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    Home » Make Your Own

    Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks

    Mar 23, 2009 · Modified: Dec 5, 2020 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads ·

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    Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks - Andrea Meyers

    Caring for wood in the kitchen may seem like a mystery, but it's actually pretty easy. We have wood cutting boards, salad bowls, a few wood plates and utensils, and a butcher block top on the baking center/floating island, and it only takes a little effort to maintain them with a daily wipe down and beeswax paste.

    For cleaning, we scrape off all stuck on bits of flour or whatever, then we rub them down with hot soapy water but avoid submerging in water. If wood items soak in water, they tend to crack when drying, so avoid that especially with good cutting boards or plates/bowls. For the same reason you should never put wood items in a dishwasher. To remove odors, I spray on undiluted white vinegar and let the pieces sit overnight without wiping off the vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice.

    Our boards and butcher block get a weekly rub down with a homemade beeswax rub, which helps repel water but does not make them waterproof. Cleaning removes this coating, which is why you need to make this a weekly activity. It only takes a few minutes, and it adds a layer of protection as well as luster and a light beeswax aroma.

    *Walnut oil, almond oil, and pure tung oil make good food-safe finishes if you prefer to avoid beeswax or mineral oil, but should not be used if you cook for someone who has tree nut allergies. Avoid olive oil or other kinds of vegetable oils that turn rancid quickly.

    Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks - Andrea Meyers

    Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks - Andrea Meyers
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks

    Makes about 10 ounces of paste.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Author: Andrea Meyers

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup pharmaceutical grade mineral oil inexpensive and available at drugstores, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.
    • 2 ounces pure beeswax
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Make

    • Pour the mineral oil into the pan and add the beeswax. Melt over low heat just until the beeswax has completely dissolved, stirring as it melts. Once the mixture is blended, remove from heat. Allow to cool for a couple minutes so it's not too hot for the glass, then pour into the glass jar and allow to finish cooling completely. Add the lid, label it, then store in a cool location.

    Use

    • Scoop some onto a smooth clean cloth or towel (not terry cloth). Wipe on clean wooden surface, adding more as you go. There will be some excess on the surface, and that's ok. Allow it to rest for about 30 minutes or overnight, then smooth the excess. Reapply weekly to protect wood.

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    Vanilla Beans for Vanilla Extract - Andrea Meyers
    How to Make Vanilla Extract

    Resources

    • eBeeHoney.com (my source for beeswax)
    • Local Harvest - Beeswax

    References

    • What's Cooking in America - Cutting Boards
    • Finewoodworking.com - Food-Safe Finishes
    • Wikipedia - Tung oil

    More Beeswax Recipes From Other Blogs

    • 101 Cookbooks - Canneles de Bordeaux
    • Elana's Pantry - Vanilla Butter Lip Balm
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Germaine says

      March 23, 2009 at 8:07 am

      Thank you Andrea! We actually found a product for our cutting boards, but to be able to make your own is wonderful. Thank you for the tip!

    2. A&N says

      March 23, 2009 at 8:27 am

      Thanks for the wonderful tip Andrea! Will give this a try 🙂

    3. Mona says

      March 28, 2009 at 7:58 pm

      Thanks for the info Andrea, Was really helpful.

    4. Florence says

      March 26, 2010 at 11:20 am

      Thank you for the recipe. I both enjoyed and appreciate your blog on the subject of how to make your own beeswax mineral blend for cutting boards and wood items. I have a beekeeper right down the road from me and can obtain beeswax easily. I definately will feel more confident that the beeswax mineral blend for my cutting boards will be completely natural and sanitary given the recipe now to make it myself.

      Thank you,
      Florence

    5. Kelly says

      June 10, 2010 at 1:42 pm

      Great idea! I usually use mineral oil, but I like the idea of beeswax so much better.

    6. Marion says

      November 08, 2010 at 1:27 pm

      We appreciate your common-sense approach to maintaining cutting boards and salad bowls!

    7. Richard Woodbury says

      January 21, 2011 at 7:16 pm

      Can the homemade beeswax paste be used exclusively? You mentioned that it will repel water but not make the board waterproof. Should the board be treated with mineral oil first then the paste/oil mixture?

      • Andrea says

        January 21, 2011 at 7:29 pm

        Hi Richard. Food-safe finishes such as mineral oil or beeswax will not technically make the wood waterproof, just water resistant. If your cutting board or butcher block is brand new untreated wood, you might want to put down a coating of mineral oil first, then maintain with the beeswax paste.

        • Richard says

          January 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm

          Thanks for the really fast reply. I made my first batch of past and it turned out great! Do you recommended a place to buy the best pure beeswax? Maybe organic?

          • Andrea says

            January 23, 2011 at 9:17 am

            Hi Richard. I recommend finding local sources of organic beeswax. You can check LocalHarvest.org for that sort of thing. But if you can't find anything local, they have plenty of good mail order sources.

          • Ramone Bartel says

            January 30, 2018 at 9:12 pm

            Look up Zumbeedo out of Arkansas. Nick has an Etsy page as well. Great guy, awesome beeswax and service! Tell him Ramone from Bartelwoodworx sent you. ?

    8. paul says

      September 12, 2011 at 9:25 am

      what do you use to smooth the paste? thanks

      • Andrea says

        September 12, 2011 at 10:28 am

        Hi Paul. I assume you mean to spread the paste on the board. I use a clean cotton cloth, which is usually just old cut up shirts.

    9. moonlake says

      September 04, 2012 at 1:06 am

      What a good idea. Wrote this recipe down. Great site.

    10. Neil Ensign says

      January 16, 2013 at 12:08 pm

      Hello,

      Thanks for posting the recipe. I have butcher block counter tops and the beeswax/mineral oil is working. I was using just mineral oil before and felt like I needed to reapply every day.
      Neil

    11. Alisha says

      December 30, 2014 at 5:50 pm

      I've been making this oil for my husband's keyboard business. http://atreus.technomancy.us/ We love it. Thanks for posting it. I put the mineral oil and beeswax directly in the glass jar that I want to store it in and place it in a saucepan with cold water in it. I let the water come to a soft boil and let the oil and beeswax melt directly in the jar.

      • Andrea says

        January 01, 2015 at 5:44 pm

        Thanks Alisha, glad it works for you. Cool keyboards, too. 🙂

        • Francine Fowler says

          December 08, 2016 at 8:30 am

          Hello Andrea,
          Is it ok to store in a plastic or stainless steel jar? Thanks!

          • Andrea says

            December 08, 2016 at 9:27 am

            Hi Francine. Definitely yes to plastic. I don't use stainless steel jars for storage, so I don't have a definitive answer, although I cannot think of a reason why it wouldn't work. Let me know if you try!

    12. Christene Gutierrez says

      October 26, 2015 at 8:05 pm

      Hi. I made the rub with refined coconut oil--I don't use mineral oil for anything-- and beeswax. Didn't measure but since it solidifies at room temp pretty quickly I assume it had quite a bit of beeswax relative to coconut oil. But it is a soft paste, lovely to work with. I used it for my new butcherblock countertops, and for a hand lotion when done! I added cinnamon essential oil also, bc it's fall, which I assume will dissapate but it smells great in here. Thanks for the idea. I returned my rub/paste to the coconut oil jar it came from after my first coating straight out of the pan. I read warmed oil soaks in better, which makes sense.

      • TM says

        November 07, 2018 at 11:51 am

        Just curious how your countertops are holding up using this paste? Also, was that your initial treatment for them? No prior oiling, etc?

    13. Judge Gary J Dean says

      September 05, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      I purchased a "Real Butcher Block" from a closed market. The old butcher recommended using parafin wax to not only protect the board, but also to help keep knives sharp.

      Buy an old clothes iron at a thrift store to heat the parafin canning wax on the block. Then just"iron" the surface every 2 or 3 weeks or so, and use fresh wax as needed.

      Really gives a heavy duty protection for both block and knives. ?

    14. RoxAnn says

      June 30, 2017 at 10:57 am

      Thank you! I actually used your recipe on an old spinning wheel I repaired for the historic site I manage The oil smells wonderful and my hands a now super soft. Plan to use it on all the wood items/utensils in our c.1820 kitchen also.

    15. Mark W. says

      October 22, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      Would recommend placing the cutting board in the oven at a low temperature. No more than 200*F. Only for a short time. This will open the pours in the wood, and allow the beeswax sealer to penetrate deeper. This will have it last much longer.
      I've done this with mine for years, and has worked fantastically.

    16. Ron says

      October 31, 2018 at 3:15 pm

      Is it possible to mix tung oil, beeswax and a mild scent for a butcher block conditioner

      • Andrea says

        November 15, 2018 at 3:39 pm

        Hi Ron. Yes, you can make a mixture of those ingredients. The beeswax also has a mild scent that is pleasant.

    17. Tom says

      January 25, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Make your own wax for wood and cutting boards
      Mineral oil USP from a pharmacy 8 oz
      Coconut oil 4 oz
      Beeswax refined 1/4#
      Paraffin wax 1/4#
      Cedar wood oil or peppermint 1 oz
      Place in hot water bath, stir to dissolve - then let solidify, if too firm, add more coconut or mineral oil or decrease waxes. The peppermint to cedar wood oil and acts as antibacterial and has a nice aroma.

    18. Krusatyr says

      January 15, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      We bought Cinnamon Bark essential oil to add to mineral oil-wax mix, to knock the garlic-onion scent back a little, and have also rubbed in lime or lemon zest after oil-waxing.

      We don't put vinegar on our end grain wood chopping boards because acid might break down strength of wood fibers.

      To clean, I tilt the board at the sink, wipe quickly with lightly soaped brush, then wipe clean water with damp sponge then rub face and edges immediately with a clean dry absorbent kitchen towel, then tilt against backsplash with air space behind. One of my 14" X 18" boards is 30 years old and both boards still look new.

    Trackbacks

    1. Cutting Board Care | Nationality Philadelphian says:
      January 11, 2011 at 9:23 am

      [...] Andrea Meyers: Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards [...]

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