How To Season A Wooden Cutting Board And Why It Matters

Like a cast iron pan, a high-quality wooden cutting board relies on a little help from its friend (i.e. you, the home cook) to stay in peak performance condition. Regular maintenance increases durability, keeps the wood grain looking impressive, and protects your investment — especially if you've shelled out for a top-tier board like the John Boos Block, which runs in the ballpark of $100 or more depending on the wood type and size. To get the most mileage out of your beautiful wooden workhorse, seasoning is your new best friend.

Wood is naturally porous, so slathering that bad boy with a barrier of protective finish can help keep it food-safe against unwelcome bacteria, or even excess water (hello, mold growth and warping). That proclivity toward absorption can also soak up food odors and seep 'em onto the next meal you cook ("Why does this chicken curry taste like the fish we had last week?"). Not great! Supple, well-moisturized wood is also less likely to splinter, chip, or crack.

For routine maintenance, all it takes is a bottle of food-grade mineral oil like this one by Thirteen Chefs. If you don't have this specialty item on-hand, even a layer of olive oil can make a significant difference in your board's conditioning in the meantime. Ideally, a new wooden cutting board should be seasoned as soon as it's brought home from the store. But, this process can also breathe new life into an older board and help it last for years.

Seasoning is a utilitarian and sanitary measure, but you might even find that you dig the meditative ritual aspect, as well. To do it, wash, rinse, and dry your board by hand; it can warp in the dishwasher. The board must be completely dry before you begin seasoning. Next, grab the oil, and pour a generous, heaping slug over the entire board until it's totally covered and fairly saturated. Then, grab a dish towel or kitchen rag that you won't miss. This is now your board-seasoning rag. You will never be able to wash the oil all the way out of the fabric, and that's okay. It's part of it. (A paper towel works here too, but is arguably less romantic).

From here, simply rub the oil into the wooden surface using a firm circular motion, following the direction of the grain and covering the entire area. In five to 10 minutes, your board will visibly absorb all the shiny standing oil. But, for total absorption, allow the board to rest for at least four hours or ideally overnight.

After its overnight tenure, flip it over and season the other side. Or, you could oil the flip side right away, then stand the board vertically upright in your dish drying rack to rest overnight. To maintain, repeat this process using less oil roughly once a month or once a fiscal quarter, depending on how often you put your cutting board to use.