks that you can buy.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 10, 2000.

Maple has been my favorite, but I would guess any good hardwood is fine. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), November 10, 2000.

I have a beautiful oak cutting board my husband made me years ago. Though I do use it, my favoirte board is this flimsy plastic thing that came with some knifes I bought. I like it because you know its clean, and the excess peelings of veggies, or the scraps of fat from meat, can be scraped off of it in mid air, into the designated chicken bowl or dog bowl. I don't cut any meats on my oak board. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), November 12, 2000.

Yes Rock Maple is the # 1 wood. But those who wish to gwt a little fancy do a glue up also using walnut.

-- Anthony J. DiDonato (didonato@vvm.com), November 13, 2000.

A few years ago the U. of Wisc. food science dept. did a study on cutting boards comparing wood to plastic. Interestingly enough, they found that wood boards had some inherent anti-bacterial properties which actually made them more sanitary than the plastic. The bacteria seemed to like the grooves and cuts left in the plastic boards and plastic boards were much harder to sanitize. Washed exactly the same the wood boards had much lower bacterial counts than did the plastic.

-- ray s (mmoetc@yahoo.com), November 13, 2000.

Follow up on Ray's comments: apparently when the wood dries the pores shrink and kill off anything. Obviously you need hardwood.

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), November 15, 2000.

What's the best way to clean a wood cutting board? I accidently let mine sit in a small puddle on the counter once, and it looks mildewy in that spot. I scrubbed it but the wood is discolored. The spot is on the underside, but knowing it is there grosses me out. Bleach, maybe??

-- Cathy Horn in NY (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 15, 2000.

Chlorine bleach (Clorox or a less expensive identical one) is the disinfectant of choice. When cleaning before, during, or after butchering, or for a general clean-up in the kitchen it works wonderfully. A bleach/water mix in the ratio of about 1 to 4 is fine, but the bleach is so inexpensive that I usually just use a little full strength. It is also great for cleaning the tea or coffee stains out of your cooler, your plastic pickle crock, etc. One of the last truly great bargains! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), November 15, 2000.

I too read that wood boards were more sanitary when studied. I recently got some Corian scraps for cutting boards..drawback is that they are heavy.

-- Alison in Nova Scotia (aproteau@istar.ca), November 16, 2000.

Don't forget to oil your board (with an edible oil) on occassion and sand down any really tough scrapes.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), November 16, 2000.

I don't know if there is any way to get mildew stains out -- possibly sanding, but I think you would have to go rather deep into the wood. As long as the board is kept dry between uses, it is just a stain, like any other -- you don't actually have anything growing there anymore. (If you bleached the board to start with.) Otherwise, if it is really bothering you, you might just have to throw it out and get a new one. They don't usually cost a lot to replace.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 16, 2000.