This week we leveled up our wooden spoon collection by adding a new US made brand, Jonathan's Wild Cherry Spoons, to our already special collection of sao wood and olivewood spoons. Seemed like the perfect day to share why I love wooden spoons so much!
Wooden spoons are celebrated for their versatility, safety, and durability which as you know are three ideals that we love to honor at Pink Moon Goods. Plus, as you might have guessed, one other fun reason that we love them is because they are pretty! But there is more so let's get into it.
Wooden spoons are non-reactive which means that they do not impart flavor like some metal utensils can. In fact did you know that using a metal spoon to serve honey changes the chemical composition of the honey. In essence, when the metal spoon is left for too long in the honey or anything that has honey in it the metal can alter the beneficial bacteria in the honey. This is probably why those lovely little honey scoops like the one above are always made from wood!
Wooden utensils are also gentle on all cookware from enamel, cast iron, or any type of coated non-stick surface. I will say that I mostly use cast iron at home and because of that I really like a metal spatula. But the main reason is that is gives me a good scraper to scrape anything trying to stick on the pan. When I was taking pics of this Cat Tail Spatula yesterday I was noticing how sharp the edge is and I am imagining it will be a great spatula for that purpose as well.
Another great thing about wooden spoons especially when you are cooking with one is that they are heat resistant. This simply means that they do not conduct heat rapidly along the handle. Because of this you can rest one on the edge of a pan and it will neither melt nor will it burn your hand when you touch it! This also explains why so many metal cooking utensils have wooden handles.
Another great advantage of wooden utensils is that they are made from a renewable resource that also happens to be biodegradable. If there comes a time where you must retire a favorite wooden spoon you can simple throw it in your home compost, bury it in the garden or through it into your backyard fire pit. No waste goes into the landfill. These sao wooden spoons are made from the sao trees that no longer produce fruit which makes them an excellent way to give those trees one more chance to produce a "fruit" from its labors!
The last advantage of wooden utensils that I will mention is that they are sturdy and long lasting. When using a wooden spoon with the right thickness for the job they can bust through thick doughs and stews. But they can also be equally light and helpful in that way. Take this cookie spatula below. It is quite short, but has a very thin edge that is slanted which makes it the perfect spatula to slide under a cookie helping it maintain its great cookie shape.
Now you know the reasons that I love wooden utensils so it's time to share about the different options available in our shop. As I mentioned above we just added a new brand of wooden spoons and I am so excited to share more about this brand with you. Jonathan's Wild Cherry Wooden Spoon is based in Kempton, Pennsylvania. Before attending the University of Illinois in Chicago, Jonathan apprenticed in his hometown at the incredible Bryn Athyn cathedral. After receiving his degree in art design, he apprenticed at a furniture shop where he created his first spoon, out of necessity. He is quoted as saying, “It all started the day I forgot to bring a spoon for my lunch. I found a piece of scrap wood and quickly shaped a spoon.” The year was 1977. Focusing simply on making wooden spoons, Jonathan began selling at local shops and craft shows and soon he needed help. Two sons of an artist friend joined him in the mid 80’s to establish this thriving handmade business in Kempton, Pennsylvania. Jonathan's handcrafted cherry wood utensils have evolved over 45 years of experimentation in the wood shop and kitchen with a focus on four ideals: delightful connection, cheerful durability, intentional functionality, and keeping his brand small and personal.
The lumber supplier for Jonathan's sustainably harvests wild cherry trees primarily in Pennsylvania, as well as NY, and NJ. Over the past 30+ years, they have forged a strong partnership with their lumber supplier. They uphold strict standards, ensuring that the wood used for their spoons and spatula's comes only from responsibly harvested forests. They have a wide range of spoons and spatulas and for all of you left-handed folks out there in the world you will be so pleased to hear that they make left-handed utensils. The curves are opposite and the handles bend in the correct position to make it easier for left-handed folks.
Not only do we carry left-handed wooden spoons now we also carry the largest and the tiniest spoon ever! This very large Polenta spoon surprised me when I took it out of the box the first time I ordered it. I knew it would be big because well polenta! I knew it would be sturdy because well polenta! But! Wow! It blew my mind. It is all of that and more. If you are ever looking for a giant sturdy and beautiful spoon this is it! In fact, I was surprised when the first week we had this spoon on the floor several customers came in to purchase one because they had just done some sauce making and wished they had a bigger spoon! For reference this spoon is 22" long while the teeny tiny spoon is 2.5" long.
We have been selling olivewood baby spoons for a while and I had a customer buy one for his little niece. She was a year old and learning to feed herself. Before she was gifted a wooden spoon by her thoughtful uncle she was having a rough go of it. But when the wooden spoon was introduced to her it changed something. Who knows what exactly it was. I like to think she maybe enjoyed the feeling of the wooden spoon in her mouth more than maybe a rubber or metal spoon she had been using. But whatever it was it changed things for this little one year old. I was excited to add an even better option for all of those little buddies out there trying to learn to feed themselves when I stumbled upon this sao wood baby curved spoon. I have seen plastic versions but yuck! This wooden version is superior, so lovely, and has a nice big handle those little hands can easily grab hold of. The curve makes getting it to the mouth just that much easier.
One thing I love about wooden spoons and specifically our collection is that they have a lot of character. From the different wood grains used to the various sizes there is something that will add character to your kitchen and your dining table. The new additions from Jonathan's also add a bit of wild with the unique Cat Tail handle design. Not only is the wood burned stripe fun and quirky the shape of the handle takes it to another level of fun. As Jonathan is a fan of saying, "it puts the FUN in functional."
Sometimes there are things in your midst that you find attractive and you maybe aren't sure exactly why. A tiny spoon has always been like that for me. I love having them in my utensil drawer and I will think of any excuse to use one. I am quite protective of them and because I have so many I have fun picking out the perfect one for the job at hand. If you are looking to add another wooden utensil to your home check out our collection. You are sure to find the perfect thing for the job. Thanks for reading.