Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Many Benefits Of A Cutting Board

By Stephen Humphrey


Range

There are various shapes and sizes of cutting boards. One of the primary points to consider will be the scale of your countertop space and also the volume of food preparation you do. You can find square, rectangle, circle and octagon shapes. Some also come raised on low-profile legs, while others have hand grips for convenient moving or serving. Costlier ones will have extra features such as juice canals and extendable cutting boards.

Most expensive materials

The most exclusive materials for cutting boards and butcher blocks are hardwoods like walnut, ash, beech and teak. They have tight closed grain with fine pores which prevent scaring from knife blades and reduce moisture absorption from foods. Wood like teak has been utilized in the shipbuilding industry for hundreds of years due to these durable and resistant to water qualities. It is best to avoid softer woods like oak as they have massive pores and open grains which can simply trap food.

Hygienic

According to studies carried out by the College of California Davis Food Safety Lab, wooden cutting boards are rather more hygienic than plastic ones because of the natural anti-septic properties of wood. They are much less certain to harbour bacteria than well-used plastic cutting boards, as any bacteria that penetrate into the wood die off within minutes when the wood dries out because there is no moisture to enable it to survive and reproduce. By contrast, plastic cutting boards with knife scars must be thrown away since they keep bacteria which can contaminate the foodstuffs being prepared and cause food poisoning.

Straightforward upkeep

When cleaning a wooden cutting board, it is important never to submerge in water as this has an effect on the wood and warps the shape of the board. Instead it's best to simply wipe with warm water and soap and permit to fully dry before reusing. To save the beauty and longevity of your cutting board, as well as guaranteeing it is still hygienic, you are advised to rub mineral oil into the board about once a month. This helps improves sturdiness and resistance to moisture.

Gentle on cutlery

A fascinating and very beneficial feature of end grain wood is that it displays 'self-healing ' properties. Because of the way the grain runs, the knife cuts between the wood fibers rather than cutting into them, which mean that knife cuts made into a wooden cutting board essentially close over again. Similarly end grain cutting boards are light on knife blades whereas plastic ones damage cutlery much more instantaneously.

Durable and eco friendly

While plastic boards change colour and flake over the passage of time quality wooden cutting boards that are correctly maintained will last for dozens of years and can be passed down through the generations. If they do become knife scarred they can be sanded down till smooth again. Using wooden cutting boards also suggests you are doing your bit for the environment since wood is replenish-able and biodegradable.

Naturally beautiful

Being natural, wood is extremely pretty and has a rustic and earthy cultured appeal which creates a warm and welcome ambiance in your kitchen. Therefore , a wooden cutting board is more than just a culinary essential; it can make an attention-grabbing complement to your kitchen. Many place them as a permanent fixture on their kitchen islands or worktops for convenient access and as a design feature.




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