Wooden spoon

[Booldawg]

Whenever I cook a stew/casserole I always remove the wooden spoon from the saucepan. I always think if I leave it in simmering away the wooden spoon will get cooked as well! I'm sure this isnt possible but my thinking is that the spoon is organic so therefore theoretically could soften under prolonged heat.

Is this possible?

[RATTER15]

We often leave wooden spoons in the pot while cooking, I have never actually seen a wooden spoon that been cooked as such. I'm sure it will shorten there life span though, some of our wooden spoons are very very old!!

[Donquixote]

It will soften through being left in the pot ,you're absolutely right. Also, depending on how long you've had the wooden spoon and what you've used it for in the past, it can and will impart flavour into whatever you're cooking if you leave it in the saucepan. One of the very first things I was taught as a commis chef many, many (too many!) years ago was to never leave a spoon in a saucepan.

[johnk]

You can taste it sometimes.

[joggerjayne]

I thought this was going to be a post about Scottish sports.

[paddywak]

This has reminded me of some thing I often wandered about but never asked and that is why in some recipes does it state that you use a wooden or metal spoon, after all as long as it's mixed does it really matter what kind of spoon you use?

[Carakeel]

Well ratter, my love, you do, I usually don't. But I can't see that it would do any harm, lol. We have wooden spoons that are over 10yrs old and still perfectly good, no damage at all.

[Donquixote]

Some recipes differentiate between wooden and metal spoons because each has a different effect upon certain ingredients. For example, when folding whisked egg whites into a mixture a recipe will call for a metal spoon to be used, as a wooden one can knock the air out of the mix (due to the tiny air pockets clinging to the wood grain). When baking things such as sourdough recipes, certain strains of sourdough culture can be affected by contact to metal, causing them to rise poorly. Many sourdough recipes will recommend the use of a ceramic bowl and wooden implements.

[Clanad]

All answers are informative and useful, however, slightly off the main subject, if you're boiling something in an open pot and concerned about it boiling over, simply place your venerable wooden spoon across the top of the pot (edge to edge) and it won't boil over...

No... I don't know why...

[paddywak]

Thanks donquixote, sorry for pinching your thread Booldawg but I thought I'd ask while while they were on the subject of spoons

[zabado]

That reminds me of when I was about sixteen and decided to make some treacle toffee for bonfire night . I used a plastic spoon and of course it melted into the toffee.But the toffee didn't half set well.

[Booldawg]

some good answers (and anecdotes) thanks all!