Are you looking for a sustainable and stylish way to prepare and serve your meals? Our spalted maple cutting and serving boards are the perfect answer.
Spalted maple is a beautiful type of wood that has unique and intricate patterns and color variations. It’s a great way to add a natural and modern look to your kitchen. In addition, when you use spalted maple serving boards like ours that are made with upcycled wood, you’ll enjoy an environmentally friendly product that looks amazing too.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at our spalted maple serving boards. We’ll discuss how spalted maple is created in nature and how we make the boards themselves right here in Western MA.
What is Spalted Maple?
Spalting is a process in which fungi alter the appearance of wood. This most commonly happens during the early stages of decomposition in fallen logs, but can happen in living trees that are under stress. It’s also possible to recreate the natural conditions that lead to spalting on your own, to get the same results.
Depending on the conditions and fungi species involved, the spalting process can color wood, bleach it, or create patterns of winding lines.
We work exclusively with spalted maple, but spalting can occur in any wood species. Spalting typically occurs in hardwoods, but can be found in softwoods, too. It’s most often found in maple, beech, and birch.
Spalted wood shouldn’t be used for load-bearing purposes, but it can add incredible beauty to furniture, guitars, and of course, boards and bowls.
How Do Fungi Create Spalted Wood?
All spalted maple is created by fungi, but how do fungi create patterns in wood?
The lines in spalted maple are created by fungi in the early stages of the natural decomposition process. They are known as “zone lines” because they are typically created when two or more fungi meet in the wood. When these fungi cross paths, they may raise barriers of sorts to protect themselves from the other fungi, or two fungi may fight for dominance. These battle lines are the patterns you see in our spalted maple.
No two spalted maple patterns are the same, so each cutting board is truly one of a kind.
Is Spalted Maple Food Safe?
The fact that fungi are involved in the spalting process might make some folks pause. Fear not, spalted maple is 100% food safe and suitable for wooden kitchenware.
We kiln dry all of our spalted maple during our production process in order to get the wood to the correct moisture levels. The kiln drying process eliminates any fungi that might still be present in the wood.
How We Make Our Upcycled Spalted Maple Cutting Boards
At Spencer Peterman, we take pride in making sure that our products are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also environmentally responsible. This is why we make all of our spalted maple cutting boards with upcycled maple, often obtained from local tree services. This wood would otherwise go to waste, but we are able to give it new life in the form of beautifully crafted cutting boards.
Meet Stu
Each of our spalted maple cutting boards is made by hand by woodworker Stu Doogan in one of our Western MA workshops. Stu is a skilled craftsman who takes great care in ensuring that each board is made with precision and attention to detail.
We mill spalted maple logs into boards and cure them in our kiln before they are brought into Stu’s workshop. After Stu chooses the best boards to work with, he cuts the boards down to size and gives them a rough sanding.
Next, Stu fixes any imperfections in the wood to create a smooth cutting and serving surface. This step may require several rounds due to the nature of the wood we use. We specialize in working with unique wood types like spalted maple, ambrosia maple, and burl wood. These wood types are beautiful yet contain more so-called “imperfections” than wood that is uniform in appearance.
Working with these types of wood means deftly threading the needle between beauty and practicality in order to create something both gorgeous and functional. Fortunately, Stu is able to do just that with each spalted maple cutting board.
Next, Stu gives the wood a finer sanding. Finally, he bevels the edges before sanding the boards again and applying our unique blend of all natural, food safe oils. The result is a beautifully crafted cutting board that not only looks great, but is also functional and durable.
Practical Uses for Spalted Maple Cutting Boards
When it comes to using spalted maple cutting boards, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of the practical uses for these beautiful and durable kitchen accessories.
Food Prep
One of the most obvious uses for a cutting board is for food prep. Whether you’re chopping vegetables, dicing meat, or slicing fruit, a spalted maple cutting board is the perfect surface for your kitchen tasks. The natural hardness of maple makes it resistant to scratches and cuts. The spalted pattern adds a touch of elegance to your kitchen decor.
Stylish Serving
But spalted maple cutting boards aren’t just for food prep. They can also make a great serving surface for cheese, charcuterie, or other hors d’oeuvres. Simply arrange your food on the board and let your guests enjoy the beautiful natural wood grain and spalted pattern. It’s the perfect way to add a touch of style to your next party or gathering.
Functional Art
In addition to their functional uses, spalted maple cutting boards also make great display pieces. Hang them on the wall as art, or prop them up on a kitchen counter or bookshelf as a decorative accent. The unique patterns and colors of the spalted wood are sure to add visual interest to any space.
Finally, it’s worth noting that with proper care, spalted maple cutting boards can last for decades. Keep them clean and dry after each use, and oil them regularly to prevent cracking and splitting. With a little love and attention, your spalted maple cutting board will be a kitchen staple for years to come.
Overall, our spalted maple cutting boards are a beautiful, practical, and sustainable addition to any kitchen. So why not upgrade your cutting board game with one of these eco-friendly and stylish options?
We have spalted maple cutting boards available in several shapes: rectangular, oval, round, and baguette.
