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Wooden spoons have long been used to cook and serve food. Plastic, silicone, and stainless steel have become options that have tried to fulfill our needs in the kitchen, but in the end, there is only one option that you will truly need, the wooden spoon.
Using a wooden spoon to eat will also provide you with the same benefits as cooking. Here are the 10 reasons why you should use a wooden spoon to cook, serve, and eat.
Wooden spoons are durable. With proper care, they will last a long time. This makes the purchase of a wooden spoon a good investment. Whether the purchase is for cooking or eating, it will be money wisely spent.
The durability is only part of its strength. Wooden spoons are often used to stir sauces or scrape the bottom of your pan. Anyone that has done so is always confident that the spoon will not break in their hand. That is the strength of a wooden spoon.
Have you ever put a metal spoon into something that is very hot and had to let go of the spoon because it transferred the heat so quickly to the handle? Have you ever put a plastic spoon into that same hot sauce and seen it start to melt?
A wooden spoon won’t transfer the heat or melt. It will remain cool in your hand even if you leave it in there for a while. Another worry eliminated, is that of burning or melting in your hand.
Hardwood, like Maple, is neutral when in contact with food. It won’t react when cooking or eating acidic or spicy foods, thereby allowing the food to taste as it should. Metal, like stainless steel, can react with these foods, leaving a metallic taste in the food.
If you want to preserve the taste of the food that you are eating, there is no substitute for a wooden spoon.
In the same way that metal can alter the taste of food, it can transform the nutrients in the food. This same neutrality of maple wood will not alter the integrity of the food, allowing all of the nutrients to be delivered and consumed while eating.
Similar to the fact that wood will not conduct heat through the spoon, the spoon will not transfer its state or absorb the heat and change the temperature of the food. Wooden spoons are an insulator, so foods that may be sensitive to sudden temperature changes won’t be affected. While eating, using a wooden spoon with a wooden bowl, will keep warm foods warm for longer and cold foods cool for longer.
The porous nature of maple wood actually works to prevent bacteria from growing. The wood pores absorb and trap the bacteria. This prevents the bacteria from resurfacing and kills them naturally. This phenomenon does not happen with spoons made from other materials. Wooden spoons are much safer as a result.
The strong, sturdy, lightweight and smooth feel of wood is impossible to replicate. The more you use it the better it feels in your hand. When eating, the smoothness and neutral temperature transform the feel in your mouth.
Wood is a natural, renewable resource. Very little wood is used to make a wooden spoon. At JUstenbois, around 9,000 spoons are crafted from one maple tree. We also choose Maple Wood which comes from cultivated trees that follow sustainable management practices.
We only use mature trees; therefore, their removal allows for younger trees to grow faster. This captures more carbon dioxide. Also, wood is 100% biodegradable.
Often the most referred benefit of a wooden spoon while cooking is that it won’t scratch your expensive pots and pans. Especially for non-stick surfaces, this is important as scratches ruin the surface, making it more difficult to cook and clean.
However, the gentle nature of a wooden spoon transfers to a different benefit while eating. The benefit while eating is that there is no clatter of metal on the porcelain. There is only the soft sound of wood. If you happen to have wooden dishes, the sound of wood on wood is so quiet, your conversation or the slurping of soup can be the only thing you hear.
Very few materials are as attractive as wood. Not only is a wooden spoon practical to use, but it can also add style to your kitchen or your dining table.
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy often describe a metallic taste in their mouths. This altered taste is called dysgeusia.
Eating with metal utensils amplifies this phenomenon and often reduces the desire to eat or at least the pleasure of eating. As mentioned in the benefits of a wooden spoon, wood does not alter the taste of food.
JUstenbois offers an interesting alternative to improve the appetite of those cancer patients suffering from the effects of dysgeusia, the amplification of this metallic taste by using stainless steel utensils. Improving the ability to eat during treatment will assist a cancer patient in achieving a faster recovery.
The quickest, simplest, and easiest way to ensure that food does not cake on your spoons is to rinse them under warm water immediately after you use them. Do not soak them.
Wash your wooden spoons in warm water with mild dish soap by hand. Use a soft sponge or gentle dishcloth and scrub to remove all the leftover food particles. Do not soak in water for more than 15 minutes.
Thoroughly rinse all soap suds away with warm water. Dry immediately with a clean dishtowel. Allow them to air-dry before putting them away.
If you don’t let them air dry and put them away wet, the water droplets trapped in the wood will not dry completely and, over time, can cause the wood to crack or warp.
Wooden spoons are very safe, and studies have proven so. Their porous nature actually works to prevent bacteria from growing. The wood pores absorb and prevent the bacteria from resurfacing, making them naturally die, thus preventing spreading.
This occurrence is just like what a tree does to fight bacteria. Even though the wood is no longer a living tree, its cells are still the same and don’t permit bacteria from growing. Wood is naturally more antibacterial than any man-made material.
Hardwoods, like Maple, have a fine grain and are not very porous, which reduces infiltration and further prevents bacteria growth. Another advantage of Maple is that it will not crack in water. It is the cracks in the wood that cause bacteria to form. So, wood that does not crack will prevent bacteria from forming.
Not only does a wooden spoon have these natural antibacterial properties it also is a neutral one that does not alter the integrity or the taste of food.
A great example of how wood differs from stainless steel is to put a stainless-steel spoon in your glass of wine and taste what it does. Do the same with a wooden spoon and enjoy your wine. Therefore, maple wood spoons are the best choice for a healthy and safe dining experience.
One of the most asked questions about wooden spoons is, “Are they dishwasher safe?” The simple answer is NO.
The ultra-hot water, strong detergent and drying cycle will cause your wooden spoon to warp, crack, split or even break. This might not happen the first time you put it in the dishwasher, but it will happen.
It would be best to throw away your wooden spoon when it starts to crack, split or break. These are all signs that the wood is no longer structurally sound, and bacteria can enter the wood and begin to grow.
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JUstenbois’ eco-friendly wooden utensils and dishes are part of the current cultural awakening for an environmentally friendly, healthier way to eat.
We have been developing our expert techniques since 2004.
