Newsletter Volume 1

Of Eggs and Cutting Boards

Discussions abound on which type of cutting board is safest for consumer use, the original wooden board or the newer plastic board. The first question might logically be, why is it open for discussion? Apparently an unfounded claim was made that plastic cutting boards were safer than wooden ones and the public bought it. (Remember the 20-year argument over whether eggs are bad for you or not? Now we know eggs are indeed good for you.) Is the matter of wooden vs. plastic cutting boards going the same way as the eggs did?

But what is the truth of the matter concerning cutting boards? University tests show plastic cutting boards are more apt to harbor bacteria than wooden boards. After using a plastic cutting board for a time, microscopic cuts give bacteria and germs a place to hide. It has been found that thorough washing in soap and water does not completely remove the bacterium from plastic boards.

Because of the capillary action of wooden cutting boards, microbes quickly disappear beneath the surface of the board, leaving the exposed area free of microbes. This doesn't mean that you can trust wooden boards to completely decontaminate themselves. All cutting boards and other surfaces that come in contact with food should be scrubbed thoroughly with hot, soapy water. A good procedure for disinfecting wood cutting boards is to spray them with a mist of vinegar followed by a mist of hydrogen peroxide. This combination kills bacteria on meat and produce, too, without harming the food.

Antibacterial cutting boards are not self-sanitizing as claimed either. They do not prevent salmonella or E. coli. Beware of them.

As many as eighty million cases of food-born illnesses occur in the United States each year and most of these infections can be traced to the home kitchen. Any surface, even stainless steel pans, knives, sinks, food-processor blades and mixing bowls can harbor nasty microbes. To be safe, wash up and then mist with vinegar followed by a mist of Hydrogen Peroxide, then dry everything thoroughly. Bacteria survives no more than a few hours without moisture. Leaving a wet wash cloth on a cutting board can harbor germs and shorten the life of your board. Best to keep it dry when possible. University document available on request.

You should never put your wooden cutting board in the dishwasher. This will soften the glue joints and cause the board to literally fall apart. You will have better luck using hot soapy water and scrubbing your board with a brush, then dry the board completely.

Protect Knife Edges

Knives should be stored in a block or in a compartmentalized drawer to protect the sharp edges from banging into each other as well as to protect unwary hands from stray knives.

As you are storing your knives away, be sure to wash and dry them so that they don't carry unwanted germs or bacteria into the block or knife compartments. The block itself could become a carrier of food-born salmonella or E. coli, picked up and carried by the knife stored in it.

Your Knives Stay Sharp Longer if You Will Use a Wooden Cutting Board

Wooden cutting boards are much easier on your knives than the plastic or glass boards. The cutting edge of your knives are very delicate and plastic or glass boards dull them much faster than wood. You can also extend the life of your knives by how you use them on your cutting board. You've undoubtedly seen chefs on TV shows do a very efficient job of chopping onions or peppers, then they use the sharp edge of their knife to scrape the chopped vegetables into a pile. Using the sharp edge of your knife for a scraper is one of the worst things you can do to it because it will dull it very fast. To scrape vegetables into a pile, use the back of your knife. Or better yet, use a scraper that was designed for this purpose. These scrapers are approximately 4 x 6" with a rounded edge for easy handling.

Tricks, Tips & Time-Savers

New knives are tempered so that the edge will stay sharp longer. The temper will stay as long as the blade isn't over-heated for some reason. It pays to be very careful that knives aren't used to stir hot food where they can be exposed to too much heat which can soften the blade edge so that it will no longer stay sharp.

Can a Nicked or Chipped Knife Blade be Repaired?

Nicks and dings are bound to happen when knives are used as a pry bar or screwdriver. The Strop Shop® is batting 1000 when it comes to repairing these unwanted chips. A customer recently brought in a chef's knife with a chip broken out of the cutting edge about three-quarter inch from the tip of the blade, about the size of a dime and a good quarter-inch deep.

First the blade had to be re-shaped to eliminate the damage. This was done on a water stone to eliminate the possibility of over-heating the blade. Once the chip-out had been removed, the edge could then be re-shaped to receive a cutting edge. Removing that much metal meant that the length of the blade was also affected, shortening it by almost one-quarter inch.

This particular knife was not an expensive one so the question arose, is it worth the time and cost to repair it or would it be better to just buy a new one? "It is one of my favorite knives and I use it a lot. So if it can be repaired, I would be grateful".

Needless to say, it was repaired and is now back in service, making one more cook a happy cook.

The Strop Shop® specializes in sharpening kitchen cutlery and other kitchen appliances and tools such as the blades from your Mandoline, meat scissors and potato peelers. In addition to knives the Strop Shop® sharpens shop tools, including wood chisels, hand saws and outside the house, lawn mower blades, and hedge clippers and even camping equipment and collector's knives. Call 952-237-0775 and schedule your initial sharpening today.