Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Ensure Your Wooden Pizza Peel Lasts for 100 Years

By Blaise Wynn


Do you love pizza enough to have a section in your will on which grandchild gets the family pizza peel? Well, you're not alone. Now, you just have to keep that wooden pizza peel looking good for the next 100 years. The good news is that it's not that difficult. Below are the basic steps. The most important key is to not let too much, if any, water get into the peel. Water will dry your wooden peel out and make it warp and crack.

Step 1 - Layer the wooden pizza peel with mineral oil. You do not need particular pizza peel oil. Save yourself some money and just visit your neighborhood hardware store and get some USP-grade mineral oil. Simply wipe the oil on the exterior of your peel and watch it absorb in. When the wood won't take any more oil, you can clean off the excess with a clean dried wash cloth. Don't get worried about putting on too much - more is better. You should do this routine monthly or as often as needed. Whatever you do don't use vegetable or olive oil. They will in fact turn sour. Not very good.

Step 2 - Wash your pizza peel when you finish each use. How can you thoroughly clean the peel and not get it wet? Great question. Most of us don't understand how to use anything except for soap and water, but as luck would have it some brilliant people figured out that you can (and should) use full-strength white vinegar. The acetic acid in the vinegar is a great disinfectant, successful against such harmful bugs as E. Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. If you don't believe me, check out this worthwhile scientific guide on the question by O. Peter Snyder, Jr., PhD: http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Cutboard.html

Step 3 - Brush your wooden peel when not in use. By keeping it clean, you can retain the life of your peel. Crumbs, melted cheese, and sauce can collect on the peel and make the surface uneven.

Step 4 - Remember To Keep your wooden pizza peel dry. Water is the adversary so store your peel far from the front lines of combat.

Step 5 - Do not keep your wooden pizza peel on very hot surfaces. If a wooden peel is placed on a very hot surface, it will warp. Once distorted, balancing a pizza on it can be quite a feat. If your wooden board is already out of shape, lay it out overnight with the warp (curved side) facing upward. In most cases this severely decreases the problem. If the problem isn't resolved, it is time to replace the peel.

Now you understand how to take care of your wooden pizza peel for the next 100 years. Tell your grand kids "your welcome" for me.




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