Make Chopping Veggies Easier: Useful Cutting Board Tricks

Sometimes it's such a chore to chop vegetables to put in the stew or for making that salad for dinner. One of my pet peeves when chopping any type of food on a cutting board is that it slips and slides everywhere, making the job that much more difficult. I also hate cleaning my cutting boards because I never really know for sure if the dishwasher has gotten it clean or not. You can make your chopping session so much easier and eliminate worry if you try some of these easy tips. You won't think of chopping vegetables or any type of food too much of a chore again.

Keep the cutting board from slipping

Instead of running out to the store to buy one of those expensive cutting boards that have the rubber stops on the bottom to keep it from slipping, make the cutting board you already have slip resistant. It's so simple I almost kicked myself when I learned this easy trick.

Just grab a paper towel and dampen it with water. Place it under your cutting board so it's between the counter and the board. Press down slightly and when it's time to do the chopping, it will stay put until you are done. No more chasing the board all around the counter while you are trying to get dinner finished.

Clean and freshen up the cutting board

If you need to bring out your cutting board to do some much needed chopping and slicing and you find that it has a less than fresh smell to it. You don't need to toss it away and buy a new one, try this trick instead.

All you need to do to clean and freshen up a stained, greasy cutting board is to get some salt from your kitchen cupboard and sprinkle it over the cutting board. Rub in the salt with the side of a lemon cut in half to remove grease, bacteria, and food particles. Rinse it off thoroughly and through it into the dishwasher. Now it's ready for a session of chopping and slicing.

Cleaning up a wooden cutting board

I pulled out one of my wooden cutting boards once and thought it was beyond repair because it looked so dingy and grimy. But I learned this trick and I saved my poor old wooden cutting board, and I still use it to this day.

Get a piece of fine-grit sandpaper and gently sand down the entire cutting side surface of the cutting board. When you are finished and the surface is smooth, get some olive oil or mineral oil and coat the surface to give it a nice sheen and to keep it from drying out in the future.

So if you thought that your cutting board was a lost cause, think again. Try some of these useful tricks and your cutting board will be as good as when you first brought it home.

More from this contributor:

Simple tips and tricks for conquering countertop mess

Remodeling and kitchen appliance tips

Kitchen: Tricks for cabinets and countertops

Sources: Personal experience