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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How To Keep Your Wooden Pizza Peel Kickin' For The Next 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 - Coat the wooden pizza peel with mineral oil. You do not need special pizza peel oil. Save yourself some money and just visit your local hardware store and pick up some USP-grade mineral oil. Simply wipe the oil on the surface of your peel and watch it soak in. When the wood won't take any more oil, you can wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth. Don't worry about applying too much - more is better. You should do this process monthly or as often as needed. Whatever you do don't use vegetable or olive oil. They will actually turn rancid. Not good.

Step 2 - Thoroughly clean your pizza peel right after each usage. 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 soap and water, but luckily some clever people figured out that you can (and should) use full-strength white vinegar. The acetic acid in the vinegar is an excellent disinfectant, effective against such harmful bugs as E. Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. If you don't trust me, check out this informative scientific article 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 spotless, you can preserve the life of your peel. Crumbs, melted cheese, and sauce can collect on the peel and make the surface uneven.

Step 4 - Always Keep your wooden pizza peel dried. Water is the rival so keep 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 know how to care for your wooden pizza peel for the next 100 years. Tell your grand kids "your welcome" for me.




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