Finishing Your Butcher Block

I have come across many posts in regards to resurrecting a foul cutting board or split butcher block but none have seemed to really give a standard answer to the basic questions. What do I finish my cutting board or butcher block with. This is easy. The answer is Pure Mineral Oil. The purpose of a cutting board or butcher block is to cut and or prepare food on. If this is what your board is used for then Pure Mineral Oil is what it should be finished with. Is there an alternative to finishing my cutting board or butcher block with Mineral Oil? Here is where we start to lose everyone. The answer is yes. You can use a Walnut Oil as long as it is fresh Walnut Oil and you have ensured it has not gone rancid while sitting on your shelf. Yes you can use Walnut Oil as it is safe to use when it is to be used immediately. These are the only two treatments I would consider when finishing a cutting board or butcher block surface. This is the way it has been done for a hundred years people. I dont care what your dad said or what your uncle said he used back in the day when he built his cutting board or butcher block. You asked, I answered. PURE MINERAL OIL!
On to another frequently asked question. What can I finish my butcher block countertop with. The same rules apply to countertops when they will be used as a cutting surface. PURE Mineral Oil. If your not going to use your butcher block countertop as a cutting surface then you really are free to use just about anything you want. Poly, Acrylic, Wax and blah blah blah. You get the point. If your not going to cut on your countertops but will still be preparing food directly on your countertops then my recommendation will differ. Any FDA Approved for indirect food contact finish will suffice in this case. There is no need to break all this information down to a science as it has already been done over and over again. These are your answers.
So When your going to use it as a cutting surface then you use mineral oil. When your not going to use it to cut on but will still use it to prepare raw foods then an FDA approved finish should be used. When you only want to look at your countertops then you can use whatever you want.

The in-betweens. Through the years a lot of butcher block manufacturers have developed a couple different types of finishes which most of them still incorporate the use of PURE MINERAL OIL wtih the exception of the Durakryl. Lets see, there’s John Boos Mystery Oil, Emmitts Elixir, Watco Butcher Block Oil, The Good Stuff and something called Durakryl 102. All of these have been specially formulated just for use on cutting boards, butcher blocks and countertops. Keep in mind though that some or all of these are manufacturer applications and they are applied using approved methods. Also the type of finish you will get varies between all of them. All of which are to be used at your own risk. As stated above PURE MINERAL OIL has been used for over a hundred years and is the only proven finish for cutting boards and butcher blocks.

The Butcher Block Top

Butcher Block Care and Maintenance

THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF A BUTCHER BLOCK 5-10 YEARS THROUGH OBSERVING THE FOLLOWING RULES IN ITS CARE.

Periodically (once every several weeks, depending upon the use and household conditions), apply an even coat of mineral oil or Butcher Block Oil to the work surface of your butcher block. Sponge on with a rag!

DO NOT allow moisture of any type to stand on the butcher block for long periods of time.

Don't let fresh, wet meats lay on the butcher block longer than necessary. Brine, water and blood contain much moisture, which soaks into the wood, causing the block to expand, the wood to soften, and affects the strength, of the glued joints. Use a good steel scraper or spatula several times a day, as necessary, to keep the cutting surface clean and sanitary.

Do not use a steel brush on the cutting surface of your block.

DO NOT cut fish or fowl on the work surface of your butcher block, unless you have thoroughly followed the instructions in step #1...as the moisture barrier must be intact prior to cutting any type of fish, seafood, or fowl on the work surface of your butcher block.

ALWAYS CLEAN THE BUTCHER BLOCK THOROUGHLY AFTER CUTTING FISH OR FOWL ON THE WORK SURFACE. Be sure NEVER to cut continuously in the same place on the top of your butcher block. Distribute your cutting over the entire work surface so that it will wear evenly.

DON'T use a razor-edged cleaver. It will chip or splinter the wood and produce soft spots. Your cleaver should have dull sharpened edge for best results.

NEVER wash your butcher block with harsh detergents of any type and NEVER wash your butcher's tools or Cutlery on your butcher block.

At the conclusion of a day's work preparing meat or food on your butcher block, scraping the butcher block will remove 75% of the moisture. After scraping, immediately dry thoroughly with an absorbent towel. This assures an odorless, clean cutting surface for the next day, and prevents premature quick deterioration of the work surface.

Maintain the same bevel on the edge of your butcher block, as it had when you bought it. This prevents splitting or chipping of outside boards. If your butcher block is reversable then your block should be turned over periodically to allow even usage to both work surfaces.

Note: Butcher Block cutting boards are not dishwasher compatible.

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