The Oil Differences

Why we finish our Charcuterie/Cutting boards with Tung Oil?

1. Tung oil is a natural oil unlike mineral oil. Mineral oil is a byproduct of refining crude oil. While both oils are food safe, tung oil is naturally pressed from the seed of the tung fruit. We use a 50/50 mix of pure tung oil and pure orange peel oil from Real Milk Paint Co.

2. Tung oil dries and hardens. It will soak into the wood and harden the surface of the wood as it dries. This gives you a longer lasting, more durable, water resistant surface. Tung oil is less maintenance for you! Most of the work is done upfront in our shop.

   We apply seven coats of the 50/50 Tung oil/Orange peel oil mix. The Tung oil takes several days to partially cure and 30 days to fully cure and dry. After that, you will only need to oil the board once a year and let it fully cure. While you can’t use the board for 30 days, its much less maintenance compared to mineral oil.

3. Mineral oil NEVER dries. When Mineral oil is put on a board, some of it soaks in, but any excess can find its way out over time. Mineral oil must be applied every few weeks on a board that is heavily used. Since mineral oil never dries it’s washed away when you clean your board.

We want you to have your Charcuterie/Cutting board. So you may receive your board partially cured. It is very important that you wait to use your board after it is fully cured. Each board will have an accompanying card listing how many coats were applied, the date of the last coat, and when the board is fully cured. If you receive your board after the fully cured date, you’re all set.

However, if it’s still before the fully cured date, please be patient. Your patience will be rewarded with a beautiful, long-lasting, durable finish that won’t disappoint!