Wooden cutting board turns black

Question

My wooden cutting board is turning black!

I tried reposition the cutting board and even tried hanging them but regardless of the different configuration, water still accumulate at a certain region during the drying process and blacken them. After the cutting board is dried, the black remains and is not fading away.

How to avoid it and how can I get rid of the black-ness?

Asked by KMC

Answer

The black spots can be one of several things, but are likely a variety of mold. Black stains can also be caused by a reaction to the iron in your knives (particularly if you use carbon steel blades instead of stainless steel). If it is mold, it is growing because even though the surface of your cutting board is dry, moisture has soaked in, probably because it needs to be oiled or waxed.

To recondition a butcher block or cutting board that is stained or gouged, you can sand the surface down, and reoil.

1. Use a sanding block to keep the surface from getting wavy as you sand.
2. Start sanding with 120 grit (80 if you are removing big gouges), and sand evenly, moving with the grain, until the stains are gone, or almost gone (if a few very deep ones survive, don't worry about it).
3. Repeat the sanding with 240, then 400 grit until the roughness from the previous sanding is gone.
4. Reoil with any Butcher Block Conditioner. There are many out there, and they are either food-safe mineral oil, or that oil with a few other waxes mixed in. Many are good, but my favorite is Howard's Butcher Block Conditioner. Follow the instructions, but it will amount to making a liberal application, allowing it to sit for a while, then wiping off the excess.
5. Maintain the new surface by drying the cutting board well before storing (as you are already doing), and wiping lightly with mineral oil briefly every few times you use it, much like maintaining a cast iron pan.

Answered by Sam Ley

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How can I dice vegetables on a small cutting board?

Question

I have a fairly small cutting board - about 8.5" x 12.5" (22cm x 32cm), and I am finding it difficult to dice vegetables, especially the onions, without stuff going all over the place.

Is it my technique that's sloppy or should I just get a bigger cutting board?

Answer

If you can't get a bigger cutting board, here are a couple pointers to getting the most done CLEANLY in a small space (mostly tricks from my kitchen manager):

• Use a sharp knife. It's easier to control, and when you chop, pieces don't move as much. Hone it at least daily to keep the edge aligned.
• Organize your work on the board. If you're right-handed, keep raw ingredients on the left side, and finished, cut product on the other.
• Keep the spot you're using to cut clear. It may only be 4-6 square inches, but it should n't have anything to get in the way. I like to use the bottom middle for cutting and the corners to organize stuff in various stages of cutting.
• Remove trash (trimmings, ends, unusable vegetable scraps) from the board. Either keep a trashcan next to the counter, or use a bowl to collect garbage. This frees up space on your cutting board.
• You can use additional bowls to store uncut material, and finished results. This frees up more cutting board area.

All of these tips help, but I'll tell you what my chef told me: the bigger your cutting board, the more room you have to work, and the faster you can go. As your knife skills improve, you will be able to work in a smaller space without problems. But first, start off with plenty of room. As you you gain experience, your cuts become more precise, you organize your space, and work faster and cleaner.

With this advice in mind, you should move to a larger cutting board. The extra space to work make it much easier to develop proper knife skills, because you're not trying to cramp yourself in. I suggest the largest board that you can comfortably fit in your sink for cleanup. With professional knife skills, I can handle prepping multiple items on an 8.5" x 9.5" cutting board; however, I find that my 11" x 14" board provides a lot more room to organize my work, and is more comfortable to use. At work, I use the biggest board I can fit on my station.

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Cutting boards: What are some general tips on purchasing and using a cutting board?

Question

I have heard various debates on the merits of wood versus synthetic cutting boards, and their affect on food safety, knife edges, and ease of cleaning and storage.

What are the pros and cons of the following and why?

• Wood versus plastic or other materials
• Affect on food safety and cleanliness
• Cost to purchase
• Affect on knife edge and ease of use

Answer

I use two types of cutting boards: wood and [soft] plastic. The plastic is for meat, or anything that could ruin a wood cutting board. Wood is for everything else. If you can afford it, try to get an end-grain wood cutting board.

Bamboo is a popular choice right now (it's affordable and sustainable), but I don't have any personal experience with it.

Most other materials, especially glass, will ruin your knives.

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Bamboo Cutting board

Question

I recently purchased a bamboo cutting board and it's shedding fine splinters of wood. Is there a way to clean this off or did I buy a bad quality board?

I've tried washing it but water doesn't seem to rinse off the fine splinters of wood very well. In fact, the water makes the fine splinters of wood stick!

Answer

It sounds like the one you got may not have been of good quality. I don't remember them being terribly expensive ($40?), so I'd take yours back. If you get a good one, it should last you for years and years, so don't be afraid to invest a little. Your new one should NOT be splintering.

And don't put your new one in the dishwasher.

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