Rancid oil

[Grumpy John]

Not sure if the title is accurate but it will probably get a lot of views, therefore (hopefully) a lot of replies.
I'm in the process of making/turning a salad bowl and I've read many threads of food safe finishes and come to the conclusion that mineral/paraffin oil is the only way to go. Do NOT use canola/olive/vegetable oil as they go rancid seems to be the advice from the majority.
My question is: if this is a salad bowl, and most salads are made with canola/olive/vegetable oil, will washing the bowl with warm soapy water after use prevent the problems with oils going rancid.

[Claw Hama]

We often oil our sald bowls and cutting boards with a wipe of olive oil and have never had a problem. I would think that the enzymes in the wood would cure any rancid problems.
Maybe if you drenched them and left them dripping in oil but then again oilve oil etc is used to preserve food????

[Frank&Earnest]

It seems to stand to reason that if the wood is already impregnated with paraffin oil the salad oil would stay on the surface and be more easily wiped out. In pre-forum days I oiled with olive oil a bowl because it had already a few stains of it. Went rancid and the bowl was never used afterwards. It is now sitting in the shed while I think how to refinish it, if at all possible. IMHO it depends in great measure on the porosity of the timber. If it is aspen, like mine was, seal it thoroughly or forget it. If it is dense and oily as teak you might get away with almost anything, probably.

Another opportunity for the "flog a dead horse" emoticon. :D

[issatree]

Hi Grumpy,
What they have said is true as far as I'm concerned.
I make Children's Toys, so I use a combination of Soy Bean Oil, & Beeswax.
Paraffin / Baby Oil is perfect.
Yes, Canola goes right off, & Olive will go off eventually.
That Finish I use, should be about the same consistency as margarine.
This Finish is no good on Burl Bowls.
If you have enough oil, then sink the bowl in it & leave for a day or two.
I would not wash a bowl in soapy water, as they really only need a good wipe, & when it looks dry, oil it again. Hope this helps.
Regards,
issatree.
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[tea lady]

I reckon the wood still needs to be sealed with sanding seeler (if its soft wood) and the Organ oil hard burninshing oil or wood wipe. :shrug: Although I have seen wood bowls with no finish on and just bunged in the dish washer. They had taken on a lovely peasanty wobble and softness. Which is great if you know this is what is gonna happen, but might be a little harder t explain to a customer.:rolleyes:

[Little Festo]

I spoke to a friend who makes cosmetics etc for her market stall. She says that macadamia oil is ok, tends not go rancid. She also recommends that if you can infuse a little lavender into it it works really well. The lavender is an anti-viral and also an antibacterial. Luckily my wife infuses oils regularly, not too hard to do.

Apparently seed oils work well too - mustard seed oil is one that is readily available. Pretty sure that it is in one of the food safe Organ Oils.

Peter

[tea lady]

I spoke to a friend who makes cosmetics etc for her market stall. She says that macadamia oil is ok, tends not go rancid. She also recommends that if you can infuse a little lavender into it it works really well. The lavender is an anti-viral and also an antibacterial. Luckily my wife infuses oils regularly, not too hard to do.

Apparently seed oils work well too - mustard seed oil is one that is readily available. Pretty sure that it is in one of the food safe Organ Oils.

Peter:think: Yes! But all these oils remain oily. And I for one, don't want my bread smelling or tasting like lavender. :yuck:

[wheelinround]

:think: Yes! But all these oils remain oily. And I for one, don't want my bread smelling or tasting like lavender. :yuck:


TL think you should read this :U Lavender Butter Recipe: An Easy Way to Add Lavender Flavor to Any Cupcake ~ Cupcake Project (http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/03/lavender-butter-recipe-easy-way-to-add.html)

[old pete]

Hi Grumpy,

Macadamia oil is reputed not to have the characteristic of going rancid. I've used it on heaps of commodity value turned cutting boards and had no complaint but it does tend to turn dark timbers like Tassie blackwood even darker but many would see that as an advantage.

The Organoil brand product ; 'Hard Burnishing Oil' promotes itself as a food safe polish suitable for this application. It's quite expensive but does an excellent job if the surfaces are finished to 320 or 400. Apply it with an abrasive sanding cloth. I use the grey color which is supposed to equate to 400 or a bit finer according to the folk at the paint supply place where I buy it.

Old Pete

[Kev Y.]

HI grumpy I have always used grape seed oil on all of the chopping boards and rolling pins I have made. So far no reports of foul taste or smell.

Cheap as well straight off of the shelf of the local coles or woolies store

[orraloon]

I guess it depends on its use. Parrafin oil is the safe all round bet but if it is being washed and reoiled frequently by whatever is in the kitchen then it hardly makes a difference what oil is used. I have never seen one go rancid so far. I would think that if a bowl is left slathered with food oil for a period of time then mabe it would turn bad but all that is needed is a very fine wipe and buff off. I have a 30year old chopping - carving board(1'' english oak board) that gets no oil at all just hand washed with the dishes and dried in the rack. Its looks has remained the same this last 29.5 years as it was oiled at the start. When a wood item is in regular kitchen use it will not mantain its showroom high gloss nor should it.
Regards
John

[Grumpy John]

The salad bowl with 1 coat of paraffin oil.

131355

[rsser]

Yeah, what John said.

Production turners need to put a finish on them for obvious reasons.

The spruce from memory is fine grained and won't absorb too much, and a base of safe oil will be a good start.

Beyond that, oil-based salad dressings are going to soak in, and will need to be washed off. Repetitions of this will build up the fabled patina and in a few years you will barely be able to recognise any figure in the wood.

[Cruzi]

A properly seasoned board will not absorb any more oil, giving it a few wipes with oil is not seasoning it. It takes many, many washes to to "dry" a properly seasoned board.

Hard burnishing oil contains metallic drying agents and is a foodsafe finish for bowls, cutting boards are another story, it is not regarded as safe by the FDA.

There is lots of misinformation and people relying on anecdotal evidence or prejudices when it comes oiling boards, as evidenced by this and many other threads, there is one website that recommends sealer, staining and varnish for your cutting board, another that recommends oil based paints and distressing the finish.


The FDA recommends the use of mineral oil (paraffin oil), but it says you can use walnut or grape-seed oil.
It has also been found that the part of the reason wooden boards originally fell out of favour was the effects of food oils being used on the boards rather than the boards themselves.

[preeng2]

Walnut oil, or a mix of walnut oil and beeswax