butcher block

[bob-a-que]

i have a big piece of butcher block, and i want to make it into a cutting board. what do i need to seal it with so i can put food on it and it wont absorb what i put on it?

[Pete]

Normally, you don't have to do much to butcher block if there is no poly-urethane or any of that crap. Otherwise, you might want to sand it. You might want to give it a nice light sanding anyways. Just a nice rub down with mineral oil or any food safe oil will do. Watchout for cooking oils, they could turn rancid, that's why mineral oil or any oil formulated for cutting boards will do.

Oh and to clean, I just do what my father (he was a chef before he passed away) taught me a long time ago. I sprinkle some salt on it, moisten to a paste and just rub it into the board to kill any surface bacteria. Then I just wipe it off, let it dry and apply oil as needed.

As long as it's a hardwood, it really won't absorb much unless you keep it wet. That's why you want to dry it off as soon as possible.

[Frosty]

I'm "Blessed" with a seeming endless supply of scrap kiln dried hardwood boards. When I get hard maple, I sort out the nice cutting board pieces. I simply run them thru the planer toget them smooth, & apply an oil from True Value that is foodsafe made for cutting boards.

the HD HATES worn, grooved, nicked cutting boards. My inspector just winks at me about the boards.
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This stuff ain't rocket science,,,Great Gramma cooked on a horizontal-partitioned wood smoker every day!