Thread: Mineral Oil - soaking chop boards

I wonder which squanders more resources:

Rendering a liter of a petroleum derivitive non-poisonous
or squishing the bejeezlies out of a bunch of olives?

Long time ago, a uni prof looked at the real, total cost of a coffee cup.
The bottom line was the styrofoam cup used fewer resources than anything else.
A nice ceramic coffee mug (I have two favorites) has to be washed 350 times
to equal the economic & environmental impact.

Fear not, the recycle-crazy Swedes have run out of garbage to recycle & incinerate for power.
They struck a deal with Norway:
1. The Norwegians will pay the Swedes to take their garbage. (80,000 tons/yr to start)
2. The Swedes will use all they can.
3. The dioxin laden ash and the 4% junk goes back to Norway.

Our liquor stores publish a quarterly magazine with interviews and showcasing products and recipes+chefs. Very slick, very well-produced.
Wolf Blass (for whatever you may think of the wines) exported 62,000,000 bottles of wine last year alone.
Cork & glass look like businesses to be in!

Sorry, didn't mean to de-rail the chopping board theme. The mineral oil made me do it.

Originally Posted by Evanism

I...

It's odd it hasn't been mentioned on the forum more often. ..

It has, the forum sponsor sells it.

Originally Posted by Evanism

Interesting stuff. After the feedback I went and did some real research on it.

RV is right, when one is full of it, one may have a spoon to relieve themselves!

I remember being fed paraffin oil as a kid when we got constipated. The mere thought of ingesting it still makes me gag.

I bought a small bottle the other day for a new board I made and it bought back all those horrid childhood memories!

Another cheap source of parrafin oil is the local pet shop (one that does stuff for large animals). About $10 per litre. Sold for horses and cattle with colic.

I use mineral oil mixed with a bit of beeswax on my breadboards.
I purchased this: http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/pr...3/?query=skydd
I have an old Vegemite jar, heat some mineral oil and a tablespoon or 2 of beeswax until the wax melts.
I heat it in the microwave - quicker and safer than the stove.
Apply liberally to boards and rub well. Seems to last longer and be less stickier than plain oil.


You could also use Flax Seed oil, which is the edible version of Linseed Oil.
The advantage of this is that it polymerises better than other oils - hence the reason Linseed Oil is used for art and furniture and tool handles for centuries.
The Swedes used this on their wooden cutlery with good results.

I've even read that some soak it for a few days and leave it to dry for a month or so leaving a finish that you can put through the dishwasher. I haven't tried this yet but I'm keen to give it a go.