cutting boards

[koralek]

O.K., you've convinced me that I should use a wood cutting board, but I'm worried about germs. How do I keep it clean/safe after cutting raw meat, chicken,etc.? Thanks!

[Doña Olga]

like my wood cutting board for bread and some veggies , but plastic is the best for chicken ,I
always wash the plastic in the dishwasher, the wood after cleaning they get a mineral oil massage, great for wood and my hands:)

[LaureltQ]

I have 2 nice wooden cutting boards, one huge and one regular sized.

I have 7 plastic cutting boards. One huge, 3 regular sized. and 3 more of various smaller sizes.

The plastic gets used for meats and other things that I want to dishwash off (strange odors or pains to scrub/things that stain) and I use the wood for everything else.

If you're freaked out about germs, either use a bleach solution or invest in a bottle of StarSan, which is available at homebrewing websites and brick and mortar stores (i'd be amazed to find one without it), then simply mix it up with water and keep it in a spray bottle. I use it all the time when I've gone crazy with chopping raw chicken or there's the possibility of cross contamination when I'm cooking for large groups or old people. The starsan is flavor free, food safe, and commonly used in the food service industry.

[DoobieWah]

Wood for fruits and veggies. A good hand wash and dry when done.

Plastic for meat. Into the dishwasher when done.

I have two wooden and three plastic.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Who convinced you to use a wood cutting board?

As for germs, it is no more difficult to sanitize a wood cutting board than a plastic cutting board. There are quiet a few research papers conducted on this matter and many have shown a wood board is just as safe as a plastic board and possibly safer. A good place to start is this Dean Cliver:

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/fac...

Back to wood cutting board sanitization, you scrub with soap/detergent and warm water. If necessary, you can then spray it with white vinegar solution or bleach solution and let the solution sit on there for a few minutes, then rinse it again. This is the same procedure for plastic cutting boards as well.

[raytamsgv]

Thanks for the link.

[junescook]

CK, Per your ref: "Manual cleaning" in our experiments has been done with a sponge, hot tapwater, and liquid dishwashing detergent. Mechanical cleaning with a dishwashing machine can be done successfully with plastic surfaces (even if knife-scarred) and wooden boards especially made for this."

I'll keep my plastic boards and keep using the dishwasher. Vs the hand care of the wood boards, this works better in our house.

[monpetitescargot]

also, wood has natural antiseptic properties.

[scubadoo97]

Wash with hot soapy water and rinse and dry well. That will take care of most things. Just cut raw chicken on it and you are freaking out about cross contamination, then wash as above and follow with a good spritz of white vinegar. Let sit for 10 min and then rinse and dry.

[wekick]

If I cut meat, I wash it well and then put it in the oven heated to 300 and then turn it off. Cast iron and anything that will rust I dry like that.

[escondido123]

I just checked wedmd. com which is a health site. They say "Always wash cutting boards, dishes, countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood." Full FAQ on salmonella is here: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/foo...

[Delucacheesemonger]

Do as Escondido says, plus occasional butcher's block wax, but chicken has it's own plastic board.

[Dan G]

oil them so moisture (blood) doesn't absorb into it. I have 3 end-grain wood boards that are several years old now, and oil them every couple of months. Other than that, hot water. Seldom even use soap on them and haven't killed anyone yet, or even made them sick.

[junescook]

Don't blame the wooden cutting board thing on me. I've got at least six plastic cutting boards, four full size and two smaller. Each one of them goes straight into the diswasher to be cleaned with detergent and 150 degree water every time we use it.

[escondido123]

Give it a gentle scrub with soap and hot water, rinse well, dry off with a towel. Let air dry. That's what I do and they're all looking fine.

[cocktailhour]

this is what we do as well. I usually cut raw meat on plastic though.