Do I really need to take care of my cutting board?

Hi, welcome to my blog.  This is hand-typed by Laura, no ChatGPT here. 

Today we're going to talk about Board Butter - it's the big tie in to my two main lines: cutting boards and tallow products.  We're going to talk about the Board Butter.  

First off, let's make the assumption you have a wood cutting board.  Let's make another assumption and that wood cutting board isn't made from bamboo.  Now we can chat.  

Your wood cutting board will naturally absorb whatever is on it.  Water, food debris, meat juice, everything.  Even bacteria.  Yeah, guess what?  There are no right answers to anything, just different consequences. 

You want plastic cutting board to avoid bacteria?  You better make sure there's zero cuts in it - that's where they live (don't even make me go into the micro plastic conversation). 

You want to get a glass board?  Fine, go for it, but you're going to wear down your knives so fast you'll be spending so much time sharpening them than actually cooking.  Also, I have granite countertops.  I can't tell you how many things I've broken by slipping my hand.  Glass salt/pepper containers, whiskey glasses, ceramic plates, ceramic butter dishes, have all shattered in the last 4 years from dropping them from my hand at cabinet height to my countertop.

And honestly, give our immune system a little bit of credit, you're exposed to pollutants and microorganisms every day, especially when you garden, play outside, go for walks, etc.  Do we want to protect ourselves from unnecessary?  Yeah, totally.  Best way to do that is to go outside, get sun, get some exercise, live a healthy lifestyle that starts... in your kitchen.  So get out that wooden chopping block and make some healthy food. 

If you ever get one of my teak boards, especially my favorite with the herringbone pattern here, you'll want to take care of it.  This board is absolutely an investment, and as a customer once stated - it's a quality of life improvement.  I can't tell you how nice it is to take care of something in my kitchen, that feels and looks beautiful.  Without further ado, here's how to take care of your board: 

STEP ONE:  Clean/Sanitize

So, after use, use whatever dish cleaner you have available.  Do I make my own?  Yes, but I'm kind of crazy these days so don't mind me.  Dawn works amazing, and they clean oil off of birds.  They got a gold star in my book.  Use that dawn, and hand wash it with whatever reusable 

STEP TWO:  Dry it.  Fully.

You'll need to treat it similarly to a cast iron skillet.  Get it completely dry, don't just let it drip dry on the counter.  Don't throw it down wet onto another hard surface where that sitting water will just absorb into the board.

STEP THREE:  Condition it.

This is where my board butter comes into play.  I made a safe to consume formula using grass fed tallow, beeswax, and sweet orange essential oil.  The blend is intended to not only help create a barrier but it also helps prevent stains if you're using the wood for a charcuterie board with fruit, berries, or jams. 



Now I really can't stress enough to take care of it - it's going to last years.  It'll also help prevent food illnesses and other unnecessary spoilage or (gasp) even moldy spots.  

I will say, my rubberwood boards are so durable, I put one in my dishwasher DAILY.  FOR.  A.  YEAR.  And it was just starting to crack at the bottom before I upgraded to one of the teak ones.  It fit the space better, and I enjoy the way it works in the kitchen.  

Take my word for it, you can be lazy and replace it every so often, or you can buy one of our teak boards and let it be the last board you ever need to buy.