Wooden salad bowls aren’t just one of the most elegant ways of serving food, but they’re also very practical and surprisingly durable.
However, people usually tend to be overly careful about not soaking them in water or scrubbing them too harshly that the bowls end up with a sticky, rancid residue over the years.
So, if you’re wondering how to care for wooden salad bowls and clean them properly, this article offers the dos and don’ts of caring for and cleaning wooden bowls.
To Sum Up
- Choose a high-quality wood type, to begin with.
- Always wash your wooden bowls by hand using warm water and mild soap.
- Reseason your bowls with mineral oil.
- Use the baking method to remove sticky residue.
What Wood Should You Choose?
Caring for your wooden salad bowls starts from when you’re first buying them. Choosing a high-quality type of wood can make the caring and cleaning process so much easier for you.
Woods such as cherry, walnut, and maple make for excellent salad bowls thanks to their natural beauty and rustic color.
Acacia wood is another popular choice because it’s durable with a nice texture. Bamboo bowls are also becoming more popular among environmentally-conscious customers, but they don’t last as long as hardwood bowls.
How Should I Clean Wooden Salad Bowls?
The best way to clean your wooden bowls is by hand washing. You should use warm water with mild dish soap when cleaning a well-seasoned wooden bowl. This way, the exterior will be cleansed without exposing the wood to harsh chemicals.
Make sure you always dry any wooden bowl thoroughly after cleaning. Never soak the bowl in water or put it in the dishwasher. Otherwise, your wooden bowls will be at risk of warping, splitting, or cracking.
How Can I Remove Sticky Residue from a Wooden Salad Bowl?
Years of dealing with oily salad dressings can cause a sticky residue to build up over the surface of your wooden bowl. Luckily, you can restore it back to new using the following baking method:
- Adjust your oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper then place a wire rack on the sheet.
- Put the wooden bowl upside down on the rack.
- Turn off the oven. Don’t forget to do this or the bowl might burn.
- Place the sheet in the oven. Built-up oils will start to bead on the bowl’s surface within a few minutes.
- After 1 to 2 hours, the oils will drip off the bowl and onto the sheet.
- When the bowl looks dry, remove the sheet from the oven and wipe down your bowl with paper towels to get rid of any lingering residue.
- If the bowl still feels sticky, repeat the process.
How Should I Season or Reseason Wooden Salad Bowl?
Seasoning your wooden salad bowl is very important to keep it in optimal condition. When you first buy a wooden bowl, you should season it every day for a week, then once weekly for the following three weeks, then every month after that.
Whenever your wooden bowl looks dull or feels dry to the touch, you should reseason it. Mineral oil is an excellent choice for seasoning wooden salad bowls because it’s affordable and won’t go rancid like dressing oils.
- First, you need to dry the bowl thoroughly.
- Then, soak a paper towel in mineral oil and apply it freely to the entire surface of the bowl.
- Let it soak in for about 15 minutes (or longer if necessary).
- Wipe away the residual oil with a clean paper towel and use the bowl as usual.
How Can I Sanitize a Wooden Salad Bowl?
Part of caring for wooden salad bowls is sanitizing them to help control bacterial growth. In this department, white vinegar works like a charm. Here’s what you need to do:
- Mix 1 part of white vinegar with 5 parts of water.
- Thoroughly wet the bowl with the solution.
- Allow the solution to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Rinse the bowl using warm water then let it air dry.
Alternatively, you can fill a spray bottle with equal parts of white vinegar and water. Spray as necessary and wipe off the excess solution with a clean paper towel.
How Do I Repair a Fuzzy Wooden Salad Bowl?
If your salad bowl feels fuzzy when you touch it, this indicates that the wood grains are raised. In such a case, some damage control is needed via hand sanding:
- Use 400 to 600 grit sandpaper or steel wool to gently rub the damaged area until it gets smoothed out. Wash the bowl and dry it as we explained earlier.
- If you can’t find sandpaper, a brown-paper bag can also work.
- If your bowl gets dented, start with coarser sandpaper then gradually progress to finer grits, 80, 100, 120, and so on. When the dent is smoothed out, wash and dry the bowl as usual.
- Be sure to season your wooden salad bowl after sanding.
How Often Should I Use a Wooden Salad Bowl?
If you got yourself a fancy, high-quality bowl, or if it’s a family heirloom, you may be thinking about saving it and only using it for special occasions.
The thing is, wooden bowls are meant to be used every day. Washing, drying, and buffing wooden bowls regularly help keep them in good shape.
Moreover, salad dressing oils can also help maintain the condition of the wood.
How Should I Store My Wooden Salad Bowl?
Wooden bowls are quite tough and can last for a really long time. You can stack multiple bowls together to save space.
Open shelving is a nice idea if you want to show off a particularly elegant bowl. You can also go for roll-out shelving if you’re looking for easier access.
What Can Serve in a Wooden Bowl besides Salad?
Wooden bowls are conventionally used for salads, but you can also use it to serve popcorn, wetter foods such as stews, chili, and pot roasts, as well as breakfast cereals and side dishes like coleslaw.
Wrap Up
There you have it, a complete guide on how to care for wooden salad bowls and keep them new for as long as you own them.