brand new used butcher block . . .

[Adasmommy]

I found a beautiful butcherblock at an estate sale and I love it. It is on wheels, with a cabinet underneath, and has a beautiful butcher block surface. Now I want to maintain it correctly!

If I cut directly on the surface, will it get covered with cuts like my bamboo cutting board? Will oiling it prevent this? What's the best thing to oil it with (and where can I get some)?

Since I don't know what the previous user did with it, what is the best way to treat it so that I don't have to worry about raw meat bacteria? Does time passed render it safe? I want to roll dough directly on it.

Should I use a separate cutting board for chopping things on and reserve this surface for dough, or is that ridiculous and I will be fine to cut bread, veggies, fruit, and roll out dough all directly on the surface? Should I just wipe it off with a wet rag when done?

I'm completely in love with this piece of furniture. Sorry for agonizing to all of you about it, but let me know what you think!

[MonP'titBoudain]

You can always treat it with vinegar or some other natural anti-bacterial/disinfectant (see link) http://www.mothering.com/discussions...0&goto=newpost

When you cut on any wood surface it will get little cuts on it. Does it not have any already? For regular maintenance I spray mine down with a 50/50 vinegar & water solution evry once in a while. Also, when it seems to get dry or every few months I'd rub a little vegetable oil into it to keep it nice. I would suggest always using a seperate cutting board for raw meats just to help avoid cross-contamination.

hope that helps! Not really sure if that's what you were looking for.

[melissa17s]

We have butcher block counters, and they are not sealed. We never cut directly on them because they will scratch and gouge the surface. If you get an an unwanted scratch, get out the sand paper and it will go away. We oil our wood because it is better for the change of humidity and dryness, plus it helps since our counters are exposed to water. From what I have read, and was recommended by the manufacturer, was to use mineral oil. Vegetable oil can go rancid. I wash with warm, soapy water and a sponge with the scratchy pad on it. I think vinegar is better for sealed wood surfaces and can be very drying on unsealed wood because of its high acidity.

[mbravebird]

We oil our butcherblock, but we have found an alternative to mineral oil (we didn't like the idea of petroleum touching the food -- although I'm sure it's not the end of the world). Anyway, what we found out from researching was that walnut oil does not go rancid like other vegetable oils. And we found a source of boiled walnut oil; the boiling actually creates a harder seal on the surface, and does not evaporate like mineral oil does. It's made by a professional bowl-maker, and recommended for use on butcher-block. Here's the link:
http://www.bowlmakerinc.com/catalogn...Tp=2&SortBy=ID

HTH!!

[melissa17s]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

We oil our butcherblock, but we have found an alternative to mineral oil (we didn't like the idea of petroleum touching the food -- although I'm sure it's not the end of the world). Anyway, what we found out from researching was that walnut oil does not go rancid like other vegetable oils. And we found a source of boiled walnut oil; the boiling actually creates a harder seal on the surface, and does not evaporate like mineral oil does. It's made by a professional bowl-maker, and recommended for use on butcher-block. Here's the link:
http://www.bowlmakerinc.com/catalogn...Tp=2&SortBy=ID

HTH!!

Does the walnut oil have any fumes? Also how fast does it dry and how often do you have to apply it? I would be interested in trying it, but I get headaches from eating walnuts, so I am a bit nervous.

[mzfern]

There's also a product like this that's not mineral oil, but proported to not go rancid like veggie oil. Good luck with your butcher block I'm jealous!

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by melissa17s

Does the walnut oil have any fumes? Also how fast does it dry and how often do you have to apply it? I would be interested in trying it, but I get headaches from eating walnuts, so I am a bit nervous.

It has a very faint, natural-oil smell that I only smelled while applying it. I couldn't smell it at all very soon afterwards. It dries overnight. I contacted the maker to ask about using it for butcherblock, and he said apply twice in the first several months, and then once every six months after that.

I can understand being nervous if you get headaches from walnuts. You might be allergic, and would not want your food touching it then, right? Or maybe in such small quantities it wouldn't matter. You could say the same about the petroleum in mineral oil, I guess.

I think there's one more kind of nut oil that does not go rancid -- is it almond? I'll have to look into it. I remember finding out about the second kind, but then the walnut product seemed right for us so we just went with that.

[mbravebird]

OK, there's tung and linseed oils, but when you buy them in a store they often have toxic dryers in them like Benzyne, Toulune, and Turpentine.

Sources differ about almond oil -- some say it won't go rancid, others say it will. The woodworking source I found says that if you use raw almond oil it won't go rancid.

HTH!

[melissa17s]

mbravebird- Thank you for your research!

[Adasmommy]

Thanks all!

My gameplan: use vinegar to disinfect, then get either walnut oil or the block oil (will look into both) and treat with that.

The surface does not have cuts now, so maybe the previous owner didn't cut directly on it (hmmm, no worries about meat then), and though it's beautiful, I think I will opt for highly functional and use the surface for cutting directly on myself (but separate board for meat).

I am envious of the butcherblock counters. That is my number one counter choice but I will settle for number two: tiling the counters myself. Considerable price difference!

[elisent]

I'd be a little nervous about walnut oil. Couldn't food prepared on a surface treated with it hurt someone with a nut allergy?

[PajamaMama]

I use food grade mineral oil on mine. I don't have to use very much or use it very often.

[MCsMom]

We had one that I LOVED - we cut directly on it for vegetables, bread, etc. but had a cutting board for meat or runny things. You can always take out the sand paper and sand it, we found that we needed to do this once a year or so. Remember to use hot pads though - my dh put a burn mark into by putting a hot pan off the stove onto it (although the sandpaper took it out again). Enjoy!