Sterilize your Wooden Utensils!

[Twitchin Kitten]

Have you ever wondered just how 'clean' those wooden utensils are that you use? Have some that you just love but are very old and you think might be filled with bacteria? Have the kids left them soaking in the sink on you instead of washing them right away?

Well, you can easily make sure no cooties are living in your very porous wood utensils by simply putting them all, dry, in the microwave for a full minute on high.

That's it! How easy was that?

This tip also works for rags, sponges, anything porous. I even use it for cardboard egg cartons and tp rolls for hamster toys!

[Angie]

Oo! nice tip. I don't use wooden utensils for that very reason but now I can use them if I like. BTW, why do some use wood, some use plastic and others use metal serving spoons? Is it a preference or does one dish need wood while another needs plastic?? Just wondering.

[Twitchin Kitten]

Wooden utensils are mostly for use with teflon pots and pans, or other non scratch-able pots and pans. They don't scratch and damage the surface.

I don't serve with them unless I'm scooping right out of the pot. I just got used to cooking with them ages ago.

Plastic was developed for the same reason you use wood. So you don't destroy your good cookware. But plastic has done some damage over time when I used them.

As the wood gets older it will get tighter and vary in coloring. I have some that are over 20 years old and I just can't get rid of them!

When you purchase wood utensils, buy good ones! You want quality smooth wood with no splintery areas. You CAN sandpaper them down if you must have that one item but why do the work someone else should have done?

[Angie]

Oh, I get it now.

I have always used cast iron cookware. As did my mom, grandmom, and great grand. I think I will purchase my daughters a nice set of cast iron cookware when they get ready to leave the nest too

[Twitchin Kitten]

Cast iron is good! I love my cast iron pans. I don't have pots but all sizes of frying pans in cast iron.

As you know you must 'season' these very well or they'll rust out on you and be impossible to clean.