Cutting board hygiene...

[Mrs-M]

Re: wooden cutting boards, does everyone take care in disinfecting cutting board surfaces after preparing poultry/fowl?

I read somewhere that wooden cutting boards naturally possess enzymes that kill bacteria, but still, I always take the safe course and use a mild bleach solution to disinfect afterwards.

With the Christmas Holiday season upon us, thought this would make for a good topic.

[bunnys]

I've heard bleach too--and not just because it's used to cut meat.

I have a wooden cutting board but rarely use it --instead use the 2 plastic ones--so I don't do anything for the bacteria.

[Blackdog Lin]

My wooden cutting board is only used for veggies. I have a plastic one specifically for raw meats. The plastic one gets dishwashered after every use - the wooden one.....I guess whenever it gets smelly.

[Alan]

We have a large wooden butcher block island in the middle of the kitchen which is used for all chopping and cutting tasks. We don't do anything special other than clean with hot water after use. After a dozen or so years and no problems, I'm ok with it.

[Miss Cellane]

Many years ago, there was all this publicity about how wooden cutting boards harbored bacteria. So I bought into the hype and got a plastic cutting board. But I never got rid of the old big wooden cutting board.

Then, as Mrs. M says, it was discovered that wooden cutting boards were not harbingers of death personified. So, like Blackdog Lin, I use the plastic one for meat, because I can put it in the dishwasher. The wooden one is for everything else. It gets scrubbed down after use with plenty of hot water and soap and allowed to dry completely. This system has been working well for me for years.

[redfox]

We have a large wooden butcher block island in the middle of the kitchen which is used for all chopping and cutting tasks. We don't do anything special other than clean with hot water after use. After a dozen or so years and no problems, I'm ok with it.

Pretty much what we do, too, on our cutting boards. I guess at this point, we have cast iron immune systems!

[Alan]

Pretty much what we do, too, on our cutting boards. I guess at this point, we have cast iron immune systems!
Yep, and this little guy has been eating off ours all his life. He's 11 now.
1079 1080

[redfox]

Yep, and this little guy has been eating off ours all his life. He's 11 now.
1079 1080

Hitting the super like button now!

[Tradd]

Never had a wood cutting board. Only plastic. I recently discovered those chopping mats that you can sort of roll up to make getting your ingredients into pot or bowl much easier.

Mine go in the dishwasher. No issues here.

[try2bfrugal]

We use acrylic ones that go in the dishwasher after each use.

Tradd - I think I will try the plastic roll up ones. They sound space saving and minimalist. :) I need something I can use when pounding chicken flat. I am afraid the acrylic ones will crack.

[Tradd]

Try2frugal, I got a pack of 2 large and 2 small ones for not much money ($5-6??) at Target. You don't store them rolled up, though. Only when you sort of roll them into a U-shape to move ingredients from counter to pot/bowl. Since where I chop is 5 ft across kitchen from stove, they're great.

[try2bfrugal]

Try2frugal, I got a pack of 2 large and 2 small ones for not much money ($5-6??) at Target. You don't store them rolled up, though. Only when you sort of roll them into a U-shape to move ingredients from counter to pot/bowl. Since where I chop is 5 ft across kitchen from stove, they're great.

I just put them on my Christmas list. It is something the kids can afford and I can really use. With trying to declutter, reducing knick knacks and not eating a lot of sweets, it has been more of a challenge making out my list this year.

[catherine]

I just wash with hot water on an everyday basis. But once a week, I give all my counters/boards a once-over with straight bleach--Mainly because it's the only thing that gets my "vintage" 1974 white formica countertops white and unstained! (I hate my counters)

[CathyA]

Alan.........he's adorable!!

I use wooden ones that I wash off after using. I'm trying to remember to dry them off immediately, since it you don't, they tend to split sooner.
I've marked on one side of each with an "M", and only use those sides for raw meat.......although I do try to use a piece of wax paper on them, when I'm cutting raw meat.

[SteveinMN]

Plastic only here -- dishwashed and segregated. The meat/raw-egg ones never see vegetables or cooked foods (they're different colors).

[Mrs-M]

Ohhh... I love everyone's entries!!! So many unique ideas! Thanks you guys!

Alan. Your grandson is a real cutie!

Catherine. Don't you dare get rid of the circa 1974 vintage countertops! My old-fashioned/retro/vintage self, will come haunt you if you do. http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/teehee1-smiley.gif?1292867687

Not really, as I know what a PITA it must be to have to continually bleach them, due to the worn/compromised surface.

[lhamo]

We have plastic mat type ones we got at Ikea (not sure if they have them in the US) that are different colors -- use red for meat and green for veggies. We also have a small wooden one that we use for fruit. I usually wash the plastic ones with hot soapy water and, if we are doing a load, throw in the dishwasher after for good measure. Started doing that after I once put one straight in the dishwasher and found it came out with bits of chicken fat that I didn't rinse off cooked to it. Not unsanitary, I suppose, but kind of grossed me out.

[Mrs-M]

Lhamo. Love your "red for meat", "green for veggies" idea! To be perfectly honest, until this thread, I had never heard of roll-up cutting mats before.

[Tussiemussies]

I don't eat meat so that quandary is ended right there, but if I di anything that the meat touched would have to be bleached down. Just a personal preference...

[Mrs-M]

I don't eat meat so that quandary is ended right there, but if I di anything that the meat touched would have to be bleached down. Just a personal preference...Yep, piece of mind.