Cutting board use?

Ok, I have 2 cutting boards I use now one for meat and one for fruit and veggies and I came up with this question.

I'm using the small cutting board for my meat and the big cutting board for my veggies and fruit, But if I have to use both at the same time for the emat and the veggies, Should I try to keep the meat cutting board away from the veggies, Even if I have to use my kitchen table? "My place is very small"

you dont have to put them in different rooms or on different counters..lol

we just moved out of a small place. one little counter top between fridge and stove..i would cut say fruits and veggies on a cutting board on that one and move my other cutting board to the stove top to cut my meat.

just dont use the same knife or clean the knife in hot soapy water

FatManDerek said:

Ok, I have 2 cutting boards I use now one for meat and one for fruit and veggies and I came up with this question.

I'm using the small cutting board for my meat and the big cutting board for my veggies and fruit, But if I have to use both at the same time for the emat and the veggies, Should I try to keep the meat cutting board away from the veggies, Even if I have to use my kitchen table? "My place is very small"

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I place a poly cutting sheet on top of my cutting board for cutting meats of all types. This saves the space required for two separate cutting boards and is easy to clean. The only thing I watch out for is not forcing the knife edge into the poly as plastic boards are not gentle with edges.

i use the same board for everything. i dont understand why i need diff boards. the board goes in the dishwasher after every use so whats the big deal? i wudnt cut veggies that are going to be eaten raw on the board if raw meat was on it first but if it is all getting cooked anyway then who cares? ive never gotten sick and havent made anyone else sick from doing this.

Red Hot said:

i use the same board for everything. i dont understand why i need diff boards. the board goes in the dishwasher after every use so whats the big deal? i wudnt cut veggies that are going to be eaten raw on the board if raw meat was on it first but if it is all getting cooked anyway then who cares? ive never gotten sick and havent made anyone else sick from doing this.

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As long as you stick to your present routine you will have no problem.

Red Hot said:

i use the same board for everything. i dont understand why i need diff boards. the board goes in the dishwasher after every use so whats the big deal? i wudnt cut veggies that are going to be eaten raw on the board if raw meat was on it first but if it is all getting cooked anyway then who cares? ive never gotten sick and havent made anyone else sick from doing this.

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I agree with this in most cases. Common sense should be the rule when keeping harmful bacteria off your food.

I have a few cutting boards 3 wood and one Sani Tuff board. Now one of the cutting boards a 16" x 22" end grain cherry wood is my every day board. I will cut vegetables on it as well as cooked meats and keep a bottle of vinegar/water wiping it down after every use. Now the 16" end grain cherry wood round board I use for cutting breads and cakes only and my last wood board is a cherry wood side grain cheese board. I also use the vinegar/water solution for clean them as well. Now my Sani Tuff board (hard rubber) I use for raw meats only. It is an inch thick and fits perfectly on top of my main board. It can be sanded like wood and is also dishwasher safe though I simply wash it with hot soapy water after use then dry.

I use a mineral oil/bee's wax to keep the boards sealed. I do the top every couple of days and once a month the whole board. My previous board I made for my grandmother when I was in the 7th grade and it lasted for about 40 years. It was treated exactly the same way except my grandmother used it for raw meats as well. She would cut the raw vegetables first then the meat and clean, again with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water. No one ever got sick from her foods.

Thanks gang, I just don't want to cross contaminate any of my food, and I want tp maximize my space until I can move into a house, Which could be a while.

Germs don't jump, but splatters will. Technically, you can only be working on one thing at a time, unless you have more arms and more dexterity than the average human. If possible, prep all the vegetables first, and then work the meat.

Meat doesn't need a friend...keep him away from the produce.

VeraBlue said:

Meat doesn't need a friend...keep him away from the produce.

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Thanks Vera, I really laughed when I read that in my email, LOL.


And thank you everyone for your help.

i use the same cutting board for meat, veggies and fruits and it works out just fine.

lifesaver91958 said:

i use the same cutting board for meat, veggies and fruits and it works out just fine.

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Same here. I just make sure i wash the hell out of it afterwards.

lifesaver91958 said:

i use the same cutting board for meat, veggies and fruits and it works out just fine.

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I think that's okay. I stick with one rule when I'm limited to one board (which is never nowadays) and that is to cut protein last so that no uncooked veggies or fruit can become contaminated. A better way to put it is to ask yourself how many people every got food poisoning in your house from your cooking. If the answer is zero then you're doing the right things.

I think there may be other factors involved. If, for example the cutting board is one of those nylon / plastic / whatever ones and you prep all the veggies first and it goes in the dishwasher right after it is used. I'm not sure there would be a problem.

Of course then, there is the point that the plastic / nylon boards are not good for the knife.