[riffwraith]

Hi.

1. I use my cutting board every eve for dinner, and wash it after each use. Hot, soapy water. I am finding that I need to mineral oil it every three days. Is this normal?

2. I heard somewhere that you can buy a blacklight (?) to see if there is any bacteria on the board. Will any one do, or is there a specific kind to get?

Thanks in advance.

 

[scott livesey]

i would hot soapy water only after cutting proteins. if only cutting veg or fruit, a quick rinse should be enough. every 3 days is what your board needs, seems ok. maybe the next time you use oil, use a lot, allow to stand for 1/2 hour or so. add another coat and let stand. do this until there are no patches where oil soaks in. other alternative would be a mineral oil/beeswax paste which should stand up to washing better.
i would not waste money on a blacklight. in tests, wood prevented bacteria from multiplying and gradually killed any that were missed by washing.

 

[riffwraith]

Thanks!

So, if I cut onion and garlic - which I pretty much do every day - no need to wash with soap?

 

[phatch]

You'll transfer those flavors to other things. Some things won't matter, but for fruit the combo with garlic isn't pleasant to most people.

 

[chefross]

Oil the cutting board only once every month is all you need. Washing in soapy water after each use is good. Have you considered using a small amount of bleach on the board?