Test If Your Wood Cutting Board Needs Oiling With A Few Drops Of Water

Test If Your Wood Cutting Board Needs Oiling With A Few Drops Of Water

Now and again, wood cutting boards need to be oiled and otherwise taken care of if you want to extend their lifespan. If your cutting board doesn’t look like the photo above, it’s time for a quick fix.

The photo comes to us via Serious Eats’ J. Kenji López-Alt, along with this tip:

How can you tell when it’s time to oil? Using your fingertips, sprinkle a few drops of water over your board. If the board has been properly and freshly seasoned, water will bead up on its surface. This is a good indication that nothing is going to penetrate it. Over time, its water-repellent qualities will start to diminish, and water droplets will spread further and further out, clinging to the wood. Eventually, the water will look like it’s about to get absorbed into the wood even as it first lands on it. That’s a sign that you’re ready for another layer of oil.

I’m pretty sure my cutting board is like a sponge right now, so off to oil I go. Check out Kenji’s post below for more instructions on seasoning and maintaining your wood cutting board.

How to Season and Maintain a Wooden Cutting Board [Serious Eats]


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