*Any* Walnut Oil?
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I’ve recently created my first-ever wooden spatula, and I decided on walnut oil for finishing. But I’m quite confused about walnut oil. Under the context of woodworking, I hear it’s a hardening oil, and it will not go rancid. But under the context of cooking, I hear it goes rancid quickly. Is there any difference between 100% walnut oil sold for wood finish and 100% walnut oil sold for salad dressing?
I bought a bottle of 100% walnut oil meant for salad dressing and put it on the spatula I made. (It was cheaper.) It did not seem to do much to the spatula, and it didn’t harden as far as I can tell. Should I have bought 100% walnut oil meant for wood finish?
I am not sure you want a hardening oil for your utensils? I use a mixture of mineral oil and bees wax and typically if one of my cutting boards need a little rejuvenation I wipe on a coat of thin mineral oil. Just my opinion.
Located in Honeoye Falls NY USA. The Finger Lakes region of Western NY.
"If you give me 6 hours to fell a tree, I will take the first 4 to sharpen my axe" Abe Lincoln
Congratulations on finishing your first spatula!
Walnut oil doesn’t harden. It’s similar to salad bowl oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, etc. It just makes the wood a bit more pretty by bringing out the grain figure.
It’s a good finish for kitchen utensils but don’t expect it to harden like a varnish.
George.
"To know and not do is to not know"
Just be aware that walnut oil is an allergen, so if you serve anyone with a nut allergy they can have an allergic reaction to any food prepared with utensils coated in walnut oil or any other nut oil.
Not sure how big deal this is in other countries right now, but where I live it’s a big deal. Kids are not allowed to bring any food to schools that has nuts or has been prepared in a environment that has contact with any nut product. if they find that your kid is bringing nut products to school the kid will be suspended. This all sounds crazy but the schools don’t want to take any liability for sending a kid with nut allergy into anaphylaxis shock from eating an other kids food by accident or on purpose.
Dallas, Texas
I forgot to enable email notification. I just read your replies. Thank you for valuable information.
I have visited multiple web pages that claim walnut oil polymerizes. I believe they used to use walnut oil for oil painting (where paint hardens). I wonder if walnut oil needs to be processed specially to polymerize.
I am aware of the situation with walnut oil and nut allergy. I’ll use my spatula responsibly.
Here’s an article from Lee Valley on using walnut oil. It states that walnut oil does cure.
http://www.leevalley.com/us/shopping/TechInfo.aspx?type=a&p=59385
Bob Flexner in “Understanding Wood Finishing” refers to walnut oil as “semi-curing”.
I’ve used it on salad bowls as an initial finish to bring out the grain. However on bowls etc. any oil finish will last until the bowl is washed. The oils in the salad dressing will provide the ongoing finish.
Peter in
Biggar SK
"New York is big, but this is Biggar"
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