How to Make a Charcuterie Board Food Safe – Best DIY Methods

Making your own charcuterie board is an enjoyable project whether you’re an experienced woodworker or a first-time DIY-er. There are tons of guides and designs for how to make a charcuterie board, but they’re only truly useful if they’re safe for food. In this guide, I’ll show you what I’ve used for making dozens and dozens of cutting boards, coasters, and charcuterie boards food safe.

When I worked as a professional woodworker, I spent most of my time making custom furniture – tables, cabinets, headboards, etc. But it was always fun to take a break from larger projects and put together something quick, simple, and useful like a charcuterie board or cutting board. 

These adaptable projects make a great addition to your own kitchen, and they’re also perfect for thoughtful and practical gifts. Whether you need a wedding gift, housewarming token, or a Mother’s Day idea, a wood charcuterie board is a great way to celebrate special occasions and everyday meals. 

First Step: Choosing Your Wood

Before you can add a food-safe finish to your serving board, you’ll want to make sure to choose an acceptable wood species. Whether you’re making a cutting board or a charcuterie board, go for a hardwood like maple, walnut, cherry, or birch. These types of wood are denser with a more closed grain, which means that they don’t hold as many germs and bacteria in their pores. 

Avoid softwoods. I will even steer clear of hardwoods that have more a open grain, such as oak and poplar. 

Using the right hardwood is the first way to prevent bacteria growth. These wood species can also be gentler on knives and are more durable in general.

How to Make a Charcuterie Board Food Safe

Once your board is made, you’ll want to apply a food-safe finish before use. My favorite option is to use food-grade mineral oil. Here’s how to do it.

(Note: You can also use this method for making adding safe finishes to store-bought boards if you’re not sure whether they’re already food safe. Secondhand stores can also be a great place to find a beautiful charcuterie board, but they may or may not have safe finishes on them. If you do use this method on a bought board, you’ll want to clean and lightly sand the entire board with a palm sander before rubbing on the mineral oil.)

1. Rub on the first coat of mineral oil

Pour some mineral oil on your wood and use a rag to rub it all over your DIY charcuterie board or cutting board.

Apply an even, liberal coat, wiping off any excess oil that pools. 

Let it dry overnight or until the oil is all soaked up. I recommend using painter’s tripods as the easiest way to let your board dry effectively without damaging the coat. 

Tip: The end grain will soak in lots of oil. That’s okay! 

2. Add more coats

After your board has dried, use your rag to apply another coat. After it’s dry, keep repeating this step until the wood stops absorbing the oil. You can also fill a shallow tub with mineral oil and submerge your board to allow it to absorb more oil. When you’re finished, wipe of any remaining oil. 

Mineral oil is a great option that helps bring out the wood’s natural finish and enhances the color and grain.

3. (Optional) Make a charcuterie board conditioner

If you want an added layer of protection, you can make or buy a simple charcuterie board conditioner to apply to your board as needed. This will help to further protect and restore the finish.

Here’s how to make your own DIY cutting board conditioner:

1. Add a 4:1 ratio of mineral oil to beeswax to a double boiler (if you don’t have a double boiler, you can just use two pots). Start with the mineral oil, then add the beeswax slowly, stirring them together. Make sure the beeswax is food safe with nothing added.
2. If you want, you can add a teaspoon of carnauba wax to increase the durability. 
3. Once heated and thoroughly combined, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool until creamy. 
4. Spoon into room temperature glass jars and let cool further. 
5. Store in a cool, dark place.
6. Using a rag, apply to your charcuterie board or cutting board every few weeks or as needed.

Tips for Keeping Charcuterie Boards and Cutting Boards Food Safe and Germ Free

Using a safe finish like mineral oil is important for food safety. Here are a few more important practices to keep in mind to make sure you can enjoy delicious charcuterie spreads without compromising safety or damaging your board.

• Consider avoiding raw meats. Because of the pores in the wood, we prefer to avoid putting raw meat products on our wooden charcuterie and cutting boards. However, setting raw meats on a board is safer than actually cutting raw meat on it, since knives can create more grooves in the piece of wood that can then trap bacteria. If you do cut or set raw meats on your board, wash it thoroughly with soapy water after use. Another option is to have one cutting board specifically set aside for cutting meat. Or, you can place parchment paper under charcuterie meats to help protect the board.
• Use a separate board for onions. Although onions don’t pose a health hazard like raw meats can, you’ll want to avoid cutting or placing onions on your board if you don’t want everything else to taste like onions. Choose one specific board for onion cutting.
• Do not put your board through the dishwasher. ​Both the soaking and the heat from the dishwasher can potentially warp or otherwise damage your wood.
• Dry your board thoroughly. After using your board, wash it in warm soap water and dry thoroughly before putting it away. Avoid soaking your boards or putting them away wet, as this can warp the wood.

When cared for properly, wood charcuterie boards and cutting boards can last for a very long time. 

Charcuterie Board Ideas – What Foods Should You Add?

Charcuterie boards are an easy and attractive way to serve all sorts of food. From fresh fruit to cheese boards to fresh herbs and whole grains, charcuterie boards make an ideal serving dish for a variety of flavors and all sorts of occasions.

Here are some great ideas for filling your charcuterie board.

• Breakfast charcuterie board. Pile on waffles, sausage, bacon, eggs, bagels, and cream cheese for a one-dish breakfast board. Add a pop of color with some fresh berries.
• Sweet treats charcuterie board. This fancy board is made with chocolates, salty pretzels, and other candies. Fruit skewers would make a perfect addition to this dessert board.
• Classic charcuterie board. Stick with the classic charcuterie board and intersperse a variety of meats, your favorite cheese slices, crackers, and dried fruits.
• Vegetable charcuterie board. The best veggie trays are created with handmade charcuterie boards. Make the perfect appetizer board with broccoli florets, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, mini bell peppers, snap peas, cut celery, and more.