Question from P.S
We’re installing a butcher block counter top in our kitchen. Do you know of a product we can apply to protect and condition the wood? We thought of mineral oil, but you recommend against that in your book Home Safe Home. What do you suggest?
Debra’s Answer
I’ve been using a product called B’s Oil Salad Bowl & Wood Preserver, made by Holland Bowl Mill. It says right on the label that it is made only from natural oils and beeswax. I even called the company, who assured me it was “all-natural”.
We’ve been using it on our wooden salad bowls and cutting boards since I found it in a fancy San Francisco cooking store years ago. Just recently, we used it to finish the wooden top on a kitchen island we built. It really protects the wood water beads right up and we felt good having the beeswax around our organic food. It has no odor, except for the slight sweetness of beeswax.
The Holland Bowl Mill website says it has received many letters from customers telling them B’s Oil is so gentle that they use it as their favorite hand cream moisturizer.
So I was surprised to find out that it is actually made from beeswax and mineral oil! I had a long phone conversation with the owner and made sure he understood that you cannot label a product containing mineral oil as natural. I see he has changed the description on his website after our conversation.
I set out to find a truly all-natural wood conditioner for my wooden salad bowls and cutting boards, and discovered some interesting things even many woodworkers don’t know.
It is important to apply some kind of protection to wood cutting boards and bowls before using them the first time, to prevent staining and absorption of food odors and bacteria, and to keep water from penetrating the wood, which results in warping and cracking.
Hi Debra, I got a new ProTeak cutting board, made of teak wood. I used it a few times already, and want to apply something to the surface now before using it any further, to protect the board. Would plain coconut oil do the trick, or does it need to be mixed with beeswax to provide adequate protection? I see that Proteak actually sells a stick of wood conditioner (a twist-up stick, like a deodorant stick) that includes beeswax, coconut oil, and orange oil. I’d prefer to use my own ingredients to make something, so I know exactly what I’m using and can use organic ingredients. But I’m wondering if you have any further experience since you initially posted this information and if you think coconut oil alone would be a good option. Proteak also sells an oil, but it contains mineral oil, which I’d rather not use.
Yes! You can use coconut oil.
The Kitchn: More Uses for Coconut Oil: Season Cast Iron Pans and Wood Cutting Boards