What is Wormy Maple?

Tuesday night, we attended the annual picnic at Maple Tree Glass Studio for our chapter of TACA (Tennessee Association of Craft Artists). Upon overhearing conversation among Michael and some of the other woodworkers, I was confused. I always understood "wormy" maple to be maple wood with markings left from some worm... I knew it was also sometimes called ambrosia maple. What was curious to me, is that last night I found out that is isn't worms at all that cause these markings, it is the ambrosia beetle. ( <--Warning: I don't like pictures of bugs, if you don't either, don't check this Wikipedia link)

Worm holes left from a beetle??? Even more confused, I began searching the web this morning. I found this from a site www.justthedoors.com "wormy maple aka ambrosia maple, this comes from regular soft maple trees that have been infested by the ambrosia beetle. The small beetle bores a network of tunnels and short galleries called cradles. A fungus is responsible for the black and gray streaks that accompany each tunnel and adjacent wood. The streaks add a unique look to this hardwood without affecting its structural integrity. This wood is mostly found in the central part of Eastern United States."

Still scouring the web to find more information, lastly, I found this: http://www.appalachianwood.org/species/species.htm which says NOTHING about ambrosia maple, but I like how it broke up the native Appalachian hardwoods, and it is a very informative site! Stay tuned... As I find more interesting information, I will pass it on. To check out our newest ambrosia maple cutting board, go to our Etsy shop, http://ripperarts.etsy.com

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Why Wood?

I've been doing Internet reading about wood vs. plastic cutting boards. Why wood? Our simple answer is: It's natural. On the contrary, plastic is "synthetic" or "semi-synthetic" per Wikipedia. We choose to prepare food that our family eats on natural, wooden cutting boards.

How sanitary is a wooden cutting board? Just as sanitary as a plastic one, if not more sanitary! Studies have shown that for some reason (my guess/reasoning is Mother Nature), bacteria do not multiply on wood like they do on plastic. You might reply, "But isn't plastic easier to clean than wood?" Studies have shown that on a smooth surface, yes, plastic is easier to clean. But what are we doing on a CUTTING board? Cutting! And the same study shows that after using a knife on a wooden cutting board and a plastic board "more bacteria are recovered from a used plastic surface than from a used wood surface."

Clean your wooden cutting board with kosher salt or sea salt. It is naturally antibacterial. It not only cleans, but also removes stains and odors. Rub salt into your cutting board, add hot water making a paste, and then rub clean with a sponge.

Still can't get past the fact that you can't throw your cutting board into the dishwasher or soak it in hot water? Then do as this chef does:

I branded a small “V” on one side and an “M” on the other. V for veggies and M for meat. ALWAYS prep your RAW vegetables first, and then flip it over to prep your meats. Then, of course, sanitize when both sides when you’re finished prepping. You should never have to worry about cross–contamination if you use my method. - Hope this helps others! (4/28/08) John PaaProduction ChefWhole Foods Market (Harbor East)Baltimore, MD

Or better yet, buy TWO wooden cutting boards--one for your veggies and one for meats! Visit our Etsy shop http://ripperarts.etsy.com/ to view our various sizes, wood species, styles, and prices of our HANDMADE WOODEN CUTTING BOARDS!

Online sources:

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/CuttingBoards/AllAbout.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-should-i-choose-between-a-wood-and-plastic-cutting-board.htm

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