Chilli chopping block

[Baldhead]

Made this for the missus

It's approx 190mm x 140mm x 40mm ( 7.5" x 5" x 1.75" in old money) it's beech, end grain and it was a lot harder to make than it looks! I made it specifically for chopping chilli's and garlic.

Anyhow my question is, can I use ordinary vegetable oil as a finish?

Baldhead

 

[Steve Maskery]

What a good idea, a little block just for chilli. I tend to use a rather larger one (maple) for everything, but sometime I get an unwelcome hit of chilli in my G&T if I've used a lemon on it afterwards!

Yes, any veg oil would be fine, or indeed, no finish at all.

 

[Racers]

G+T and a hint of chilli sounds nice!

Bombay Sapphire I hope!

Pete

p.s. nice board

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For chilli, garlic, anchovies etc. the best boards are the plastic ones sold for three for a fiver in the supermarkets - use once and put in the dishwasher. Much as I love wood, there are jobs that other materials do better.

 

[gregmcateer]

Much as I love wood, there are jobs that other materials do better.

You dirty devil!!! Wash your mouth out immediately :lol:

 

[MrYorke]

Much as I love wood, there are jobs that other materials do better.

You dirty devil!!! Wash your mouth out immediately :lol:

With a chilli I presume?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

nope sorry....he's spot on. I cook with chilli and garlic all the time and I stick one of those placcy jobs down over my regular wooden board. Also for meat, fish and seafood generally ie anything where either taste contamination or bugs is concerned. Straight on the dishwasher then back to chop chop chopping. My bread board on the other hand...now that's a whole WIP on its own

 

[Kalimna]

Completely agree with plastic being better than wood for this. Having said that, your little end grain block is a corker.
I'm not sure that any veg oil would be suitable -many, including olive, can go rancid. They may not, but a hardening oil like walnut, or plain mineral oil (food safe oil as it is sometimes marketed) would be a better bet.
There is nothing wrong with no finish at all, but aesthetically I prefer the darkened tones of an oil finish.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[cambournepete]

I much prefer wood to plastic for chopping boards for any food - the wood acts as it's own antibacterial agent.
Obviously I use different boards for meat and veg, but otherwise...

 

[Steve Maskery]

There was some research some years ago that suggested that indeed, wood was a more hygienic material for kitchen use compared to plastic, when both were treated in the same way. Unfortunately I can't remember the source of that research or whether it was peer-reviewed or not.
Of course, if it was carried out by a work-experience fifth-former at the Wooden Chopping Boards Trade Associataion.....

S

 

[SteveF]

When I worked for supermarket chain many moons ago
they got rid of all the wood blocks in the butchers dept...skipped them :shock:
got nice shiny plastic ones
2 years later they decided wood was better and replaced them again

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Only trouble with commercially used chopping blocks is when they decide nobody can taste hypochlorite just because they can't. Can ruin a whole meal for us mutants that're sensitive to it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Any discussion whether wooden boards are better than plastic ones is to a large degree irrelevant when talking of small plastic boards that are only used ONCE. It is not practical to clean a wooden board properly every time it is used, whereas a plastic one can be thrown in the dishwasher.

 

[Baldhead]

One of my friends is a chef, he will only use his knives on end grain wood chopping boards.

Baldhead

 

[Harbo]

The thread was on here years ago - an American study I vaguely remember?
Wood is more hygienic than plastic - even though they can be dishwashered.
I use beech or sycamore untreated but scrubbed in hot soapy water.

Rod