If you’re like me, you love natural wood, especially in your kitchen. Not only is it healthier than some alternatives, but it also looks and feels amazing. The only problem with using wood in the kitchen, whether that’s knife handles, cutting boards, or cooking utensils, is that after using and washing them several times, the wood can start getting rough and damaged.
In this post, I’ll walk through the benefits of using wood in the kitchen, the problems that can arise and how to avoid them, and how to use the recipe I use to seal your wood properly for healthy, beautiful wood.
Benefits of Wood in the Kitchen
My favorite benefit of using natural wood is that it doesn’t leach chemicals into your food, like plastic and nonstick. This benefit mainly affects cooking utensils, but I also don’t love plastic lids for my glass containers, so I have these wooden lids for my dry ingredient storage. There are several articles and studies that discuss the negatives of using plastic because of chemical leaching, so I won’t go into the details here. Leaching chemicals can seem like something we can pretend doesn’t exist because we don’t see it happening, but the easy switch to natural wood is definitely worth the health benefits.
Another practical reason I use wood in my kitchen is that it doesn’t melt, like plastic. Have you ever seen (or caused!) those plastic spatulas with a half-melted handle? I think it’s safe to say that it’s really unhealthy to have plastic melting so close to your food. Also, plastic is clearly not as durable as wood.
So why not stainless steel? I do use stainless steel a lot in my kitchen as well! As far as cooking utensils go, I prefer wood because it doesn’t scratch my steel pots and baking pans. That doesn’t mean I don’t use stainless utensils too, but wood is usually my go-to. In my opinion, stainless steel and wood both have their place in my kitchen and home, and they each have a different function that better suits them.
When looking for my kitchen knife set, I knew I wanted something with stainless steel blades and wooden handles. I grew up with wooden handled knives, they feel like they’ll last a lifetime (and my parents still have the set they got for their wedding), and I just love the look and feel. I searched far and wide, and it seemed that the only quality wooden handled knives were upwards of $200 per knife! Eventually, I found my Case knives and wood block set, and I was thrilled! They’re made in the USA, too, which was a much appreciated bonus!
Problems That Can Occur
The main problems that arise from using wood are water and soap damage. Wood is similar to cast iron, in that too much water exposure is damaging, and it contains necessary oils that dish soap removes. Too much washing, soaking, etc. can cause long-term and unfixable damage, such as peeling, splintering, and even mold. The main issue is soaking the wood, so don’t leave it in the sink or on a wet counter and dry it pretty soon after washing.
Caring For Your Wood
If you haven’t properly cared for your wood, don’t worry; barring any major damage, you can probably just sand it down and make it look nice again. Every so often, wood should be lightly sanded and sealed with a natural, food-safe seal. Here is the recipe I use:
- 4 parts olive oil
- 1 part beeswax
That’s it! I just melt those together on my stove and then pour it into a jar. Once it cools, it is ready to use. Here’s my step-by-step:
First, I melt the ingredients and pour the mixture into a jar, being sure to stir it periodically as it cools.
While that’s cooling, I make sure the wood is completely dry and sand it until smooth. This may take longer or shorter, depending on how damaged your wood is.
Once the mixture is completely cooled, which can take several hours, it should look like this.
Then, I use my fingers to rub it all over the wood, being sure to get into the grain.
I usually let it sit for about half a minute, and then I wipe off the excess.
This process will give your wood a beautiful and natural shine, and it will help protect your wood. In that way, think of this process as similar to seasoning your cast iron. The olive oil-beeswax mixture is healthy and safe for your cooking utensils, and you can even use it as a balm for your skin!
In short,
- Natural wood is healthier and more versatile than other materials
- Don’t soak your wood or let is stay wet for very long
- And be sure to sand and seal it any time it starts looking dry or rough with a mixture of 4 parts olive oil : 1 part beeswax
