How to Care and Keep Wooden Cutting Board Clean

Kitchen is, in fact, a bit severe environment for cooking tools. There are fire/heat, moisture, and bacteria. As you think about the circumstance, you may feel challenging to use wooden cutting boards.

But wooden cutting boards have lots of advantages. Learning how to use and how to care the tools properly, you would be able to use the useful items for a long time.

Why choose a wooden cutting board?

When you imagine a wooden cutting board, you may like its natural look. The cutting board has a fresh scent and a smooth touch. Additionally, it has so many functions for enjoyable cooking.

JAPANESE CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD WITH STAND / TOSARYU

Protect your knife

Unlike other materials, wooden cutting boards are gentle to the blade.

You might experience chipping a knife when you use ceramic and plastic cutting boards, which are usually firmer than wood, but you do not need to worry about chipping anymore.

Wooden cutting boards are resilient and make a nice sound like "chop, chop, chop." They also prevent you from easily getting tired by cutting ingredients!

CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD ONTAKESAN / YAMAICHI

Has good grip

Moreover, wooden cutting boards have a nice grip when you are cutting vegetables, meats, or fishes. The cutting boards excessive moisture from ingredients and makes a proper surface for cutting.

JAPANESE CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD WITH STAND / TOSARYU

Antibacterial effect of wood

For cutting boards, various kinds of woods are used as the material. Most of them have an antibacterial effect that prevents bacteria from surviving on the cutting boards.

ZUTTO mainly handles cutting boards made of Japanese cypress. It is the wood with high antibacterial effect and a nice refreshing scent.

YAMAICHI's cypress cutting boards

CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD ONTAKESAN / YAMAICHI

The brand of YAMAICHI manufactures many cutting boards of Japanese cypress. Usually, the cutting boards have parallel wood grain. It means those products are produced from old woods of Japanese cypress, which have a lot of growth rings. By having parallel wood grain, you can smoothly cut ingredients on the surface, and feel resiliency. In addition, even if the cutting boards get scratches from a knife, they can be hardly spotted because cypress absorbs moisture and recover by itself.

TOSARYU's cypress cutting boards

JAPANESE CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD WITH STAND / TOSARYU

TOSARYU makes cutting boards with Japanese cypress as well. Not to have warped, the brand dries Japanese cypress for about one month. After drying, the material gets soaked into water, then smoked for about 7-10 days. It takes so much time to make one cutting board, but the product would be the authentic, practical cutting board.

Japanese cypress sometimes yields tar from the surface, but it does not mean the wood has damaged or stained. Wood tar is microbicidal and protects the material itself from moisture as well. If you see exceeded tar, wash it out with hot water.

BERARD's olive cutting boards

OLIVE CUTTING BOARD / BERARD

The cutting boards of BERARD is made of olive. They are not only made for cutting ingredients, but also for serving the food. It works perfectly for cutting and serving bread, fruits, or cheese. Olive possesses sufficient oil inside and is steady and antibacterial.

Appropriate ways to use

There are some tips you should know before using a wooden cutting board. Otherwise, the tool may have black spots which are likely because of mold or warping due to dry circumstance.

ROUND CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD M28 / YAMAICHI

Before use: Make sure to wet a cutting board before use

It is important to moisten the surface of a cutting board. It works to coat the surface and prevents the odor of ingredients from remaining. Not to have too much moisture, wipe lightly after soaking. When you go to a Sushi restaurant, you would see a cook always does this process before cutting fish on a wooden cutting board.

JAPANESE CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD WITH STAND / TOSARYU

While using: Consider the order of cutting

In order to use the same cutting board for a long time, it is also crucial to think about the order of cutting ingredients.

If you need to cut ginger, tomato, potato, and meat, which one should be the first to cut?

The appropriate order would be; a potato, tomato, ginger, and meat. Make sure to cut the ingredient which does not have too much moisture or strong scent. Meat and fish should be the last not to increase bacteria on the surface.

CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD ONTAKESAN / YAMAICHI

CUTTING BOARD STAND / FUTAGAMI

After use: Wash right after the use and dry well

After using a cutting board, it is important to wash as soon as possible. Immediate washing prevents color, stain, and odor from remaining on the surface.

When you cut meat or fish, try washing a cutting board with a sponge with dish soap before soaking it into water. If the cutting board is soaked by warm water first, the protein from meat or fish may become solid and hard to wash.

After washing a cutting board, wipe out with a soft cloth and dry it well. It dries quickly when you place it vertically in a breathable space.

MINI CYPRESS CUTTING BOARD / YAMAICHI

Using multiple cutting boards

For prolonged use, having multiple cutting boards for each ingredient would be the ideal. But you may have limited space for storage and caring all cutting boards would be tiresome.

Instead, we recommend having a cutting board that both sides would work for cutting or using two different cutting boards. Using each side/board separately for vegetables and meat/fish contributes for long use.

BREAD CUTTING BOX / TOSARYU

Additional care of wooden cutting boards

- Try not to dry too much

If you find the surface of your cutting board becomes white, it may get dried too much. Use natural oil such as olive oil and linseed oil to coat the surface.

- Scrub the surface with lemon or salt

By scrubbing the surface with lemon or salt, it removes stains from scratches. Also, salt has the ability to restore the damage of wood.

- When you find a black spot on the surface

When you find a black spot on the surface, file with sandpaper. It is important to file immediately after you find the spot. Care with a natural oil after filing the surface.

- Prevent warping

Warping is caused by repeated use. Please note the following points for preventing.

Place vertically when drying/storing

Wash both sides

Not to dry too much

- Maintenance by manufacture

If you want to file or have professional maintenance, some manufactures may accept the care. Please ask ZUTTO Customer Support for the products you purchased on our website.

ZUTTO Customer Support: support_store@zutto.co.jp

For the long use of a wooden cutting board, it is essential to understand the appropriate ways of use and care. With a little of consciousness and knowledge, the cooking tool helps you have joyful and comfortable cooking time.

▽Brands of Wooden Cutting Boards

YAMAICHI