How to Condition Wooden Kitchen Utensils

Most kitchens include wooden utensils for use in preparing food. The supply is endless, from wooden bowls to spoons to cutting boards. All must be kept in good condition, which means odor and bacteria free, to endure many years of cooking. Follow these steps to keep wooden kitchen utensils in prime condition.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Olive oil
• Large bowl
• Clean terrycloth rags
• Large clean old towel

1. Collect all wooden utensils for a once-over cleaning. Check to see that all the wooden utensils are clean and dirt-free. If not, take the time to clean them with soap and water.

2. Lay a large towel on the kitchen counter. Have the space free of clutter. This is where you will place the wooden utensils to soak up oil overnight.

3. Take olive oil and pour about 1 cup full into the large bowl. Place a terrycloth rag in the bowl to soak up some oil. Make sure it's good and oily.

4. Transfer the oil from the cloth to each utensil by rubbing each utensil until it is soaked with the oil. Thoroughly do each piece. If you have a lot of utensils, you might have to soak the cloth repeatedly in the bowl of oil before continuing with the rest of the wooden utensils.

5. Lay each finished utensil on the large towel on the kitchen counter. Let them sit there for the rest of the day and night. Allow all the oil to soak into the wood. The more conditioned the wooden utensils are, the longer they will last.

Tips & Warnings

• Some wooden utensil companies sell their own oil for conditioning. You might want to check their product, which is easier to use than olive oil but not cheaper. Some oils have beeswax, a nice additive to coat the wood and treat it.