Ring porus wood for salad bowls?

[Frank Pearsall]

Is there a food safety issue using ring porus wood for salad bowls?

Ash, oak, elm, sassafras, honey locust, mulberry, catalpa, etc. have large pores (xylem) in the early/spring wood. These might hold food particles (salad dressing, butter & salt from popcorn, etc) even after light cleaning.

1 - Is this a food safety issue?

2 - Should a water based wood filler like CrystaLac (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17353) be used on the inside of the bowl to seal the pores? I did check with the manufacturer, Becker Labs, and it's food safe after it drys.

3 - Should water based surface film finishes like Polycrylic (http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/...tective-finish) or Wood Turners Finish (http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...turners-finish) be used rather than walnut oil?

4 - What other precautions and/or measures should be considered?

5 - Or should ring porus woods be avoided for bowls used for food?

Curious in Indiana...

[Jim Burr]

Remember that any...any finish is food safe after it is cured. Cure time is the big variable. The USDA and FDA have done dozens of tests over the years on finishes. There are a few Conspiracy Theorists out there that think it is a huge government plot to poison all of us…bowl finish…really?

[Michelle Rich]

bowls have survived with no finish for hundreds of years. I am of the school that prefers no hard finish. when one uses a hard finish it's a heck of a job, once they bowl gets scratched to fix it( and food & moisture will get under the finish) . Salt will eat through many finishes. if you are going to eat out of the bowl, just use oil(walnut is one example) & wax if you must. Wash the bowl & let it air dry.

[Frank Pearsall]

The old bowls that I have seen are closed grain. There's no place for "stuff" to collect.

The concern that I have is that the larger pores of open grain will allow capillary action for liquids to enter the wood and space for food particles to be captured. Over time, something is going to plug up these pores. That's not an issue with closed grain wood like cherry, sycamore, walnut, etc.

So, is there a different finish regimen for the inside of open pore coarse grain wooden bowl versus smooth grain wood?

Should ash and oak bowls receive the same walnut oil finish as cherry and sycamore bowls that will be used in contact with food?

Or, should grain fillers be used for coarse grain bowls to close the pores to prevent food and "stuff" from lodging in the pores?

[Ted Calver]

Frank,
I think you have a legitimate concern. I have only done oak bowls that were not utilitarian, so a film forming finish was applied. If I were to do a utility bowl in an open pored wood I'd think about doing to it what I do to my end grain cutting boards. On those I use a heavy application of Watco Butcher Block Oil and Finish (from Lowe's). This stuff is very thin and often wicks entirely through a cutting board before I have a chance to apply it to the other side. I apply several coats, allowing a day in between, until it no longer soaks into the wood. I think it clogs up the pores so nothing else can wick into the wood. Once totally dry I apply a paste wax made from Mahoney's Utility Finish and Bees wax and gently buff. I use the wax to revitalize the board once it starts to wear. IMHO this method should work for utility bowls too.....your mileage may vary.

[Pat Scott]

1 - Is this a food safety issue?
I don't think so.

2 - Should a water based wood filler be used on the inside of the bowl to seal the pores?
I would not use a pore filler of any kind on utility bowl (by "utility", I am referring to a salad bowl or any item that will be used). I don't know if it would or not but I'd be afraid of the filler coming loose over time as the wood moves, or as it's washed, hot foods put in it, etc.

3. Should water based surface film finishes be used rather than walnut oil?
Do not use any finish that creates a film on the surface for any salad bowl. This includes Shellac, Lacquer, Polyurethane, etc.
Do use some type of oil finish on utility bowls: Walnut oil, Mineral Oil, Salad Bowl Finish, Danish Oil. Mineral Oil is safe but I don't use it because it never dries. Mahoneys Walnut Oil is always a safe bet. I personally like Danish Oil or Salad Bowl Finish as they offer a little more protection than Walnut Oil. Any of these finishes can be reapplied when needed. No finish at all (just bare wood) is perfectly acceptable as well.

I thin Salad Bowl finish 50/50 with Mineral Spirits so it's thinner and will really soak into the pores. I use Deft Danish Oil straight from the can. The downside with Salad Bowl Finish or Danish Oil is you need to wait a week or two before the finish has fully cured before using it. Just stick your nose right up to the bowl and sniff. If you can still smell the finish it needs to cure some more. I let my Walnut Oil bowls dry at least 2 weeks as well - I don't want to pick up a bowl and have oil residue on my fingers, or set it on the table and have an oil ring.

5 - Or should ring porus woods be avoided for bowls used for food?
Where I live we have lots of Ash and Elm, which is a good wood for utility bowls. I have made some beautiful salad bowls out of Honey Locust and like it as well (hint: put a Honey Locust bowl in the sun and watch it turn a beautiful orange color). The downside to Honey Locust is that it's a hard wood, meaning if you drop it the bowl could crack. If you drop a bowl made from Elm, Ash, Maple, Walnut, etc, they will bounce and may be better suited to a utility bowl.

Honey Locust would be a good choice for a plate since it is so hard - it would stand up well to a knife. Cottonwood is a good wood to use for salad bowls as it can take the shock if dropped. I've used Cottonwood for plates as well although it is on the soft side and will readily show knife marks.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I am like Michelle in that I don't like a film finish for my utility pieces. It is just to hard to repair. I use pretty much walnut oil either from Mike Mahoney's or Drs Workshop. Both work well. I had a couple of salad bowls that I put Salad Bowl finish on and after a couple of years it started to get gummy. I e-mailed Ernie Conover and he said the same thing. He use minwax antique oil for his utility items. I mainly use cherry, sycamore, cottonwood, maple, etc. for my utility items. Have only used oak, ash, elm or locust for like fruit display bowls, chips or candy dishes finished with antique oil or waterlox as a finish.