GB
Chief Eating Officer
Food grade mineral oil. You can find it in the laxative section of the supermarket or drug store.
How do you clean your knives?
- Thread starter Michelemarie
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ronjohn55
Head Chef
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GB said:
I just gotta ask...
Doesn't this seem like one of the LAST things you'd want on your food prep surface? (Unless you're playing a nasty joke on someone...)
John
GB
Chief Eating Officer
You would think so wouldn't you John?
If done properly, the oil will soak into the wood and will not be in your food. There might be a little bit that you ingest, but not enough to do anything bad.
If done properly, the oil will soak into the wood and will not be in your food. There might be a little bit that you ingest, but not enough to do anything bad.
OP
OP
Michelemarie
Executive Chef
GB - how do you do this properly?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
There are different ways to do it and I do not know if my way is the best or not, but here is what I have done. For the first time I did it I put the cutting board in my roating pan and poured about half the bottle of oil right on top, making sure to get some under the board as well. I would let it just sit like that overnight. Then every morning I would come out and see that the oil on top had soaked in somewhat so I would pour some ore directly on top of the board. The thirs day I think I flipped the board upside down and continued the same process. I did this every day for about 7 days or so, until it did not look like the board was soaking any more oil up. I then washed the board with soap and water and dried it well and it was ready to use. I took all the oil in the roasting pan and funneled it back into the oil container. Now every once in a while (maybe once a week or so) I will pour a little oil on the board and wipe it around with a paper towel and let it sit overnight. Then in the morning I take a dry paper towel and just wipe it off.
OK - here we go again ...
The mineral oil you buy in the pharmacy labeled "Mineral Oil USP" is technically medical grade. It's purity and viscosity is regulated by the standards set by one government agency ... the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). It is generally pure mineral oil - sometimes something like Vitamin E added as a stabilizer. Being medical grade it is also must meet a higher purity standard than food grade.
Food Grade mineral oils, on the other hand, fall under the standards and control of the USDA (U.S. Dept of Agriculture) and may be a blend of other oils and "stuff" - depending on the intended use. For example - some food grade mineral oils used for cutting boards will contain Tung Oil - fine for "incidental contact" during food prep but wouldn't be so good taken as a laxative. Some food grade mineral oils are closer to medical grade and are used to coat fruits and eggs after washing.
My cutting board is too big to fit in a pan. I just swabbed it (I actually used a pastry brush to "brush on" a thick coat) with medical grade (USP) mineral oil 3-4 times a day for the first 2-3 days, then cut down to 2-3 times a day for a couple of days (as it began to absorb slower) and then finally 1-2 times a day for 3-4 days. Then, I flipped the board over and repeated on the other side. DON'T forget to oil the sides and ends of the board! And end-grain board will soak up more oil than an edge-grain board.
IF you are going to use a food grade oil that contains something like Tung (or some other seed) oil - follow the instructions on the bottle!
The mineral oil you buy in the pharmacy labeled "Mineral Oil USP" is technically medical grade. It's purity and viscosity is regulated by the standards set by one government agency ... the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). It is generally pure mineral oil - sometimes something like Vitamin E added as a stabilizer. Being medical grade it is also must meet a higher purity standard than food grade.
Food Grade mineral oils, on the other hand, fall under the standards and control of the USDA (U.S. Dept of Agriculture) and may be a blend of other oils and "stuff" - depending on the intended use. For example - some food grade mineral oils used for cutting boards will contain Tung Oil - fine for "incidental contact" during food prep but wouldn't be so good taken as a laxative. Some food grade mineral oils are closer to medical grade and are used to coat fruits and eggs after washing.
My cutting board is too big to fit in a pan. I just swabbed it (I actually used a pastry brush to "brush on" a thick coat) with medical grade (USP) mineral oil 3-4 times a day for the first 2-3 days, then cut down to 2-3 times a day for a couple of days (as it began to absorb slower) and then finally 1-2 times a day for 3-4 days. Then, I flipped the board over and repeated on the other side. DON'T forget to oil the sides and ends of the board! And end-grain board will soak up more oil than an edge-grain board.
IF you are going to use a food grade oil that contains something like Tung (or some other seed) oil - follow the instructions on the bottle!
Last edited:
Corey123
Washing Up
AllenMI said:
That might not be true in some cases.
While it IS a very good idea because clorine kills bacteria & germs, if the blades on your knives are made from carbon steel, they could rust very severely.
Stainless Steel blades holds up much better in chlorine soaking. Generally, I wash all my knives except the cleaver in the dishwasher. The cleaver's blade is made from carbon steel.
~Corey123.
