This article provides instructions for cleaning and conditioning wooden cutting boards using our beeswax cutting board conditioner. Whether you call it board butter, wood balm, or cutting board conditioner - the process and value of treating your wooden cutting boards is the same. We just happen to think our natural product is the best choice for your kitchen :)
Can you wash wooden cutting boards?
There is a much-cited theory that wooden cutting boards cannot be washed. We'll explain a little bit about that theory, and why it might be true in some cases. But for the most part, we believe it to be untrue. We argue that you absolutely can wash wooden cutting boards! In fact, you should wash your cutting boards after each use. This is true even if you are just using it for one thing – like slicing lemons – because bacteria can be transferred from the item being cut to the board itself.
Cutting boards that are split, badly cracked, or damaged will trap water and soap in those damaged areas, leading to possible contamination. Boards like this should likely be discarded to avoid possible contamination - these are the boards that can't be washed with soap.
Washing your cutting board is simple: just use hot, soapy water and scrub it clean. You can also use a diluted vinegar solution – one part vinegar to four parts water – as an all-natural disinfectant. If you want to take extra precautions, you can rinse your cutting board with hydrogen peroxide (three percent solution) or a bleach and water solution (one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water).
Once you’ve washed your cutting board, make sure to dry it completely. You can even set it in the sun for a bit to help speed up the drying process and kill any lingering bacteria. A well-seasoned cutting board should have no problem with being washed, as its seasoning has closed up any pores that would absorb liquid and it is more water-resistant, but you do need to make sure you give it time and space to dry.
Never put your cutting board in the dishwasher, though – the harsh chemicals and high temperatures can damage the wood, causing it to warp or crack.
Why do wooden cutting boards need to be conditioned or "buttered"?
Wood cutting boards need to be conditioned so that they are more resistant to staining and moisture. Conditioning your cutting board helps to fill in any pores in the wood and creates a barrier against moisture. If you have ever seen a cutting board that is warped, dried out, or splitting you are likely seeing a cutting board that was never seasoned. Water gets into the grains of the wood and causes the wood to expand, thereby changing the shape of the cutting board in undesirable ways.
An unseasoned cutting board that gets warped can still be used, but it will rock on your surface. One that has split should not be used for food because bacteria can get into that split area and grow – food that you prepare on the cutting board can get contaminated.
Seasoning a cutting board – also called conditioning – simply means rubbing it with oil or conditioner and letting it soak in. It is very easy to do, and should be done frequently for newer cutting boards then regularly when older cutting boards start to look dry.
What kind of oil or conditioner works best for cutting boards?
You can not use just any oil to season your cutting board. Most cooking oils – like olive oil, canola oil, etc. – will go rancid over time. If you rub them into your cutting board the rancid oil can cause the cutting board to smell and can leech into any food that you prepare on the board.
You need to choose an oil that is not susceptible to this rancidification process, and is also FOOD-SAFE. Safe choices include mineral oil, fractionated coconut oil, and beeswax (in its melted or solid form). Which one you use is up to you, but we moved from mineral oil to fractionated coconut oil because we wanted to avoid petroleum-based products (yes, mineral oil comes from petroleum). You can get fractionated coconut oil online. It is simply a coconut oil variety that has been processed to retain its liquid form.
Our Beeswax Cutting Board Conditioner combines fractionated coconut oil with beeswax so you get oil that absorbs deeply and beeswax that helps to form a moisture and protection barrier.
How often should a cutting board be conditioned or treated?
It is important to season a new cutting board well before using it. To season your cutting board:
- Clean the cutting board thoroughly so that there are no food scraps, then allow it to dry completely;
- Rub a food-safe oil like mineral oil, fractionated coconut oil, or beeswax (or our combination Happy Hive Cutting Board Conditioner) over the entire surface, using a circular pattern to cover all grooves and joints;
- Let the conditioner soak in for 10-15 minutes;
- Buff off any excess conditioner that hasn't absorbed by rubbing along the grain of the wood (the same direction as the lines).
If your cutting board is fresh wood that has never been seasoned, I recommend seasoning daily for a week; then weekly for a month; then monthly for a year (these are the same instructions for butcher board countertops). Then, you can move on to recommendations for long-term upkeep.
How often should cutting boards be seasoned or conditioned?
The simple answer here is to season your cutting board when it looks “thirsty.” Thirsty wood looks dry and light in color. It feels rough to the touch, and may start to show scratches and marks.
To build on the scenario presented above, if you were to season a new cutting board daily for a week and then weekly for a month, you would then season monthly for a year. After that point you can season “as needed.” This isn’t rocket science, but it is essential if you don’t want a split or warped cutting board.
We keep a tin of our cutting board conditioner right in the drawer of our kitchen island for easy access when our wood starts to look thirsty.
P.S., you should season most wooden things in your kitchen – spoons, knife handles, salad servers, bowls, etc.! Our cutting board conditioner can be used for all of these items and more!
