Care of Collectibles Taught To Me By My Grandmother

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When my grandmother was still walking the earth in her form she did not know she was teaching me the care for what would, in the future become a hobby of mine. I collect used wooden spoons, rolling pins, and mortar & pestle sets. The reason for collecting them is my passion for what the women of different eras were doing and thinking when they were using them. My collections are treasured but don't sit around on display. I use them as they are meant to be used; but I take very good care of each and every one of them. Left alone these items will eventually warp and crack. Some of the ones that I have are well over 100 years old. The first thing that is an "absolute" is to NEVER put anything wooden in your dishwasher as the high heat will warp it very quickly. Once a month I have my "happy day" with my "treasures". The following is my recipe for the love and care of wooden objects that are going to come into contact with food. 1.Gather all of your wooden items in one comfortable place. -sometimes I go to the living room and watch TV, sometimes I sit in the rocker by the kitchen table 2.Take with you a soft rag (washcloth) and a bottle of mineral oil (this is the ONLY kind of oil you can use) Baby oil is mineral oil but has fragrance in it - even the ones without fragrance; canola, olive, corn oils all can turn rancid. Mineral oil is available at your pharmacy in the laxative section. Depending on how many wooden objects you are oiling, you will also need cookie sheets to put them on 3.Preheat your oven to about 400+ degrees while you are oiling and then turn it off 4.Gently and generously rub oil over each one of your objects and place them on your baking sheet. It is okay to stack them on each other. 5.Place them in your still warm oven and let them sit there overnight. If you follow these directions you will not see any of your wooden spoons crack and they will stay new and supple. `Donna