stories:
Nagging Question
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What Is Mineral Oil?And do you have to squeeze rocks to get it? |
Mineral oil (also known as white mineral oil) is used in the food world for stuff like covering gummy bears so they don’t stick together, providing a nonstick coating for baked goods, and adding a protective layer to raw fruits and vegetables. Around the house, it’s most commonly used to oil cutting boards so they don’t crack, and is sometimes used as a laxative.
It is a petroleum product that starts life as crude oil, which is then hyperrefined to remove any odor, color, or taste. White mineral oil is classified as either food grade or technical grade. The differences between the two include things like the level of refinement, handling procedures, and meeting certain test requirements set out by the U.S. Pharmacopeia.
“When you say that [it’s a petroleum product] people are like, ‘Oh my God,’” says David Glickman, the owner of the Vermont Butcher Block and Board Company. But he says it’s the best oil to use on cutting boards because it imparts no odor and won’t go rancid like vegetable oils will. If the idea of using a petroleum product on your cutting board doesn’t sit well with you, Glickman says that nut oils will also do the job (as long as you don’t have allergies) but adds that these can flavor the food you cut on the board.
nut oils go rancid, too.
Remember, petroleum/crude oil IS an organic product. It's decomposed ancient biomass.
Wouldn't it depend on what kind of cutting board you were using? They're talking about wood, of course, but bamboo reacts differently to some oils.
I have seen some very sneaky companies try and rename mineral oil or petroleum products.
Recently seen "lily white gel", "white petrolatum", paffin oil, "baby oil"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil
anyhow, here's an interesting article. This Chow one is much too short on info.
unlike many people I've heard from on Chow, I've always used olive oil on my boards (including camp boards which are in storage for months), and they don't go bad (neither does the oil, but then again, I buy 12-1liter bottles at a time and that lasts a year at most).
I haven't had any luck whatsoever with bamboo boards. They see to splinter fairly quickly. Hardwood, however, hasn't posed any problems. With new boards, oil with fingers, wipe with cloth, leave, repeat for a few days.
And mineral oil is also called liquid petrolatum; use if you want--there's freedom of choice. I just don't care to use it.
Interesting, always wondered about that.
Caralein, have you tried the bamboo boards from Totally Bamboo? Get an end cut one, it will be stronger. I've used mine daily for 6 years and no splinters, no cracks. I scrub it down with salt and lemon rinds, (have a tree in the backyard) no oils.