Black Mold spot on my wooden cutting board. HELP

Sam1148 added about 2 years ago

Voted the Best Answer!

I wouldn't worry too much. But you can sand it with 200 (or so) sandpaper, and then a finer 100 or so one, and re-oil the board with walnut oil.

I think I remember a 'wood bleach' product for cutting boards. oxalic acid

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Fran McGinty added about 2 years ago

Thank you. I did not want to throw it out It's a beautiful piece of art.

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SKK added about 2 years ago

This happened to a neighbor and she used a sander and the spots came off. Then she wiped the board with mineral oil.

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Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added about 2 years ago

Yes, the mold needs to go. Make a solution of 1/2 teaspoon bleach to 2 cups cool water. Wash the board with soapy water, rinse, then treat with sanitizing solution.

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Sam1148 added about 2 years ago

Do you cut potatoes on it? Those can cause black spots on wood.

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Fran McGinty added about 2 years ago

Thank you every one. I do cut potatoes on it Sam1148 I thought for sure that would be safe. I didn't know that would cause black spots. I keep all meat and proteins off of it.

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For refinishing the surface, a cabinet scraper is actually a better alternative than sandpaper, but requires some skill and practice.

If you do sand the board, after you think you've got it really, really smooth (and Sam has it backwards, the higher the number, the finer the sandpaper, so you might start with 100 and move to 180. Finer than that is probably not necessary) you need to 'raise the grain' before oiling it. Take your nice smooth board and dip it in water and let it dry. All of a sudden, it'll be really fuzzy again. Sand it again and raise the grain and re-sand maybe once more before you oil it.

Also, this may be basic, but if you're using a wooden board, always treat both sides the same: when you oil it, oil both sides; when you wash it, get both sides wet and dry it with both sides exposed. Do NOT wet one side and leave it flat on teh counter to dry. I promise you that you will warp teh board.

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Fran McGinty added about 2 years ago

Thank you Innoabrd. I will do as you say. Hopefully this will not happen again.

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Let me know how you come with it. Handy to use a sanding block and work in a circular motion, not just back and forth...

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Fran McGinty added about 2 years ago

My wooden board looks Beautiful. Thank you very much. The board soaked up the oil very quickly. How many times should I oil it before I start using it again?

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depends on the oil and how 'thirsty' your board is. What kind of oil? you don't want to do too many applications, you could end up with a kind of sticky mess. I'd start with two, maybe three if the second goes really quickly again, and then try another coat in a few weeks if you think it needs it. Keep an eye on it and when you feel it starting to dry out again, do another coat. A lot will depend on how you use it and your climate. Be sure to oil both sides and the edges. Any exposed end grain might need a bit more oil as well. a piece of wood is a bit like a bundle of straws. The wood is designed to take water and nutrients from the soil up to the leaves, so anything applied to the end grain goes deep into the wood quite quickly.

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While Peter no longer works for Food52 he still thinks up ways to make the website better.

added about 2 years ago

When it comes to oiling wood in the kitchen I've always used the rule I picked up somewhere:

Every day for a week, every week for a month, and every month for a year.

After the year is up... I don't know! I guess once a month. :-)

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