Wooden Spoons

Brief history of wooden spoons

The recorded history of wooden spoons is presumed to have begun in ancient Egypt more than a thousand years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The use of these ancient wooden serving spoons was restricted to the application of ointments. The wooden spoon was quite often the only earthly possession owned by a person and it was the norm to bequeath it to another in the event of the person's death.

Welsh Spoons and Scandinavian history have an interesting account of the early history of wooden spoon. Young men would give wooden spoons to their fianc饳 for the purpose of hanging them on the wall. This in turn signified that the young woman already belonged to the said man.

Wooden spoons in America

The settlers of America also used the wooden spoons in the early 1600's. The native Indians sold wooden eating and cooking implements to the early colonists. The Indians fashioned the wooden spoons from Laurel wood which is known as cottonwood in contemporary times. During the first century of American colonization wooden spoons were used by both the rich and the poor folk. Long before the introduction of metal equipment, wooden spoons continued to be favored as kitchen tools.

Scientific studies have established the fact that the harder the wood the better it can be utilized for work in the kitchen. Since hardwood has tight pores, food particles do not lodge in it. Some of the varieties of hardwood include apple, walnut, teak, cherry, maple and chestnut. The lesser known varieties of hardwood include the African Blackwood, the Central American cocobolo and the Hawaiian ebony and Koa.

So prevalent was the use of wooden spoons in the American kitchen that the 1894 edition of The White House cookbook by Ziemann and Gilette listed the wooden spoon as essential kitchen equipment.

Advantages of wooden spoons

• Economical nature of wooden spoons : Wooden spoons are available in striking designs and shapes irrespective of the function you choose them for.

• Attractive looks of wooden spoon : Wooden spoons are available in striking designs and shapes irrespective of the function you choose them for.

• Multiple uses of wooden spoons : - Wooden spoons can be used for multiple tasks. You can use it to blend the cake batter, mix ingredients, stir simmering sauces, whisk creams or even hang it on your kitchen walls as a decorative accessory.

• Hygiene factor in wooden spoons : Wooden serving spoons are more hygienic since the natural properties of wood do not encourage the growth of bacteria. The tight pores of wood also prevent tiny particles of food from being stuck to it.

• Wooden Spoons for Decor :Other than its culinary use wooden spoons can also be used to complement a traditional style d飯r, be it in your kitchen or dining hall.

• Other benefits of wooden spoons :Wooden spoons do not inflict damage on dainty household things since they are naturally soft and smooth. Additionally they do not scratch the surface of non-stick pots and pans as easily as metal or plastic spoons do.Wooden spoons are unbreakable and do not make any clattering noise in case they fall.

There is also a wide variety of shapes, styles and designs in which wooden spoons are available. There are wooden soup spoons, tea spoons, serving spoons and flat end spoons among others. Since wood serving spoons do not rust they can be used for a very long time.

Types and usages of wooden spoons

• Round wooden serving spoons : The round wooden serving spoons come in handy for stirring thin liquids like frozen juice concentrates, soups and juices.

• Flat wooden spoons : Flat wooden spoons are useful in stirring relatively thicker liquids like tomato sauce, meat sauce and purees.

• Flat slotted wooden spoon : - The flat slotted wooden serving spoons performs the same function as a flat spoon but is more useful when it comes to stirring delicate sauces and cr譥s in which the forming of lumps is to be avoided. The flat slotted spoon also has a wider tip thus helping in scraping of a larger area with less of effort. The slots in the spoon also act like a whisk when the sauce or cr譥 passes through them repeatedly.

Factors to keep in mind when selecting wooden spoons

• Function of the wooden spoon : Wooden serving spoons that are going to be used only in the kitchen or the dining room should be preferably made of dense hardwoods like Apple, Pear, Birch and Maple. These woods make great wooden spoons due to their specific gravity or weight per cubic inch when dried to a low moisture content. Not all kinds of hardwood are appropriate for wooden spoons being used in the kitchen. Aspen does not work well because of its soft nature and low specific gravity thus making it low on durability. Oaks, Ash and other such open grained woods are also not a good choice because the open pores in the wood will hold on to fats, oils and other foods consequently turning rancid.

  If you are buying a wooden spoon just for decorative purposes go for wood that has a unique color, grain or form.

• Stirring with a wooden spoon : The primary job of a wooden spoon is to stir. For this purpose the wooden spoon has got to have a wide surface area so that a considerable amount of food can be moved around the pan effortlessly.

  Scraping is also important to get bits of food off from the bottom and also for removing the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. A good wooden spoon should be effective in performing the above functions.

• Tasting food with wooden spoon : - Tasting of food during the process of cooking is essential to maintain the balance of the various ingredients being used. To facilitate this, a good wooden spoon should have a bowl that is large enough to lift up small quantities of food but not so large that the end of the spoon does not fit into your mouth.

• Material of the wooden spoon : - The type of wood that you choose for your wooden spoon should be hard, durable and lightweight like maple or beech. Wood is naturally quite flexible so it allows you to stir and scrape the food at the bottom of the pan by pressing on the spoon. Wooden spoons are also gentle on the hands and with time and use will slowly adjust to the shape of your hand and pan.

• Shape of wooden spoon : - The shape of a wooden spoon goes a long way in determining your comfort in working with it. Round headed spoons are the classic model comprising of circular or oval shaped bowl at the end of the handle. They are perfect for stirring and lifting food for tasting. But the round shape has a few shortcomings.

  The round shape makes it difficult to make contact with a large area of the bottom of the pan thus making scraping a difficult proposition. Such round shaped wooden spoons do not fit into the corners of a pan. It can be a pain when bits of food get stuck to the corners and get burnt. So when you are buying such wooden spoons go for a flat head. A completely flat headed symmetrical model can be handy for scraping and tasting.

  Go for a pointy wooden spoon to effectively scrape around the corners of a pot or pan. Also ensure that the handle of the wooden spoon is not too short. While cooking in large pans, you need to have a wooden spoon with a long handle to keep your hands away from the heat.

• Wooden spoons for the eco - conscious - For those of you who are eco - buffs, wooden spoons made out of organic bamboo are a good option.

Seasoning your wooden spoons

To make your wooden spoons last longer and to enhance their performance you must season them depending on the manner in which you intend to use them.

• Pre- seasoning wash of wooden spoons : Wash the wooden spoons with a mild soap and water. Dry them with a towel but let it remain the slightest bit damp.

• Sand the wooden spoons : Use a sandpaper of medium grit and rub the wooden spoons while they still retain the dampness. Smooth down any existing rough edges and splinters. This is done to ensure that the wooden spoons are smooth thus preventing food particles from accumulating in small gaps.

• Sanitizing the wooden spoon : - Before the wooden spoons are seasoned it is important to sanities them. Soak them for several minutes in a mixture that is one part vinegar and five parts warm water. Rinse the spoons in warm water and completely dry them. It might take up to three days for the spoons to be thoroughly dry.

• Seasoning mixture for wooden spoons : - If you plan on using the wooden spoons to cook flavorful foods, add two teaspoons of table salt to two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. You can also replace the olive oil with coconut oil.

  If the wooden spoons are for the purpose of baking or making sweets replace the salt with the same amount of sugar. Again if you intend to use the spoons for a variety of foods, exclude the use of salt and sugar. Stir the oil mixture over a low flame until the sugar or salt dissolves. Dip a paper towel into the oil mixture and coat the wooden spoons. Place the oil coated wooden spoons on a baking tray and make on temperature of 350 degree for two minutes. Remove the spoons and allow them to cool before use.

  After every use seasoned wooden spoons should be rinsed in water devoid of soap. For avoiding bacterial infection re-season your wooden spoons if they are used to touch raw meat or eggs.

Maintaining wooden spoons

To ensure maximum durability of wooden spoons you should keep some essential tips in mind.

• Wooden spoons should be washed by hand using hot water and a mild soap or detergent. It would not be advisable not to wash wooden spoons in a dishwasher since the high temperature of water can dry them out.

• Avoid leaving your wooden spoons in soapy water for too long. Wash and pat them dry immediately

• If you notice that your wooden spoons are beginning to look dull and dry then you must rub them with a mineral oil or a beeswax compound. Desist from using food based oils like olive oil or vegetable oil since these oils tend to get rancid over a period of time.

• Wooden spoons can ultimately split as they dry out when exposed to extreme changes in temperature. Such split wooden spoons should be disposed of immediately since food particles can easily get lodged in the cracks.

• Patches of stains or roughness on your wooden spoons can be rubbed away with a piece of fine sand paper.

• Wooden spoons should be ideally stored in a dry place since they may be susceptible to attacks from bacteria when wet. The wooden spoons can also be rubbed with a pinch of oil to prevent damage.