Appliances

How to properly Maintain a cutting board

INTRODUCTION

There is no doubt that a kitchen cutting board is one of the most important tools in the kitchen. To have a legitimate cutting board is significant; this is because it shields a knife from going dull too early. Notwithstanding a decent chef’s knife is frequently the cutest decision when one is asked to name the most loved kitchen implement. But in all sincerity, and a decent knife is nothing without a decent board to utilize it on. In case you’re in any way similar to me, you would notice that your wooden cutting boards are one of your generally utilized and darling kitchen tools. There is extremely just only one kind of cutting board you should buy, and that is a wooden one. Why am I suggesting a wooden cutting board to you? The answer is what you will find out when you read this article.

WHAT IS A CUTTING BOARD

To define what a cutting board is difficult because it is an activity and a tool in the kitchen. Nevertheless, we can attempt to define a cutting board (or hacking board) as a solid board on which to put material for cutting. The kitchen cutting board is generally utilized in getting ready food; different sorts exist for cutting raw materials, for example, leather or plastic. Kitchen cutting boards are regularly made of wood or plastic and come in different widths and sizes. There are additionally cutting boards made of glass, steel, or marble, which are simpler to clean than wooden or plastic ones, for example, nylon or corian, yet will in general tend to damage knives due to their hardness. Harsh cutting edges, for example, serrated blades rub and harm a cutting surface more quickly than do smooth cutting implements.

TYPES OF CUTTING BOARD

Searching for the best cutting board means understanding how the different board materials affect your knife and ingredients. There are so many types of cutting board, these cutting board includes;

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1.      Plastic Cutting Board

To consider safety in the kitchen, plastic cutting boards are perfectly safe to use. It is delicate enough not to harm your blades and is cleaner than a wood design. Plastic is typically made of high-thickness polyethylene plastic or HDPE which is a top notch strong thick plastic. This material is dishwasher safe making it easier to keep the board clean.Plastics are the best cutting boards for meat as you can put them in the dishwasher. . Plastic must be cleaned completely, ideally with preparing pop and heated water, to forestall bacteria development. Make a point to just utilize a top notch plastic that is ensured ok for getting ready food. You would prefer not to ingest any synthetic concoctions or plastic shavings.

2.      Wooden Cutting Board

Wood is well known in light of its usefulness and slick look. The kind of wood utilized has a great deal of effect, however. The best wooden cutting board is maple, teak, and beech. These are for the most part woods with a high hardness rating which makes them ok for your knife. The best wood cutting board is presumably an end-grain wood type that is likewise preferable for blades over edge-grain, which is the reason it is a mainstream structure for butcher squares. An end-grain configuration is additionally better as it is impervious to spaces. Hardwoods are additionally less permeable so they are the more secure choice for clean reasons. Notwithstanding, they are as yet permeable and a wood configuration requires cleaning and support to protect it food-grade. Wooden cutting boards must be washed cautiously, immediately dried, oiled and wrapped with a Cutting Board Wax to keep the wood waterproofed and solid. Oiling additionally makes a defensive layer against food juices. On account of its permeable nature, it is smarter to hold wood types for preparing vegetables and organic products. Plastic is as yet the most secure for managing meat. Be that as it may, recall that they are not dishwasher safe.

3.      Silicone Cutting Board

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Just like rubber, silicone is soft on the blade, while being just as self-healing and anti-bacterial as wood. Silicone is also heat-resistant, and lacks the rubbery smell of rubber boards.

4.      Glass Cutting Board

Just as glass looks like an easy surface to keep clean, glass cutting boards can damage knives because of the high hardness of the material. Cutting on glass tends to dent, roll or even chip knife edges in a rapid manner. Additionally, if used for chopping instead of slicing, glass can shatter or chip itself, contaminating food.

5.      Steel Cutting Board

Steel imparts to glass the benefits of the strength and simplicity of cleaning, just as the inclination to harm blades. Contingent upon the specific steel and warmth treatment utilized, best case scenario a steel cutting board will wear the edge on blades rapidly; at the very least chips, imprint, or move it like glass.

HOW TO MAINTAIN A CUTTING BOARD

Personal hygiene is something that is very important for everyone and every home. This boils down to our kitchens too, keeping our kitchens clean and also giving our cutting boards a good cleaning every month with lemon and salt is a great way to help maintain them. First, it is advised we sprinkle the board with coarse salt, such as sea salt or even kosher salt. Take a lemon and cut it in half. Scrub the salt down each side of the cutting board using the lemon with the fleshy side down. Let the salt and lemon solution sit for approximately five minutes. Finally, clean off the board with a sponge, rinse, and dry.

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In order to avoid cracking, dryness, and warping of the wood cutting board, it’s best to apply oil the board once a month. Providentially, this task only takes a few minutes. First and foremost, it is good we carefully clean our cutting board, preferably using the lemon and salt method described above (but any cleaning method will do). Then dry the board thoroughly. To oil the board, we need to use a product specifically formulated for wood cutting boards, such as a Cutting Board Oil or even food grade mineral oil. Let us be sure not to use olive or avocado oil. Use a soft cloth or paper towel in circular motions to buff the oil into the wood cutting board. Apply a thin coat to the entire surface, front and back, as well as the sides. Let the oil soak for a few hours or even overnight.

CONCLUSION

Finally, we should always note that Bacteria or allergens can easily be transmitted from one part of the kitchen to another or from one food to another via knives, hands, or surfaces such as chopping boards. To reduce the chance of this it is advised to use separate boards for different types of food such as raw meat, cooked meat and vegetables. Sanitation with cutting boards is a delicate process because bacteria can reside in grooves produced by cutting, or in liquids left on the board, so let us always remember to take caution while in the kitchen. 

Philip Okoye
the authorPhilip Okoye
Your favorite recipe author, faithful to every course. Mail me at chef@foodwellsaid.com

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