2 - They don't sctratch non-stick surfaces which, although started with frying pans, now extends to almost all pots. Different woods have different flavors. Get fat in your whites and no matter how long you beat them, they will never fluff up. A further essential factor of a wooden spoon or spatula is that they are warmth-resistant. 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. 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. Well, despite the fact that you can break a wooden spoon, relative to its weight, a wooden spoon is very strong. 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Some metal spoons are hard to even bend. Check out her website for more cooking stories. Further, wood is a soft enough material that you can use them to stir or scrape nonstick finishes, glass, or porcelain. First off, they don’t get hot to the touch like metal spoons might, even when you’re cooking at high temperature. Wood is probably the safest material in the kitchen. There’s a common misconception that wood harbors more bacteria than metal and plastic do, but it’s nothing but a myth. Since they aren’t made of dubious chemicals, they won’t find their way into the environment — or your home. Put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. Plastic spoons, on the other hand, will bend before they break. 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. So, perhaps the wooden spoon is the secret ingredient to your grandma’s sauce! Wood reminds us of cultural traditions in the way no other material can. April 29, 2019. pierinoMarch 13, 2013 And they came in the most bizarre forms, like as a dog chasing a fish or a squatting cat-god. Some hand-crafted spoons even have twisted handles that mold easily to your grip and your palm’s shape. 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. Related: Candy Making Basics: How to Work with Sugar, (Image: Flickr member podchef licensed under Creative Commons). If it … Compare the weight of a wooden spoon and a metal spoon. Wooden spoons may be passed on as heirlooms through the generations — and it’s hard to imagine a silicone spoon receiving that similar honor. It doesn’t do well in the dishwasher or soaked in water — instead, it must be washed with soap and dried immediately after use. For regular bread you can use metal utensils. Wood spoons also won’t react with acidic ingredients like aluminum would. Pro tip: Avoid using a metal spoon or … Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. Wooden spoons don’t quickly heat to scalding temperatures, chemically react with acidic foods, or scratch pots and bowls, as their metal counterparts do. 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 … Wood is strong and sturdy. Depending on the wood type, the spoon can complement the flavor of the meal, unlike plastic that makes everything taste, well, like plastic. Machine made ones are often poorly designed and cut from too thin a piece of wood so two dimensional. What do you say? A whisk will incorporate air. They go from cast-iron to non-stick to stainless pans without fear of scratching. Right: Wooden spoon. Over time, plastic spoons can start to break down at the edges. Why do some recipes call for a metal spoon and not wooden? Wood, being naturally soft, doesn’t scratch cookware as metal does, and it doesn’t trigger crystallization in temperature-sensitive recipes. This and the vision of our chef punctuating each word with a wave of said spoon will be forever lodged in our memories. The two look pretty similar, though the electric mixer method spread the margarine all around the bowl, while using the spoon kept it in one place. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say wooden spoons are favored because of their versatility. J. Honeyman. making little air bubbles and a wooden spoon doesn't do that. And don't try using a metal spoon in lieu of a wooden one—metals conduct heat much more quickly. 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. Using a wooden spoon for cooking tomato sauce is ideal because unlike some metal spoons, the wood will not react with acidic foods. A metal utensil could scratch the surface of this kind of pan and contaminate the food stuff. Once in a while, it needs special “care” in the form of protective oil like that of flax, sesame, or poppyseed. Metal can provoke an unhealthy acidic reaction, and plastic releases chemicals when it comes into contact with hot dishes. This can result in leaving tiny pieces of … The solution is pretty simple: Make sure you have a wooden spoon on hand when you’re cooking. There are generally three reasons why wooden spoons are used instead of metal ones. “Wooden spoons really do not perform warmth as steel spoons do, and there is no danger of melting them.” Another reason why using wooden spoons are better than metal ones is that wood is a bad conductor of heat. These foreign particles can also cause the sugar to crystallize. We at Bright Side learned a little more about this versatile material and want to share our knowledge with you. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. I say go for the wood spoon, if for no other reason than to taste that wonderful sauce with the rounded edges of the spoon without interference from cold metal or stainless steel and definitely not plastic or silicone. Wooden utensils also have thicker handles, making them easier to hold. 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. lol it's because a metal spoon would reuin the consistancy of the mix, a … In Ancient Egypt, the wooden spoon wasn’t used for food exclusively, but also for applying cosmetics and even rituals. So who do we trust: the Mighty McGee or our baking-veteran chef? 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. 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. Plus, wooden tools can last a lifetime if they’re properly cared for. Wooden things feel amazing, there are no 2 ways about it. The wooden spoon will not be a conduct heat, or in other words, the heat will not affect this type of material. 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. But I agree with hands as your best tool. Wooden spoons are especially useful when stirring on a non-stick surface. After all, you’ve foregone contributions to your IRA to get the highfalutin cookware, so you want to keep it nice. 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. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? That is what my first pastry chef always told me, especially when making creme brulee. That is why it was suggested to use wooden spoons and ceramic bowls for stirring cake mixture and for many recipes in the past. They can tell you whether or not oil is hot enough. But in our research these past few weeks, we came across a different opinion…. *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). Wood retains visible signs of use and age, changing color, shape, and texture. Naturally, wood is an organic, renewable resource, so if you want to stay more eco-friendly, opt for a 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. So, instead of saying use a stainless steel, plastic, or wooden spoon, they simply recommend a wooden spoon. Wood is the preferred material to use when making tomato sauce because of its rounded edges and non-reaction with the tomatoes. Metal spoons can scratch nonstick coatings, while smooth wooden spoons will not harm non-stick surfaces. 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. That’s where the wooden spoons come in, as metal ones can nick or scratch the surface. Use a wooden or bamboo spoon instead of a metal spoon and consider using a glass or ceramic bowl to mix your ingredients. This is only for breads that are acidic, such as sourdough, bread made with buttermilk, etc. Furthermore, the wood “remembers” the flavor of the dish it was used for. Even when stirring in a regular pot, metal spoons can leave scratches, and they make a scraping noise that can become bothersome over time. On that note, any material can shelter bacteria if it’s not washed or cared for properly. Looking for DIY Face Mask Inspiration? Compared to metal, plastic, or silicone, wood is softer, more malleable, and generally more pleasant to touch. 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? Share them with us in the comments! - 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. 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. Eddington 50002 Italian Olive Wood Cooking Spoon. Wood, being naturally soft, doesn’t scratch cookware as metal does, and it doesn’t trigger crystallization in temperature-sensitive recipes. Both of these materials also have sharp edges that can damage your oral cavity. You want to use a wooden spoon on tinned copper and enameled cast iron, at the very minimum. Why You Should Only Use a Wooden Spoon When You Cook, According to a Chef. A wooden utensil is also often hand-crafted by local artisans, so it’s easier to find ethically produced tools. Wooden spoons are great to use when you have nonstick pots and pans because the wood will not scratch the surface. 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. 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. Our chef’s justification for using metal spoons, which has always made sense to us, is that they are less likely to carry trace amounts of fat, air bubbles, or other food particles than a rough-surfaced wooden spoon. Fat is the enemy of whipped egg whites. Fat hides in wooden spoons. Why are wooden spoons so great? Germs are not big fans of wood since it possesses natural microbe-killing properties. 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. 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