Maintain Your Butcher Block

Butcher blocks are large, solid slabs of finished wood that are used in the kitchen to cut meats and other foods. Because butcher blocks are made from natural wood, it is important to perform routine maintenance on them to prevent the wood from drying and cracking, and also to kill existing bacteria. Continue reading to learn how you can maintain your butcher block for optimal, lasting performance.

Steps

1. Scrape the surfaces of your butcher block immediately after each use to keep the butcher block sanitary.
   • You may want to use a spatula or steel scraper, which will also help with removing excess liquid.
2. Clean your butcher block daily after using.
   • Use a sponge, water, and liquid dish-washing detergent or mild soap to clean the block on every side.
3. Dry and remove water from every side of the butcher block completely using a clean, soft dish rag or towel.
4. Disinfect your butcher block if you used it to cut raw fish, meat, or other items filled with bacteria.
   • Use bleach or an all-natural alternative mixture of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
   • Add 1 tbsp. (14.78 milliliters) of bleach to 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and use a sponge to clean all surfaces of the butcher block.
   • Rinse the butcher block with water to remove any remaining traces of disinfectant.
   • Spray your butcher block with undiluted white vinegar and allow the vinegar to completely soak into the surface.
   • Use a paper towel saturated with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and gently swipe it across the butcher block to complete the disinfection process.
5. Pour undiluted lemon juice on areas of your butcher block that contain tough stains to remove them completely.
6. Treat your butcher block with natural food-grade mineral oil once per week to keep the wood moist and to prevent it from drying or cracking.
   • An excellent oil for cutting boards can be found at the drugstore labelled as a "lubricant laxative". It's odorless, tasteless, colorless, and will not turn rancid.
   • Pour mineral oil directly on your butcher block and gently use a sponge to spread the oil across the entire surface.
   • Let the mineral oil soak completely into the surface of your butcher block and use a soft rag to wipe away any remaining or excess oil that will not soak in.
7. Apply a natural beeswax topcoat to your butcher block after treating with mineral oil.
   • This procedure will seal the oil into the wood and prevent additional bacteria from contaminating the wood.
   • Apply small amounts of beeswax to a soft rag and gently wipe it across your butcher block until each entire surface area is covered with beeswax.
   • Use gentle, circular motions to rub the beeswax into the wood and wipe away excess beeswax with a clean, dry cloth.
8. Place foods on different areas of the butcher block each time you use it.
   • This will cause the entire surface to wear equally instead of in one specific spot when you cut.
9. Cut foods using knives with duller, sharpened edges.
   • Using cleavers with extremely sharp or razor edges may cause your butcher block to splinter or chip.
10. Finished.

Caring for Your Butcher Block

1. Get a scraper from a real bakery. They use them to cut dough. They are really cheap. Never "sharpen" it. Use a file on the edge to keep it flat. As the edge rounds off file it flat again. The edge of the scraper should look like the back of a knife, not the sharp end.
2. Scrape it after every use.
3. If you feel you must, use very dilute bleach on it then wipe it dry.
4. You do not need, oils, beeswax etc.
5. If you cut fish on it, use lemon juice to remove the smell.
6. Spend the money to buy a really good block. You can leave it to your grandkids and they can leave it to theirs.

Cleaning Butcher Block with a twist

All of the previous suggestions for cleaning your butcher block are viable options. The use of a lemon is a great way to clean your block. However, there's a little "twist" to it...

1. Take the lemon and cut in half.
2. Get a salt box and sprinkle over the block.
3. Squeeze the lemon over the salted block and use the lemon half to scrub the block.

Et voilà! Not only has the block been cleaned, it's been sanitized with a non-chemical method. This is also a great method to clean porous type crock pots that should not be cleaned with soap...what a multi-tool to have!

Tips

• Tip your butcher block onto its side after washing, cleaning, and treating it with mineral oil to prevent moisture from collecting under the butcher block if you leave it flat on the counter.
• Store your butcher block away from appliances such as a stove or clothes dryer that may cause your butcher block to become excessively dry.

Warnings

• Do not place your butcher block in the dishwasher or submerge it completely in a sink or tub of water because the wood will absorb the water and cause it to crack easily.
• Do not use food-based oils such as olive or vegetable oils to treat your butcher block in place of mineral oil because they may affect the taste of your food and become rancid over time.

Things You'll Need

• Spatula or steel scraper
• White vinegar
• Bleach
• Soft sponge
• Soft dish rag or towel
• 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Dish-washing liquid or mild soap
• Paper towels
• Lemon juice
• Mineral oil
• Natural beeswax

Related Articles

• Maintain a Wood Cutting Board
• Prepare a Cheap Cutting Board
• Protect a Wood Countertop
• Sanitize Kitchen Surfaces
• Make a Black Walnut Edge Grain Cutting Board

Sources and Citations

• http://www.thebutcherblocktop.com/bublca.html
• http://whatscookingamerica.net/CuttingBoards/AllAbout.htm

See also

• Get Plastic Containers Clean with No Soapy Leftovers
• Remove Ice Cubes From a Tray
• Clean a Fondue Pot
• Easily Clean a Garlic Press
• Clean a Sieve
• Prevent Toaster Fires
• Clean a Rice Cooker
• Use a Pizza Stone
• Clean a Grill Pan
• Use a Can Opener

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