How to clean a wooden cutting board with lemon and salt (and several other methods) as well as how to oil a cutting board to re-season it, to keep your wooden boards in tip-top condition!
2-3Tbspfood-grade mineral oilor fractionated coconut oil; use more/less as needed
Instructions
How To Clean A Wooden Cutting Board With Lemon
Note: You could also do this method with baking soda. The lemon juice will cause it to foam up; this is normal. Baking soda isn't coarse to act as a scrub but will help eliminate any odors and freshen up the board well.Cut your lemon in half and dip one half into coarse salt. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the board liberally with salt and squeeze some of the lemon juice over it.
Rub the board with the lemon, using the salt to scrub it well. Add more salt to the board if needed.
Allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then use a bench scraper or spatula to remove all the excess salt and liquid.
Repeat this process on the other side of the board. Then dry it down with a dish towel/cloth. Some people rinse the board, too, if it doesn't look like all the salt is gone.
Stand the board upright or leaning against a wall and allow it to dry completely. This is important as, if it's wet, the oil won't easily permeate the board.
How To Oil A Cutting Board
Lay your chopping board on a flat, non-slip surface.The size of your board will determine how much oil is needed. For this sized board, I started with around 2-3 Tbsp of oil. If you want to use a wax/oil combo, heat it over a double boiler first.
Pour the oil directly onto the board, spreading it all over the board rather than concentrating it in one area, then begin to work it in with your paper towel/cloth.You can either rub it in circular motions 'buffing' it into the surface, OR rub it in the direction of the grain, in a linear way. Either way will work.Remember to do all the sides of the board too. If the board was very porous and practically soaked the oil up immediately, then it's a good idea to repeat this process once more (or even twice more). I usually do it twice.Tip: If you want to do this twice, then place the board in the oven at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes after the first oil. This will help it soak up the oil faster. Allow it to cool, then add the second coat and leave to dry overnight.Don't worry, you can't 'over oil the board as it will simply stop absorbing it when it can't anymore, and the oil will stay visible on the surface. At that point, wipe it away with a cloth/paper towel.
Once oiled, place the board up against a wall or somewhere that air can circulate (not flat against a table) and leave it to dry for at least 6 hours, but even better if it's left for between 1-2 days to dry fully.
If there's any remaining excess oil after drying, wipe it down. The board is now ready to use!
Notes
When you're seasoning the chopping board, feel free to do the same with other wooden products around the kitchen, if needed: knife handles, wooden spoons, bowls, etc.
If your board has lots of gouges and knife marks in it, you could go through the extra step of resurfacing the board. To do this, sand the board down (start with medium grit - around 100 and move to finer grit) before rinsing, drying, and seasoning the board with oil.
Do I need to season a new board? Yes - even if it's pre-seasoned, it can actually be a good idea to repeat this process. A new board will be the most absorbent, in fact, and will require the largest amount of oil upfront. The maintenance thereafter will be a little to reapply the thin seal on the top as it wears down.
Read the blog posts above for tons of other tips including other cleaning methods, more info on the best oil for cutting board seasoning, etc. Note: the Total Time does not include the time it takes for the board to dry.