Wooden Spoons

You may have noticed that there has been a lot of discussion lately on social media about the best way to clean these trusty work horses of the kitchen… wooden spoons.

Between us, your Two Chums have spent many many years in the kitchen and in meal preparations. So reading up on the issue and using our own experience and common sense we have come to some conclusions on the matter we will share for what they are worth.

First of all, it is never a good idea to put your wooden spoons or wooden utensils of any kind in the dishwasher. The strong detergent necessary to break down dried on food from your plates and cutlery is too strong for your wooden utensils. Wood also absorbs substances and the last thing you want is to have detergent absorbed into a wooden spoon and then released as you stir a hot sauce or saute some vegetables. Additionally, the very hot temperatures in the drying cycle of the dishwasher are very hard on wooden utensils and tend to break them down and cause them to ultimately fall apart over time. So stay away from the dishwasher with your wooden spoons.

Using a very little bit of a mild dish soap and some warm water is the best way to clean those spoons. After a quick washing, rinse them thoroughly in hot water and then allow them to air dry.

There seems to be a debate currently about soaking wooden spoons in boiling water to clean them. Again we would say because of the harsh temperature, regularly soaking your wooden utensils in boiling water is not advisable. But having said that, boiling water does help to release any build up of oils or flavors your spoons may have picked up while cooking, so soaking them briefly in boiling water 3-4 times a year, depending on how often you cook and use them, is not a terrible idea. We would say just don’t leave them in the boiling water for more than about 5 minutes and don’t soak them too often.

Pots and pans and even wooden spoons become seasoned and more precious with usage and time. And just like dear old friends they are better with age and will be around for you for years to come if you take good care of them. So cook up a storm and enjoy not only the eating but the preparation as well. And always remember the most important ingredient and preparation in any meal is love. We are all about spreading more love, more joy and lots of abundant living…and yes, some good food too 🙂