Wooden Spoons

[Heidi3]

I had a huge issue this past summer when I visited my son in law ...... he actually wanted me to make my famous marinara with out wooden spoon OMG!!!!

He claimed they were full of bacteria and he would not have them in his kitchen...my hackles went up!

but I kept my mouth shut

there are some things that are just not right to me...and one of them is not NOT have wooden spoons in your kitchen.....

first of all ...plastic...not matter what you call it tastes like plastic....metal is hot and burns your mouth.....

wooden spoons helps you taste a sauce better ..

so I am curious....do you use them?

how do you feel about them?


and if you don't what do you use instead?


besides if we kill all the bacteria in life ...there will just be more stronger, fitter bacteria to take their places....
this is my theory and I am sticking to it

[Laurenfra]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I love wooden spoons. They also spank well!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Wooden Spoons

didn't your sauce simmer and kill all the bacteria?

here is an interseting testing of plastic and wood for bacteria study http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...tingboard.shtm

[Heidi3]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I refuse to believe wooden spoons are a disadvantage in the kitchen ...and if you tasted my food you would agree
but I am not seeing anyone who disagrees with me ..except in the poll....

[sombersusie]

Re: Wooden Spoons

mmmm bad memories about wooden spoons in my childhood *ouch spankings!*, don't have any here.....

[Barbde]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I love my wooden spoons!!
I do remember threatening spankings with them, but don't remember actually using them for that purpose. The threats did the trick! LOL.

[Analog6]

Re: Wooden Spoons

Wooden utensils, including cutting boards, have actually been scientifically proven to be far more bacteria resistant than platic and metal utensils. This is becasue of natural anti-bacterials which occur in wood. Provided you wash your board/utensisl well after use (I scrub my boards with hot soapy water and a brush I keep for them) they are far safer than those white plastic ones. Metal utensils, nless moulded in one piece, can harbour germs where the handle and stirring part are joined.

Here is a piece from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Cutti...s/AllAbout.htm

Wood vs. Plastic Cutting Boards

Did you know that wood cutting boards are the safest to use?

For some reason, bacteria have a tougher time surviving on wood boards. Most people are surprised to hear that a wood cutting board may be more resistant to bacterial buildup than plastic ones. There is some debate on this topic, however, and I can make no claim one way of the other. I can tell you about my favorite wood cutting board!

Research has shown that bacteria, such as the salmonella often found on raw chicken, will thrive and multiply if not removed from plastic boards (because germs that cause food poisoning can hide out in the knife-scarred nooks and crannies that develop on the surface of a plastic cutting board). Hand scrubbing with hot water and soap can clear microbes from the surface of new or used wooden cutting boards and new plastic ones, but knife-scared plastic boards are resistant to decontamination by hand washing.

On wood boards, whether they are new or have been used for years, the bacteria dies off within 3 minutes. Researchers theorize that the porous surface of the wood surface of the wooden boards deprives the bacteria of water, causing them to die.

[sombersusie]

Re: Wooden Spoons

wow, did not know that odille!
i just assumed that plastic was better since i can stick the plastic one in my dishwasher. And how good could i scrub it out...hmmmm. Interesting stuff!

[Heidi3]

Re: Wooden Spoons

whoooo hoooo I love wood!!!! Thank you so much Analog!!!....


I take very good care of my cutting boards and spoons!!! and find them so asthetically appealing !!! I have some hand made by my kids and some handed down to me.....I am so happy to read there is some info to support my theory that ...wood is good ...LOL ...yup there is a double meaning there

plastic has its place! but not on cutting boards and not with my cooking spoons!!!!

[Heidi3]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I confess I have hit my husband on the hand with my wooden spoon..but he deserved it!

[loser4life]

Re: Wooden Spoons

It may be silly but I will only use it for certain things, which I guess is sill b/c the bacteria still grows in tehre whether I use it with meat or not..... its just the thought I guess

[Heidi3]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I don't think it is silly at all I have some compulsions ...like I have poultry cuttiing board and one I use for red meat only ... then the ones I use for breads and stuff.
I don't worry about germs in general ..but I do get into a passionate frenzy when I cook and I do not want to cross contaminate and make any one sick ... If I take out the guess work and have my chicken board out I will not accidently cut a head of lettuce on it or anything...

bleach water is my friend that is how I get rid of my fear of germs ....bleach water on everything!

but this was about spoons now wasn't it ...oh well....

I wash my wooden spoons in hot soapy wanter with a splash of bleach ..then let them air dry ....I do not soak wood ever and never in the dishwasher.....

I do however cram every other thing possible into the dishwasher to avoid having to handwash anything else!!!

[loser4life]

Re: Wooden Spoons

oh yeah, I definitely have a thing for raw meats and then vegetables... I won't use a wooden cutting board, only the white one I have that is non porous!

[kayceear]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I have wooden spoons...I just seem to grab the plastic ones when I'm cooking. I usually stir my koolaid with a wooden one.

I also have pastic and wooden cutting boards. I tend to cut up meats and veggies on the plastic (2 separate ones of course) and use the wooden ones for placing hot stuff on.

I guess I sort of have an aversion to using the wooden stuff for major cooking and cutting.

[Mindykins]

Re: Wooden Spoons

I confess I have hit my husband on the hand with my wooden spoon..but he deserved it!

I can only imagine what was going on here????!!!! Would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one!!!!!!

P.S. I LOVE MY WOODEN SPOONS!!!!!!!