Treasure Nature

Hi! Welcome to this humble blog. You may want to subscribe to TN's RSS feed for updates. Thanks! :D

This post highlights why we should promote the use of bamboo products. Fortunately, the “wood” of this grass is so versatile that we can enjoy it’s beauty in a lot of common home and kitchen tools and implements. The most utilitarian of these household uses is probably as a cutting board.

Bamboo is both harder and, with proper care, longer lasting than Maple, the most common chopping board wood. Here are 2 handsome cutting board specimens from Amazon:

Click to learn more.	Click to learn more.

Cutting boards made of bamboo are gentler on knives and provides a non-slip surface for safety. The plant’s anti-bacterial properties are also useful. Like any chopping board, it is best to have 1 each for raw meats, vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods (cheese, bread, nuts, etc.)

Care of bamboo cutting board.

1. Before first-time use and occasionally after each washing and drying, a bamboo cutting board will benefit from a swab of mineral oil. There are also food-grade products specifically for wood and bamboo that will take the guesswork out of this treatment such as Joyce Chen Bamboo Wood Oil and Island Bamboo Renew Natural Bamboo Protector. A warm oil will seep better and end-grain cutting boards (the chopping surface is perpendicular to the grains) will need more applications.

2. Hand wash bamboo cutting boards with warm soapy water. A piece of rough cloth or sponge will usually dislodge the bits of meat and food that get stuck on the surface.

3. After washing, hang bamboo cutting boards somewhere light and airy, not dark, warm, and musty. Do not let it stand on one end as the water will pool on the bottom part. It could cause warping, staining, or rotting.

4. After drying, check if that bamboo cutting board can use a wipe of oil.

5. Repair split in a bamboo cutting board with food-grade and non-formaldehyde fillers and adhesives. Whoever, if the split is too wide, it may require some carpentry tools and skills. Or simply buy a new one. Bamboo is biodegradable and it’s a fast-growing resource.

How to remove stains from bamboo cutting board.

Bamboo stems are quite porous. In fact, one way of treating freshly cut bamboo poles is letting a bunch of them stand in a pail of water mixed with salt or some other preservatives. Within a short time, the water will reach the topmost part through natural capillary action.

Due to this porosity, it is often difficult to completely remove stains from a bamboo cutting board. Hopefully, the initial liberal application of mineral oil will preclude the absorption of stains. However, if they do occur, spot treatment with detergents and clorox may lighten the stains.

What can be cut or chopped on a bamboo cutting board.

Can you use a bamboo cutting board for pork? Bamboo can take as much abuse as a wooden board and it can be used to cut pork, beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. We’ve used ours for cutting and chopping anything in the kitchen than can be cut with a knife. When it needs a hatchet, that certainly won’t be suitable for any cutting board.

Other posts you’ll want to read:

• Bamboo skateboard decks.
• Bamboo clothing and fabrics.
• The unusual bamboo plant.
• Wanted: bamboo knitting needles.
• Pollution and loss of biodiversity.

Technorati Tags: bamboo cutting board, bamboo cutting boards, bamboo products, chopping board

Posted on November 4th, 2008 under Natural Products • Tags: bamboo cutting board, bamboo cutting boards, bamboo products, chopping board. • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback