Wooden Spoons

Anne here, and today I'm blogging about a very humble, yet often beautiful implement many of us will have in out homes. I'm talking about wooden spoons.

I have quite a collection of wooden spoons. I love the look and the feel of them, but also the practicality of them. Wooden spoons don't scratch your pans or bowls, they don't conduct heat, they don't react with your food or leave harmful chemicals, or change the cooking temperature. The photo on the right is of some of my wooden spoons I keep in a metal egg basket. I keep it on the bench top beside the stove and I like it because I can see whichever spoon I want at a glance.

Some of my spoons are beautifully carved, some are simple but hand-made, and others are probably machine-made. Some were gifts from people who know I like lovely wooden spoons. A few are souvenirs.

Wooden spoons are pretty much universal and reflect the domestic life of ordinary people. They have a very long history, probably starting from the earliest times of human cooking, when sticks were used to stir or cook food. Spoons predate forks by thousands of years, going back as far as the Paleolithic Era. Wooden spoons have been uncovered alongside gold and silver versions in the tombs of ancient Egyptians, indicating that their owners saw them as useful enough to be considered essential even in the afterlife.

In Scotland that "stick" tradition hasn't moved far when it comes to using a spurtle to stir the porridge — except that spurtles these days are often turned and sometimes have a decorative handle, like this one with a thistle end, that my dad gave me many years ago. I tend not to use it much: instead I use the spoon beside it for porridge, which had a pointy end that was great for scooping the porridge out of the bottom "edges" of the saucepan. You can see how that pointy end has worn down over the years.

The Vikings were celebrated spoon carvers and examples of decorated spoons have been found across Scandinavia and to the UK city of York. Their decorated spoons used a technique called kolrosing where a pattern is incised in the spoon with a knife. Traditionally, charcoal or coal dust was then rubbed into the lines to accentuate the pattern.

The design of wooden spoons vary to suit the purpose; some are simply for stirring or eating; some have a flat edge useful for scraping the bottom of the pan; others have a deeply scooped bowl and are used as ladles. Some places have a tradition of  carving wooden spoons for a love token, or a funeral token.

Many people use a tea scoop, which is kept in the tin or jar to measure out loose-leaf tea. My parents had one that I think one of my sisters now has, but I have one of my own. They're always short-handled so they can sit in the tea caddy or tin. That's mine in the photo on the right.

I have quite a few decorative salad servers, mostly compliments of my parent's travels.

My favorites, of course, are the beautiful hand-carved spoons. I have such trouble resisting them when I see them for sale, even though I know I have quite enough, and some are very expensive. But look at the spoons below. They are probably too delicate to use in an everyday sense, but aren't they beautiful? These were made by Giles Newman in the UK and you can visit his website here and read about how he collects the wood and uses just four tools to make them.

It reminded me of when I was in my first year teaching. It was at an all-boys secondary (high) school, and there were only a few woman teachers. One of my friends, also new, was an art teacher who was given a woodwork class. The boys (and some of the teachers) were quite scornful of a female teaching woodwork, but my friend was very clever.

She set them a task they initially thought was too simple for words — to carve a wooden spoon. She took them out to the bush, where they selected suitable bits of fallen wood, which they brought back to school to hand-carve a spoon. The boys went from scornful to fascinated, as they studied the shape of the fallen wood to decide which would make the best spoons. And some of the spoons —especially those by the boys who had been really careful in their wood selection— were beautiful. It became a hugely popular activity — especially with the boys' mothers, who used, and treasured them. In fact on parent teacher night my friend always had so many mums coming up to say thank you.

If seeing these hand-carved spoons inspires you, just google youtube spoon carving. There are lots of how-to videos there.

Of course then there's things like a wooden spoon award for people coming last in something, and people used to threaten kids with a whack from a wooden spoon. I hope both of these "traditions" are dying out. Wooden spoons are something to be used, treasured and handed down, not used as a joke or a punishment.

Now, over to you — Do you like wooden spoons? Use them much? Do you have any special ones?

Comments

[Ruchama B]

I could not cook without my wooden spoons, especially one you have not mentioned or shown. It's called "a roux spoon." It is not curved at all but is a wooden rectangle at the end of the stem. It makes blending fat and flour to make a thickener (technically known as a roux) a breeze. Probably originally in Cajun cooking which explains the French. I had one for years because it came in a set, but didn't know how to use it until The Mississippi Vegan explained it in a post. If you can find one, by all means get one if you make dishes thickened with fat and flour.

[Janice J.]

I have a few wooden spoons from my mother, who gave them to me, along with many other useful items from her old kitchen, when I got my first apartment. They are indeed useful. They must be at least 80 years old, since they probably date from the Depression era when she was a young wife. I think of her whenever I pull one out to use.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Ruchama. I think I do have what you call a roux spoon, though until now I never had a name for it. It's in the collection of spoons in the first picture, but it's side on and half hidden behind another spoon. But it has a flat end and is perfect for making things like cheese sauce etc. In fact I have two wooden spoons with flat ends that are perfect for preventing things from sticking — one is wide and the other is narrow. Not sure if theyre roux spoons or not, but they're among my most used wooden spoons.

[Anne Gracie]

Janice, that's lovely. I wish I had some of Mum's old spoons, but either my sisters took them or they threw them out. Sadly, they're not as keen as old things as I am.

[theo]

I have two good sized crocks on my counter. One holds the 'modern' cooking implements I use, stainless steel ladle, large stainless spoon, silicone spatulas, etc, the other holds my fairly large assortment of wooden spoons and things including my spurtles, rolling pin, cabbage masher and several other pieces. Depending on what I'm making dictates what I reach for. About once every couple of months, I give my wood things a good soaking in a bowl of oil so they don't split and I only ever rinse and dry them. I've had them for years. I love your carved collection, Anne!

[Constance]

What a wonderful post, Anne! I much appreciate the elevation of “everyday” things to the art they usually are when viewed more objectively. I have many wooden spoons, with three true favorites. One is a hand carved mustard spoon I purchased at a church fair during my first trip to Scotland 50+ years ago. I use it for sugar for my tea - it only holds 1/4 of a teaspoon! The second is a very large, very heavy spoon with charred marks along the handle. My grandmother used it only when making Brunswick Stew in a huge cast iron pot over an open fire. Family lore says it was carved from remains of a holly tree; I don’t know about that, but the wood is beautiful. And the third favorite has a carved handle with intertwined strawberries and leaves and was a gift from my husband the first time I attempted, very UNsuccessfully, to make jam!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Wonderful, Anne! I've always loved wooden spoons for all the practical reasons you mentioned, and because they are wood and shaped smoothly, they're always lovely, but you've expanded my knowledge considerably!

[Patricia Franzino]

This is an interesting blog, Anne. Thank you for posting it.

I use a wooden spoon for every dish I cook. I like the length and safety stirring and mixing ingredients. It's just a plain wood that I would definitely replace if something happened to it.

[Karin]

I do love my old wooden spoons, but you have a lot more than I do, Anne! BesidesOne of them is what I've just learned is a roux spoon, plus I have a wooden potato masher, which is just a solid cylinder of wood, and several rolling pins. It's never occurred to me to soak them in oil, but now I think I will.
And speaking of cooking tools, remember when there was a scare about wooden cutting boards carrying bacteria? A lot of people threw out their wooden boards and replaced them with plastic, but now it turns out that wood is naturally antibacterial. Plus plastic boards get deep grooves and look so ugly. I'm glad I ignored that whole thing and kept my boards.

[Christy Bell]

I have a lovely carved walnut wooden spoon on my office wall right now. It will never be used in the kitchen, but is rather to symbolize my status as a "spoonie" and to have a symbolic spare spoon for rough pain days. (Also, I must admit, I adore just stroking the carved wood as it is soothing and grounding.)
A "spoonie" in this context is someone who deals with a chronic illness of some sort, who does not have the same energy levels or "spoons" as a healthy person. They have to carefully hoard their energy as even simple day-to-day tasks can exhaust them. A wonderful lady with lupus wrote something called "The Spoon Theory" several years ago, and the chronic illness community embraced it as their own. https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

[Karen S. Clift]

Ruchama, I have 2 of those but have never known the name before. I use them all the time because they get into the corner of the pan as I'm stirring. In fact, I weeded my utensils a couple weeks ago, & I actually weeded out a few wooden spoons but not those! I just don't use the actual spoons (sorry, Anne!) all that much. Last time I used one while stirring a cake, the handle snapped. I could see it if it were cookie dough, but not cake batter!

I love those hand-carved ones at the bottom; most flowers for the handle but one, a dragon! That would never be used here; but on display. I collect dragons and that would be unique!

[Karen S. Clift]

I remember that, Karin, but I held on to my wooden boards. I use a plastic board that I've had for several decades, but only for cutting meats. The wooden boards get used for everything else, esp. breads.

[Pat Dupuy]

I have a couple of handcarved wooden spoons used for measuring coffee. They are both gorgeous. When visiting Costa Rica I bought a souvenir wood spoon that is about 16 inches long. It has Costa Rica painted down the handle and some beautiful tropical birds on the bowl. The joke is I would use it on our son if he didn't behave: he is 45.

[Linnea Priest]

I love wooden spoons, but as to keeping them for a long time--forget it! I have too often left them on the stove top where my Newfy can reach, and they end up chewed to pieces....

[Anne Gracie]

Karen, yes, that's also why I like my flat-ended spoons and also my pointy-ended porridge spoon.
Sorry to hear about your accident with the cake batter.

And yes, those beautiful Giles Newman hand carved spoons are superb — and as for the dragon one I expect you'd have some competition there. And then of course, he is in Wales and the dragon is on the Welsh flag. It was also on the busses when I was there many moons ago — a huge red dragon covering a whole side of the bus. Gorgeous.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Theo — I've never thought of soaking my wooden spoons in oil. I might try it and see if it makes any difference. I also only ever wash them quickly by hand too.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you Constance. I also have a little mustard spoon, though I rarely use it. I love the sound of your grandmother's charred old spoon. It could well be made of holly — they didn't waste good wood in those days.
And I love the sound of the beautiful strawberry spoon your husband gave you — what a lovely romantic gesture.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Mary Jo — yes, the wood looks and feels lovely, I agree.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Patricia — I don't think a lot of people realize how good they are. I confess whenever I see wooden spoons in a shop, plain wood or not, I hover and consider buying one.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Karin. Yes, we've both learned something here — roux spoons and soaking them in oil. I've never seen a wooden potato masher. Yours sounds as though you have to "bash" the potatoes. *g* Works for me.

And I do remember the scare about replacing wooden cutting boards with ugly plastic ones. I didn't believe it, because both my grandmother and mother always used wooden cutting boards and nobody ever got sick. So I kept mine, and if I cut meat on mine, I wash it straight away.

[Anne Gracie]

I'm glad you also held onto your wooden boards, Karen. Mine is a permanent resident of the bench top.

[theo]

I use food grade mineral oil and I pour it back in a mason jar and keep it for the next time. No need to toss that oil, there's nothing wrong with it. But I've had spoons split on me if they dry out and a couple of them were lovely spoons that I'd used a lot. The problem is though, too many soups and not enough oily thing dries them out :(. They're really no different than a cutting board.

[Anne Gracie]

Christy, what a wonderful story. I love that you stroke the spoon. Thanks for the link to that article. I'll send it to a friend of mine with Lupus. All the very best for getting through the tough pain days.

[Kareni]

What a wonderful post, Anne! I have a real fondness for wooden spoons and still have one I bought while in college. I like olive wood spoons amongst others and have been known to decorate a shower or wedding gift with a nice spoon.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you for that tip, Theo -- I would probably have used olive oil. I oil my hand-turned apple-wood salad bowl with a smidge of olive oil every time I use it. But I'll certainly try food grade mineral oil.

[Anne Gracie]

Pa, that sounds lovely. I wish we could share photos here.
And I'm sure your son behaves himself *only* because of that threat. LOL

[Anne Gracie]

Oh yes, the perils of having a tall dog. My parents had an Irish setter who was a terrible bench-top thief.

[Anne Gracie]

Kareni, I think a wooden spoon makes a lovely gift for a wedding or shower. It's also quite a traditional gift, especially when hand made with love.

[Mary D.]

I have a few wooden spoons that I use while cooking, mostly while making fudge or peanut brittle. I love that they don't get hot. I have one fancy carved wooden spoon with hearts and a love knot, supposedly from Wales that I got when I visited England.