How to condition your wooden charcuterie and cutting boards

Our Caro Cutting Boards

If you are like us, then you love gorgeous cutting boards that are versatile and functional as kitchen cooking accessories, beautiful decor, and charcuterie display pieces. But how do you keep wooden boards looking beautiful and new? We talked it over and thought, well can’t you just use olive oil to condition wooden boards? Turns out, the answer is NO!

1. Why should you condition your cutting boards?

   Wooden boards exposed to moisture can warp, dry out, and crack over time. Conditioning your boards helps to avoid damage from moisture.

2. How often should you condition your boards?

   You can oil your boards monthly to quarterly depending on how often you use and wash your boards.

3. What type of oil should you use?

   You can’t use any oil that can go rancid, so avoid cooking oils (vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, and peanut oil). Food grade mineral oil is the preferred oil for cutting board conditioning. It is odorless, tasteless, and does not go rancid.

4. How do I wash my boards?

   Handwash only with soap and water or white vinegar and water. Wooden boards will warp in the dishwasher.

Food grade mineral oil is sold in many places including amazon and Home Depot. 12 oz bottles run less than $10.

How to condition your boards:

1. Apply a generous amount of mineral oil directly onto the cutting board

2. Rub the oil into the board using a rag (Maddie is using our versatile flour sack towel in the video). Apply to front, back, and sides in a circular motion

3. Apply a second coat of oil to all sides of the board, especially if this is the first time you have conditioned your board

4. Wipe away any excess oil with your rag

5. Allow your board to dry for 24-48 hours before using

Oiled board (back) vs board without oil (front)

Both Boards Oiled

For more information on conditioning and cleaning cutting boards, check out these resources that we found extremely helpful:

• MasterClass: How to Oil a Cutting Board in 6 Simple Steps.

• New York Times: How to Clean and Care for Wood Cutting Boards

Let us know if you have any good tips or tricks on keeping your wooden boards like new in the comments!