You probably have it in one of your kitchen cupboards somewhere. You can definitely spot it on your mom’s holiday dinner table, and your grandmother swears by it as a staple in traditional kitchenware.
The traditional wooden salad bowl has gathered a lot of attention from Americans, especially in the 40s to 60s period. While it doesn’t have the same rapport now, it’s a nice holiday tradition to serve salads in wooden bowls.
Wood is an attractive material to make utensils from; it’s durable, good-looking, and has a long lifetime. Besides, wood is bacteria resistant, adding some health benefits to using a wooden salad bowl above all others.
In this article, we’ll be dismantling the unvarnished wooden salad bowl hoax. More importantly, we’re going to tell you all about how to season a wooden salad bowl, alongside some extra tips to keep your wooden bowls in tip-top condition!
The Unvarnished Wooden Bowl – A Big Fat Hoax
The wooden salad bowl has risen to our kitchens in the 40s, and we don’t seem to know why. Its big break was between the 40s and the 60s when Americans believed in the holy never-ever washed wooden salad bowl. An unvarnished wooden bowl that’s not to be cleaned, only wiped, to get the taste of garlic and oils into it with the aim of amping up the taste of the salad.
If you still believe in that, I’m sorry to break it to you. This is clearly a myth. If you don’t, well, yay you!
Wood is pretty absorbent. Imagine mildly cleaning it between usages along the years -well, you’ll clean it, just not harshly, no need for the disgusted face- and letting it season as these elements slowly soak into the wood. Wouldn’t that be nice?
That’s what people used to think in the past. It probably dates back to George Hector and his father, Charles Hector, who owned a famous restaurant in the forties in New York. Then, George wrote about his theory regarding the wooden bowls, among other cookery articles.
It was proven to be a hoax afterward, just a way that Rector used -we can’t assert if it’s intentional- to spice up his stories back then. For all we know, Americans have been following this tradition blindly, and thank god it stopped.
This doesn’t mean that your wooden salad bowl doesn’t need seasoning, though. It’s a part of its maintenance. Let’s see how and how often you should do it.
How to Season a Wooden Salad Bowl?
Back to reality. We’re in 2020. Science rules now!
When you first get your wooden bowl -or any other wooden utensils- you need to season them. You might start extensively, seasoning the bowl daily for the first week. Then, you tone it down to once a week for three weeks. Finally, you can do it once a month, or whenever you remember to be realistic. Your wooden bowl tells you it needs a little bit of seasoning when it looks or feels dry.
Seasoning a wooden salad bowl follows these three simple steps.
Step 1
Use lukewarm soapy water to wash the bowl gently. Never use a dishwasher nor harsh soap. Rinse thoroughly and dry it well using a soft towel.
Step 2
You have two options here, either to apply a wooden conditioner or mineral oil. You should apply either of them in abundant amounts. Let it soak in for a couple of hours. If you’re using mineral oil, you can leave it overnight.
We recommend these wood conditioners and mineral oils that you can find online.
Minwax Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
This multipurpose balm is convenient for staining all wooden specimens, all the way from wooden spoons and wooden salad bowls to dining tables.
Minwax’s conditioner works well on wood and maple, and we love the fact that a little bit goes a long way. Besides, it dries out pretty fast and comes at a reasonable price.
This product is of a strong smell. We recommend you leave the bowl outdoors in the fresh air after using it.
Overall, this is your go-to product if you’re looking for a multipurpose wood conditioner. If you’re looking for one for your kitchenware, look at the next option.
Cutting Board Wax and Conditioner
Cutting board stores have produced this premium formula dedicated to wooden kitchen utensils. It scores highly on safety, as it’s food-friendly and is mainly composed of beeswax and SP grade mineral oil. Its price is really a good bang for your buck as well.