Chopping Board
Kill the Bacteria with Wooden Chopping Board
Furnishing your kitchen with all the kitchenware you need is an effective method of making it functional. There are diverse and complete lines of useful kitchen items that you need but don’t miss having your chopping board—and choose the one made of hardwood. Original designs of chopping boards are widely available in the market and each design is individually crafted from exotic and enduring hardwoods. Each kind of hardwood features not just decorative facets but well-polished finishes. Whatever food you are preparing, you must be equipped with the most functional chopping boards.
Why Hardwood For Your Chopping Board?
According to scientific studies, hardwoods are ideal for making chopping boards as opposed to plastic materials. The studies tell that bacteria like salmonella, which is often found in raw chicken, will multiply or reproduce if not immediately removed from plastic boards. Food poisoning is caused by germs which usually thrive and hide on the surface of chopping boards made of plastic. Wooden chopping boards can be cleaned by hand scrubbing with hot water and soap. Microbes are cleared from the surface of the hardwood unlike in plastic-made chopping boards. Knife-scarred plastic boards for instance are proven to be resistant to decontamination if hand-washed. This can be explained by the fact that bacteria dies off in three minutes time on wood boards because the porous surface of the wood deprives the bacteria of water. Without water, bacteria will die.
Chopping Board Caring Tips
Once you manage to get your own wooden chopping board, it pays off to know how to care for it. Basically, washing your board with soap and water will do. However, when washing, don’t immerse the board entirely or place it in your dishwasher. If you will notice, your board has a food-safe hard finish or a food-safe wax. Once in a while or once in a week, you need to reapply the wax using a soft cloth to maintain its smooth shine and its being bacteria-free. You can also use butcher block oil or mineral oil, but don’t attempt to use olive oil nor vegetable oil because it will make your board contaminated and rancid. You can warm the oil first before applying on your board so that it will deeply penetrate into the wood.
When it comes to sanitizing, since bacteria dies off on the wood surface after three minutes, use vinegar and spray it on your board. But be reminded that using bleach is never effective because the organic composition of the wood allows neutralization element of the bleach. Keep your board dry. The moist collected beneath the board will aid mold growth which in turn destroy your board.
Your wooden chopping board is a daily necessity in your kitchen. Preparing and cutting the ingredients for your recipe is easy if you use your board. So, you have to properly take care of it so that it will not just serve its purpose but will make the food you prepare clean and safe.
