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Cooking utensils get used A LOT!!! They get used for so many different meals. I prefer to use stainless steel and wooden cooking utensils. Here are some of the most common ways to care for them.
It is best to never soak your wooden utensils, but sometimes life happens.
How do you sanitize your wooden kitchen tools??
There are a few different ways you can do this.
Clean the utensils with warm, soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly, and put them, handles up, into a pot. Fill the pot with clean water to an inch or two above the serving side. Place this over high heat, and boil for 15-20 min. Once done, remove from the water and air dry. After they are dry, oil them with food grade mineral oil. Put a little oil on a paper towel or cloth and wipe down the wood. Let the wood rest and absorb the oil. After 5 to 10 min, come back and look at the wood. If it has a well hydrated look, put it away. If not, apply the oil again. You may have to repeat this several times.
Another way to clean them is to soak them in a vinegar and water solution, I personally have never done this one but some people do. Place equal parts white vinegar and cold-warm water into a bowl and soak the wood for no more than 20 min. Take out of the water, rinse and let dry. Oil and put away.
Hydrogen peroxide is another way of sanitizing your wooden utensils. Wash thoroughly with warm water and soap. Dry, and spray with 3% hydrogen peroxide and let rest for 5-10 min. Rinse, dry, oil and put away.
The good old fashioned way is to simply wash with warm soapy water and let dry. It is recommended to oil your utensils at least monthly if not every two weeks depending on how much you use them.
Which method is best??
There is some controversy as to which method is best. Boiling and vinegar soaking are becoming less and less recommended as it can shorten the lifespan of the wood and possibly make it easier for bacteria to grow. The best way to preserve your wooden spoons is to clean them with warm soapy water and oil them regularly.
I personally have boiled, used hydrogen peroxide and simply washed my wooden utensils. I am not concerned with longevity at this point as I have little children, and we have broken a wooden spatula before. I usually sanitize every 4-8 weeks as I will often find a spoon I didn’t realize was in the sink floating in a bowl of doughy water or in the cheese potatoes casserole pan that has been soaking for a couple days. Or, I am guilty of this multiple times, forgetting about the chili that was in the pot and now it’s moldy and my favorite wooden spoon was in it…….. ope, my bad!! Someday, I am sure I will care a little more, but currently, I am simply trying to get a meal on the table and stay on top of the dishes enough so we have plates for the next meal. It won’t all be perfectly done, or perfectly taken care of and that’s ok. It’s unrealistic to manage everything to the peak of perfection, doing your best is all anyone can ask of you, including yourself.