More than just an heirloom passed down from your grandparents, wooden items in the kitchen can be beneficial to your health. Wooden items are the one thing we can all agree truly belongs in the kitchen.
Why Wood?
While they can be cheaper and lighter, plastic products around the kitchen can be extremely harmful. Plastic cutting boards, for example, scar easily at the contact of a knife blade, leaving plastic particles in your food while simultaneously creating the perfect home for brooding bacteria, multiplying within minutes. Given that plastic damages so easily and cannot be refurbished safely over time, plastic products require replacing more frequently.
Wooden boards, on the other hand, are extremely hygienic; hardwood contains naturally antibacterial properties, keeping you out of harm from dangerous microbes. In fact, research has shown that 99.9% of bacteria placed on a wooden item are eliminated naturally within minutes, regardless of the age of the wooden product. No treatment, just Mother Nature healing herself and adding an extra line of defense to your kitchen. Kapow – bye bye bacteria!
To beat, wood is extremely durable – it will last for decades – and can be refurbished anytime. No need to replace your wooden goodies every year or two, simply grab some 100, 180, and 240 grit sandpaper and sand in the same direction as the grain starting with the lowest grit. Wipe with a cloth and apply a protective layer of beeswax and mineral oil and your wooden goodies will look brand new. Like the new car oh-so-clean look, but, in your kitchen.
Got some stains on your wooden goodies? No problem. They can be cleaned and deodorized in minutes using non-toxic items likely sitting in your kitchen: baking soda, salt, and lemon.
Wooden items in your cooking are safe for you and your loved ones and the environment (mother nature will love you for it!).
Food-Safe Wood
Not all wood is food-safe! Some wood varieties are stunning but should never be used in the kitchen. Here’s a rundown of food-safe wood that can be locally sourced in Canada.
- Western Red Cedar is a soft wood and a perfect match for cooking. Often used for all-natural BBQ scrapers and BBQ planks, it is naturally water-resistant and fills your food with delicious aromas. Its water-resistant properties are the reason that Wild Olive makes outdoor games like Giant Yardzee and Farkle out of cedar!
- Maple Wood is a hardwood that is known to be the most antibacterial of them all. Quickly followed by Cherry, Birch, and Black Walnut Wood. You’ll often see them used in cutting and charcuterie boards, spoons, and bowls given their durability and food-safe properties.
Grab that dusty cutting board from the cupboard and give it a chance. Bon appétit!
Wild Olive Woodworking offers the highest quality handmade non-toxic wooden goodies from locally sourced, primarily reclaimed wood. Check out the release of the Wild Summer Box, containing sustainable wooden goodies specifically for backyard BBQs (spoiler alert: there will be cedar BBQ planks!).
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