Caring For Your Bowl

  Caring for your wooden bowl is easy. Your bowl comes to you fully dried, and ready to use with minimal care. Bowls used years ago were never washed. In fact they were seldom left without a ball of yeast dough in them on a bed of flour. Usually covered with a moist towel – waiting to start the biscuits for the next meal. When cleaned they’d be scraped out with a spoon or a half moon shaped “bowl scraper” and wiped with a damp towel.

 The Times … They are ah’ changing   

   Well this is the 21st century and “if we don’t keep everything super clean we’ll probably get some terrible disease that you can’t even pronounce. “See-in’s how we all know better now” (LOL). This brings back to memory all the times as a kid that I drank water from a hose while workin’ in the garden. Never thought about all the bacteria I was probably taking in. The only worry  then was watching out for the dirt and grass or swollerin‘ ants.

More Recent Discoveries

   Before World War 2, bacteria was undiscovered so cleanliness was a visual thing. If something “looked clean” it was declared as being so. Most bowls were made of poplar, magnolia or Tupelo gum – are all very soft/light woods that were easily carved into a bowl. Also light and easy to lift. But they’d easily swell and crack if washed unless saturated with lard.

   … In any event – your bowl is made of Maple, Cherry or Walnut and can be cleaned.

Cleaning is Easy

   Just rinse them out with warm water – scrubbing with a sponge or anything that won’t scratch the bowl. Dry it after you are done. I don’t suggest submerging any bowl under water for any length of time and never put it in a dishwasher.

  Jokingly I tell folks, “Treat them as you want to be treated”. When you take a shower you don’t use scalding water (so don’t scald the bowl). You don’t stay in the shower till you shrivel up like a prune (so don’t keep the bowl in long). Also when you get out of the shower you don’t go walking around the house naked – dripping water all over the place well most folks don’t – so dry it off when you finish cleaning it.

Why I use Hardwoods Only

  All my bowls are made of fine grained hardwood. These dry very hard. Their fiber is not as porous as others such as poplar or magnolia and will take more abuse. Most any wood can swell if submerged in water for an extended period of time.  To insure it dried without busting, with a minimal amount of stress cracking, great care was taken.

I don’t Include Waxes or Oils

  I don’t ship any waxes or oils with your bowl as most folks have their own favorite. George’s Clubhouse Wax (amazon.com) is highly recommended. Or use of food safe mineral oil (steoil.com) which any pharmacy will have. Just rub a little in occasionally to help repel moisture. If you are going to use oils (such as olive) or flavors (i.e. garlic) in the preparation of breads or salads – a light coating of mineral oil beforehand will help to keep any liquids or tastes from being absorbed into your bowl. Some oils or spices that could be placed into an unprepared bowl could possibly be an unwanted smell or taste later.

  None of the bowls we use at home have been shown any special treatment while being used. And many years later they’re no worse for wear. Don’t “soak a bowl” with mineral oil – a tablespoon or so will do. A pint bottle will last for years. When using George’s Clubhouse Wax – a little goes a long way. George Cannon who makes it told me to use as little of his product as you can, rubbing it in well.

   NEVER STACK YOUR BOWL with other bowls! Any object made from wood can warp if pressured between other objects.

   With just a little care watching how it’s treated, your bowl could easily give you a couple ‘a hundred years of good use – and your great-great grand-kids could be fighting over it someday.    

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