I love to make cutting boards now. There is something almost therapeutic about the process of making flat boards out of various types of wood and making a pattern out of the natural look of each. I gotta say, when I first started to make cutting boards, I took it for granted. I thought that making these boards would be boring and easy (and easy money – HA!). Like most, I hardly thought about wood types, combinations, sizes, finishes and waxes, but it really is an art. There is a lot that goes along with it. For example, did you know that pine wood can make your food taste bitter? Apparently, not all woodworkers know this and it’s apparent when you browse through Etsy – yikes!
I can imagine that cutting boards started out as a necessity in the kitchen and a solution for wood shops to use leftover scraps that otherwise would’ve been wasted. These days, it’s common to see handmade cutting boards in craft fairs, farmer’s markets and every online marketplace. Lately there’s been a charcuterie board trend, which I can assume is french for cutting board for show, not cutting. I have a friend who is younger and more hip (not that I’m not young and hip) who introduced me to the term ‘charcuterie’ board. Rather than judging the millennial, I decided to just give it a shot and make one. After all, how hard could it be?
It turns out, decisions need to be made. The hard decisions crept up after finally deciding on the right combination of wood for the right look. Pine can make food taste bitter, what else can make food taste weird? The corners have to be rounded but by how much? Should edges be rounded too or beveled? How big should the whole thing be? Okay, maybe those aren’t exactly hard decisions. That’s fair, those choices aren’t that critical but one thing might be: Wood finish.
I did pick a brand I really like based in Ozark, MO but not before I’ve tried others. Walrus Oil, A company with not only great product but also great ethos. While I personally decided Walrus Oil will now be my one and only wood finish, there’s no shortage of choices out there. I personally don’t like to wear a mask and be in a well ventilated area just to apply wood finish on something that will eventually touch food, but that’s just me. Plus, they’re a small business in the Midwest! I have to support that.
Let me know what you think of these boards. I have a long way to go before I can run a booth at an arts and crafts fair, but knowing all the details is good a start. You’ll find no pine in these boards.