oiling spoons

[Dave Budd]

we all talk about our favourite oil to soak our spoons in, be it tung, damish, linseed, flax or olive oil. Some peole deep fry their spoons, others soak it for days and then some jsut put it on in coats.

but

I've made loads of spoons for my own use and I don't bother oiling them anymore. I've not tried frying hem, only soaking and coating in tung, flax and olive oils (not together!). I've found that once the spoon has been through the washing up, the oil has pretty much come off (sometimes even eating hot soup or stirring a cup of tea strips the oil out).

Not one of my spoons has rotted and they all work fine with no splitting or other problems without oiling. One did fall foul to rats chewing on it and a couple have had the same mouldiness you get on old bread, but they were becuase I left them out in the woods for a few wet weeks!

So, apart from the aesthetic effect of oiling the wooden spoon, is there any real reason to do so?

discuss

[Kepis]

Think it's a matter of personal preference, i like to oil my "good" spoons to bring the grain out and make them aesthetically pleasing, the "users" i have in the kitchen i dont bother oiling, i just let the curry paste, pasta sauce etc "colour" the wood over time.

[leon-1]

So, apart from the aesthetic effect of oiling the wooden spoon, is there any real reason to do so?

discuss

You'll probably find that it is food hygiene based Dave, Oils which penetrate deep and then set hard (as tung oil will do if left for long enough) stop other things from getting into the minute spaces and festering.

Although you may not see it so much here in the UK you may see it in other countries of a more tropical persuasion and there any infection can be a lot more virulent and destructive than most anything that we come acroos at home in good old blighty.

[robin wood]

I don't know of any research on bacteria growing on wooden spoons but there was a good bit of research done on chopping boards which gave wood the OK. Its often quoted from but the original is here under "using woodware"

The theory behind oiling wood is that dry wood is like blotting paper and will absorbe whatever liquid you put it in. If thats milk or olive oil it can then go rancid...not nice. Its not often a problem with spoons which are small and thin and don't have so much milk or whatever within them, also they tend to dry quickly which stops bacteria breeding so using dry spoons works. Its more of a problem with bowls or cups.

Dave when you wash your spoon up the oil comes out of the surface but if its well soaked there is probably still plenty left inside to make it less permeable. The ideal situation is to use an oil which cures or sets cold pressed linseed or call it flax if you want to pay more is my favourite. It takes about 3 months to set properly, I am impatient and start using the things straight away, some oil washes out some stays in and cures. Walnut is similar and smells gorgeous but check noone has nut allergy before giving them a walnut oiled spoon. Oils that stay liquid such as olive, sunflower etc don't really protect the wood at all and can go rancid int he wood.

[John Fenna]

Re kitchen type wooden spoons oiled?
I have yet to oil a wooden spoon that I use for cooking/eating and I aint dead yet....

[Mirius]

I have yet to oil a wooden spoon that I use for cooking/eating and I aint dead yet....

Famous last words...

[John Fenna]

I did say "yet"......

[Tengu]

This is very useful information.

I found a singular wooden bowl at the car boot today, its dusty to the point of sticking, so I will scrub it clean and dry well, then see how it looks.

Im tempted to keep it, but if not, it will make a good xmas present for a relative who likes things like that.

[brancho]

Re kitchen type wooden spoons oiled?
I have yet to oil a wooden spoon that I use for cooking/eating and I aint dead yet....

I agree

I have oiled some in the past But now consider it unecessary as spoons intended for kitchen use are neevr oiled when you buy them.

Wash them and keep the dry and they will be OK.

Alf

[Jedadiah]

Re kitchen type wooden spoons oiled?
I have yet to oil a wooden spoon that I use for cooking/eating and I aint dead yet....

Yeah, but your not looking too good either! I read somewhere that before a traditional Kuksa is carved, it is soaked in salt water for a couple of weeks to stop it cracking or splitting during the carving process. If this is true, then maybe this will sterilize the wood and close up any pores there may be that could harbour nasties. Therefore, you don't get splitting cracking, no nasties and no where to go for potential nasties. There is also advice that you should not use hot water or washing up liquid on one, just rinse underwarm water and dry and definatly not put one in a dishwasher. Well at least that means my pack will be lighter next time i go out!

I also read that there is a curing process, a bit like when you have to put a protective coating on an iron frying pan or dutch oven. It seems to involve a lot of Congnac/ Brandy and possibly some coffee and a Finnish coin. Seem's i may have to do some more investigating!