Can You Cut Meat On a Wooden Cutting Board?

Choosing the ideal surface for cutting meat can spell the difference between healthy meals prepared at home and potential problems from contamination. The USDA states that you can use porous surfaces for meat, but the boards should be washed as thoroughly as possible after use, and dried properly.

Older wooden cutting boards may pose the risk of introducing bacteria to fresh meat, so be sure to replace old, broken, or warped cutting boards immediately. If you struggle with constantly purchasing porous boards because they have a tendency to age or break more quickly, you can definitely use higher quality, non-porous surfaces or cutting boards for meat and fish.

Other surfaces that can be used for food items like meat are marble cutting boards, plastic boards, glass cutting boards, and there are even boards that are manufactured from pyroceramic. Nonporous cutting boards have the added benefit of being easier to clean, which is a plus when you are preparing meat and fish on a regular basis.

Do you need multiple kinds of cutting boards?

Experts agree that having multiple cutting boards at home is a good idea if you want to cut the risk of cross-contamination. You should definitely not cut fruits and vegetables on surfaces that you use for meat, and vice versa.

Having at least two will ensure that pathogens found on meat will not contaminate other produce. The most convenient choice would always be high quality plastic cutting boards. While washing food thoroughly before preparation definitely helps reduce the bacterial count, keeping meat boards and vegetables boards separate is still a good idea.

The same principle applies if you prepare seafood and other types of meat. Preparing seafood on a poultry board is not a good idea, for two reasons: the meat can absorb flavors from the board left over from a previous preparation, and second, pathogens from other kinds of meat can cross-contaminate newly prepared meat.

How do you keep your cutting boards clean?

The simplest way to keep your cutting boards clean and ready for each day in the kitchen is by washing your boards with warm, soapy water. Scour the surface of the board and rinse with warm water, and then air dry or wipe down with paper towels. Plastic boards and other boards made with nonporous substances can be washed safely in a dishwasher.

Sanitizing boards is a good idea if you want to ensure that they won’t be contaminating food any time soon. One easy way to sanitize cutting boards is by combining bleach with one gallon of water. Place your cutting boards in a deep enough basin and simply flood the basin with the bleach solution. Allow the disinfecting solution to do its job for a couple of minutes before rinsing your boards and wiping them down.

When should you replace your boards?

The period for replacing cutting boards will depend on the quality of the material of the boards, and how frequently these are used in the kitchen. Cutting boards that are used heavily need also to be replaced within a shorter period. Check your boards for signs of damage or overuse such as cracks, deep cuts across the surface, and knife grooves.

What we want to avoid is to use cutting boards that have deep enough crevices on the surface where bits of food can be trapped after food preparation. Where bits of food are trapped, you can also find bacteria and possibly even molds. Plastic cutting boards tend to outlast porous boards like bamboo and wood, so if you want something that will last longer, select the appropriate material.

How do you maintain the condition of cutting boards?

In addition to cleaning your cutting boards with soap and warm water, there are couple of other ways to maintain your cutting surfaces:

1. If you are using wooden cutting boards and bamboo cutting boards, you can apply mineral oil to prevent the material from breaking or cracking. Mineral oil can easily be purchased from local grocery stores or from the pharmacy.

To apply the mineral oil, make sure that the wooden board is dry. Wipe it down with a piece of clean cloth to make sure that there are no debris or fragments, and then apply the mineral oil to the cutting board. Add just enough mineral oil and then spread the oil across the wood with a paper towel.

Don’t use your cutting board just yet after applying the mineral oil. The mineral oil has to soak thoroughly before use. Just leave your cutting board in a dark place like a shelf or cabinet for 24 hours. The oil will absorb into the wood and strengthen it. If you need to use the cutting board within the day, make sure that you let the mineral oil absorb for at least a couple of hours.

To find out if your cutting board needs to be re-seasoned, simply place a few drops of water on the surface and check if the water is absorbing. If the water is absorbing, you need to re-season with mineral oil.

2. It is vital that you do not put off cleaning your cutting boards after use. If you do not wash your cutting boards immediately, dirt and bacteria will soak into the material, unless you are using a durable plastic cutting board, you need to be vigilant with cleaning your cutting boards.

Handwashing boards is better than placing them in a dishwasher because you can scrub the surface sufficiently to remove any fragments or leftover bits of food from a previous preparation. If you want to remove any odors or just make your boards cleaner, you can use salt and a little bit of baking soda. Simply combine the soap with the salt/baking soda and scrub as usual, before rinsing.

3. There is a proper way to dry cutting boards. Instead of placing them on their sides as people would often do, place your cutting boards on their bottoms. The reason for this is that boards will tend to curve when they are placed on their sides. Just laying them flat will prevent this from happening.