Food safe mineral oil

Carved a spoon out of maple and was wondering about a finish. I can find no food safe mineral oil in our town, know I can order some. What is the difference between it and the mineral oil you find in the laxative dept of Wally World? Is it safe to use on spoons etc.?

[jamesfa]

i have used ordinary mineral oil on a few utensils i have made and no one has gone to their reward yet.also i have been told that walnut oil available in food stores is a good finish for spoons,and unlike other cooking oils it well not go rancit. there is also sold at lumber stores something called salad bowl finishing oil.

The Wal-Mart oil is safe, go for it.

[Kenny_S]

Try Vegetable oil! Safe!

The only problem with vegetable oil is that it tends to go rancid and effect the taste of whatever you put in the spoon. The mineral oil does not have that problem ... it is really a laxative in large quantities (you can also buy the same stuff for a lot more as butcher block oil).

[Kenny_S]

May be the Kind use Ed. I have a cutting board that has been in the family for generations and it has had only Vegetable oil used on it as it was used daily by mu Grandmother and mother and now my little bride. Remember both Grandmother and mother saying to keep it looking good they used Veggie oil on it once a month and I know the little bride has used it several times after I refinished it. The little bride was using theside that had the picture burned in it. :. I thought the same Ed on it becomeing rancid. I guess by using and washing and recoating it all the time, it doesn't. Also, It my have to do with what kind of wood it is, I really don't know. The cutting board is out of oak and is the outline of a pig. May make one for the daughter and Grand Daughter.

[Tommy Doran]

Try the local pharmacy. You can buy mineral oil in the stomach ailments aisle. It's used as an intestinal lubricant

[Lightningbolt]

I've been using "over the counter" mineral oil for years as my stand alone food-safe finish for bowls, spoons, and cutting boards. I also teach using it as a sharpening lubricant for my carving knives when using arkansas stones in my Boy Scout Totin' Chip classes.

I found the following recipe when doing a search a year or so ago but still haven't tested it, but it sure sounds like something worth trying:

You can make your own food safe finish by mixing up a combination of mineral oil and paraffin wax (both readily available). I like to use mineral oil because it’s safe for consumption.
The recipe isn’t complicated or difficult to make. All you need to do is mix roughly 10 parts mineral oil to one part paraffin wax (the kind used for canning). Don’t worry about measuring exactly. The final ratio doesn’t have to be exact.
Start by filling a small can about half full with mineral oil. Next, scrape a few wax shavings into the can of oil. To dissolve the shavings, place the can in a warm spot or set it in a pan of hot water. Just make sure it isn’t near an open flame because paraffin is flammable. After about 15 minutes, the wax should be melted, and the finish will be ready to apply. You can get by wiping on a coat or two, but plan on reapplying additional finish periodically.

[Claude]

Be careful with walnut oil - some people are allergic to nuts...same applies to peanut oil, which is made from legumes, not nuts. Personally, I use olive oil on the spoons I make, as I make them to be used, not hung on a wall. Washed in warm soapy water after use and an occasional coat of olive oil, and it stays looking nice. It would require a lot of "sitting time" to get rancid. I always check about allergies before giving one of my spoons to someone. The mineral oil sold at the pharmacy for intestinal use is just fine, if you want to use mineral oil. Some other choices are plain vegetable oil, corn oil, etc.

Claude

[Dan S]

I like salad bowl wax. I leaves a nice finish and is non-toxic.