In article ,
"Rick Spivey" wrote:

I did a search and didn't find anything about this. Maybe I don't know what
I'm doing with the "Find" button, but here goes. I have some poplar, red
oak, pecan, and cherry. I want to make a stirring paddle for big pots of
food. Which one or more will make a good paddle that won't ruin the food?
Thanks in advance for your help.

No direct experience with pecan - suspect it might be fine considering
woods it's similar to. Poplar - cottonwood/popple or yellow/tulip?
Popple at least should be fine, albeit weak and prone to rotting. Cherry
should be fine, might leach a tiny bit, but not be obnoxious.

I would avoid the red oak - it stinks, I suspect that would get into the
food. White oak should be fine - closed pores, and barrels are made from
it.

Traditional spoon wood in these parts is maple and birch - nice bland
tasteless woods. Also fine-grained, not prone to splintering and
splitting, good if you eat from the spoon, or lick the paddle.

Most wood toxicity lists are concerned with reactions to the dust, etc
when turning, but that may be at least a pointer to woods to avoid for
food. Here's a couple of links on that front.

http://old.mendelu.cz/~horacek/toxic.htm

http://www.awwg.org/awg_woodtoxicity.htm

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