We at Bright Side learned a little more about this versatile material and want to share our knowledge with you. A further essential factor of a wooden spoon or spatula is that they are warmth-resistant. “Wooden spoons really do not perform warmth as steel spoons do, and there is no danger of melting them.” Wood is the preferred material to use when making tomato sauce because of its rounded edges and non-reaction with the tomatoes. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? Wooden spoons are great to use when you have nonstick pots and pans because the wood will not scratch the surface. Germs are not big fans of wood since it possesses natural microbe-killing properties. Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. There are generally three reasons why wooden spoons are used instead of metal ones. The solution is pretty simple: Make sure you have a wooden spoon on hand when you’re cooking. Yesterday I made some cookies and I creamed the butter and sugar together using a regular fork, then mixed in the egg with the same fork. The wooden spoon will not be a conduct heat, or in other words, the heat will not affect this type of material. Fat hides in wooden spoons. If you consistently cook the same recipe with the same spoon, the wood absorbs the tastes of the meals. Why You Should Only Use a Wooden Spoon When You Cook, According to a Chef. For example, fruitwood and beech add more sweetness, while the olive tree, walnut, and oak give off a bitter taste due to the high amount of tannins in it, which can enhance spicy, heavily seasoned food. because a wooden spoon is far more harder to clean then a metal one. This means if you leave the ladle in the cooking pot by mistake then you would not have fear of burning your hands while removing it as it would still be cold, unlike a metal spoon. Pro tip: Avoid using a metal spoon or … *examples (thanks to @Stephie): eggs (there were special egg-spoons made from horn or tortoise shell and later bakelite or plastic to prevent the sulphur in the eggs interacting with the metal), marmelade/jam (special spoons, jam would get runny if it got in contact with the wrong spoon), potatoes (there is a rule to not cut them with a knife). Wooden Spoons – The humble, understated essential Wooden Spoons, The obvious choice Wooden spoons not unlike Row and Sons have been around for a very long time. For regular bread you can use metal utensils. Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. Wooden utensils also have thicker handles, making them easier to hold. And don't try using a metal spoon in lieu of a wooden one—metals conduct heat much more quickly. On that note, any material can shelter bacteria if it’s not washed or cared for properly. You want to use a wooden spoon on tinned copper and enameled cast iron, at the very minimum. Since they aren’t made of dubious chemicals, they won’t find their way into the environment — or your home. Wood is a demanding material, requiring more love and attention than its counterparts. pierinoMarch 13, 2013 J. Honeyman. Get fat in your whites and no matter how long you beat them, they will never fluff up. Compare the weight of a wooden spoon and a metal spoon. April 29, 2019. In Ancient Egypt, the wooden spoon wasn’t used for food exclusively, but also for applying cosmetics and even rituals. If it … Metal spoons can scratch nonstick coatings, while smooth wooden spoons will not harm non-stick surfaces. So, instead of saying use a stainless steel, plastic, or wooden spoon, they simply recommend a wooden spoon. Furthermore, longer periods of stirring and mixing can be maintained more comfortably with a well-made wooden spoon because there are no hard metal edges to make your hands sore. Wood is naturally antibacterial whereas plastic allows bacteria to breed (google the research by Dr Dean Cliver) The best wooden spoons are carved by hand. Wood is strong and sturdy. Wood reminds us of cultural traditions in the way no other material can. This and the vision of our chef punctuating each word with a wave of said spoon will be forever lodged in our memories. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Wooden spoons don’t quickly heat to scalding temperatures, chemically react with acidic foods, or scratch pots and bowls, as their metal counterparts do. Share them with us in the comments! Depending on the wood type, the spoon can complement the flavor of the meal, unlike plastic that makes everything taste, well, like plastic. Wood, being naturally soft, doesn’t scratch cookware as metal does, and it doesn’t trigger crystallization in temperature-sensitive recipes. That is what my first pastry chef always told me, especially when making creme brulee. making little air bubbles and a wooden spoon doesn't do that. Image via ipinnedit One good quick fix: you can blow on the surface of a boiling pot and the foam will retreat, since your breath is most likely well below 100°C, temperature-wise. In his book On Food and Cooking, food scientist Harold McGee writes, “A metal spoon can induce crystallization by conducting heat away from local areas of the syrup, cooling them and so leaving them supersaturated [causing crystallization].” He recommends using a wooden spoon, which doesn’t conduct heat. Well, despite the fact that you can break a wooden spoon, relative to its weight, a wooden spoon is very strong. Why are wooden spoons so great? explain why a wooden spoon is a better choice than a metal spoon for stirring a boiling pot of soup So, perhaps the wooden spoon is the secret ingredient to your grandma’s sauce! Unfortunately, nowadays, wooden spoons are often neglected in favor of metal, plastic, or silicone ones, despite the many benefits they provide. Once in a while, it needs special “care” in the form of protective oil like that of flax, sesame, or poppyseed. Fat is the enemy of whipped egg whites. Plastic spoons, on the other hand, will bend before they break. Metal can provoke an unhealthy acidic reaction, and plastic releases chemicals when it comes into contact with hot dishes. A wooden utensil is also often hand-crafted by local artisans, so it’s easier to find ethically produced tools. Wood doesn’t have any of these disadvantages. This can result in leaving tiny pieces of … With so many other variations of spoon in today’s market, manufactured from materials, wooden spoons still remain head and shoulders above the rest, and is a consistent favourite. What do you say? A wooden spoon’s thick handle is less likely to break or become deformed, making it easier to use when stirring dense meals like a stew or caramel. I use a wooden spoons for cooking because they to not scrape the surface of metal and non-stick cookware. Why do some recipes call for a metal spoon and not wooden? If I had to venture a guess, I'd say wooden spoons are favored because of their versatility. Wooden spoons may be passed on as heirlooms through the generations — and it’s hard to imagine a silicone spoon receiving that similar honor. But I agree with hands as your best tool. A whisk will incorporate air. Wood spoons also won’t react with acidic ingredients like aluminum would. Even when stirring in a regular pot, metal spoons can leave scratches, and they make a scraping noise that can become bothersome over time. These foreign particles can also cause the sugar to crystallize. Wood retains visible signs of use and age, changing color, shape, and texture. When you put a pot of water on, put a wooden spoon over the top of the pot. We consulted an executive chef to get the scoop on why a wooden spoon is the best cooking utensil. Eddington 50002 Italian Olive Wood Cooking … A wooden spoon’s thick handle is less likely to break or become deformed, making it easier to use when stirring dense meals like a stew or caramel. What family recipe has been passed down to you from your parents and grandparents? Different woods have different flavors. Over time, plastic spoons can start to break down at the edges. They go from cast-iron to non-stick to stainless pans without fear of scratching. 1 - Wooden utensils do not conduct heat well so you don't burn your hand and the cooking takes place where it's supposed to, the bottom of the pan. Further, wood is a soft enough material that you can use them to stir or scrape nonstick finishes, glass, or porcelain. Use a wooden or bamboo spoon instead of a metal spoon and consider using a glass or ceramic bowl to mix your ingredients. Looking for DIY Face Mask Inspiration? But in our research these past few weeks, we came across a different opinion…. Some hand-crafted spoons even have twisted handles that mold easily to your grip and your palm’s shape. So who do we trust: the Mighty McGee or our baking-veteran chef? And they came in the most bizarre forms, like as a dog chasing a fish or a squatting cat-god. It doesn’t melt like plastic, nor does it conduct the temperature like metal, so you won’t burn yourself and can safely leave the spoon inside a hot pot. They can tell you whether or not oil is hot enough. Both of these materials also have sharp edges that can damage your oral cavity. Related: Candy Making Basics: How to Work with Sugar, (Image: Flickr member podchef licensed under Creative Commons). Wood is probably the safest material in the kitchen. - retroglide - The bread ingredients (not the yeast) react some with metal, and if you use a metal bowl or spoon, it could pass on a slightly metallic taste. Machine made ones are often poorly designed and cut from too thin a piece of wood so two dimensional. lol it's because a metal spoon would reuin the consistancy of the mix, a … This is only for breads that are acidic, such as sourdough, bread made with buttermilk, etc. Lifehacker points out that a wooden spoon doesn’t retain heat like its metal counterpart, so the spoon itself stays cool even if the food is hot. Some metal spoons are hard to even bend. Using a wooden spoon for cooking tomato sauce is ideal because unlike some metal spoons, the wood will not react with acidic foods. Why use a wooden spoon? In fact, I thought that the wooden spoon version was lighter and fluffier. The recipe said to mix in the flour using a wooden spoon, but I figured since I was already using the fork there was no point in dirtying a wooden spoon. When first learning to work with sugar back in culinary school, we were taught to only use a clean metal spoon to prevent crystallization while the sugar was melting. Put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. A metal utensil could scratch the surface of this kind of pan and contaminate the food stuff. By Cheyenne Buckingham. It doesn’t do well in the dishwasher or soaked in water — instead, it must be washed with soap and dried immediately after use. Wood, being naturally soft, doesn’t scratch cookware as metal does, and it doesn’t trigger crystallization in temperature-sensitive recipes. Check out her website for more cooking stories. Furthermore, the wood “remembers” the flavor of the dish it was used for. Plus, wooden tools can last a lifetime if they’re properly cared for. Right: Wooden spoon. The use of a wooden spoon is, I believe, an extension of the old warning against using metal spoons in yeasted recipes because some metals react with yeast and tend to destroy it. First off, they don’t get hot to the touch like metal spoons might, even when you’re cooking at high temperature. In his book On Food and Cooking, food scientist Harold McGee writes, “A metal spoon can induce crystallization by conducting heat away from local areas of the syrup, cooling them and so leaving them supersaturated [causing crystallization].” He recommends using a wooden spoon, which doesn’t conduct heat. What People Want from a Healer in the Midst of a Pandemic, A Middle School Math Teacher Planning Lessons and Lunch, The Columbus, OH-based Forager Who's Become a TikTok Star, A Food Justice Advocate and Mother Talks Breastfeeding and Herb Gardens, Bryant Terry's Sautéed Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes, Vivian Howard's Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage, Candy Making Basics: How to Work with Sugar. Fat. In addition to This, it is a fact that some metal will kill the yeast when making bread and some metals will react with acids produced because of fermentation, resulting in metal poisoning for foods. Compared to metal, plastic, or silicone, wood is softer, more malleable, and generally more pleasant to touch. Wooden spoons are non-reactive, which means that the wood won’t adversely react with the acids in some foods or leave a nasty, metallic taste, like metal spoons often tend to do. 21 Products With Packaging That Was a Little Too Big, 12 Cinema Characters Whose Unique Style Started New Trends in Everyday Life, A French Photographer Fell in Love With Vietnam and Called It a Mosaic of Contrasts, 20 Halloween Decorations That Inspire Everyone to be Extra Creative, 20 Unusual Pics With Phenomena You Will Probably Never See Again, 10+ Mistakes in Housekeeping That Harm Both Our Homes and Our Health, 20+ Insignificant Movie Details That Have a Hidden Meaning, 20+ Photos That Prove Nature Is Full of Surprises That Can Strike You With Awe, 18 People Who Just Can’t Do Their Job Right, “She Still Thinks She’s Small”: Dog Goes Viral for Sleeping on Her Sister Despite Having Grown Up. 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