This unique charcuterie board is made from Niagara plum that has been salvaged from a Niagara orchard. It is cut across the tree trunk so the growth rings are visible, and is irregular in shape, grain pattern and colour.
I have done my best to match the colour of the wood in the photographs, but it is hard to duplicate online the deep red, yellow and purple colours in the wood. The swirling grain pattern in unique to fruitwoods like this.
This board is slightly oval in shape, 17 inches on the long side and 16 inches on the short side, and is 1 1/4 inches thick. Plum wood is quite dense so the board weighs about 7 Kgs.
Niagara fruit growers are constantly changing their crops, and more and more land is being sold to developers. When fruit orchards are no longer needed, the trees are bulldozed into a pile, roots and all, and then burned.
Because orchards are cut down and then immediately burned, this is very rare wood.
Every board is unique because the trees are pruned hard over many years, causing the wood grain to twist and swirl. This board is made from a single piece of wood from the trunk of the tree, which is the widest wood. The edges are quite irregular and the grain is fantastic. Plum wood is naturally purple in colour, and the older the tree, the darker the colour.
This tree was salvaged from an orchard that was over 50 years old. It took over two years to dry, cut and process the wood. The natural checks and cracks caused by bark inclusions, tension in the wood, and the drying process are filled with black epoxy to create a flat surface. The bark is still on.
The charcuterie board is finished in multiple coats of food-safe tung oil. The finish will last many years, and can be renewed by applying more tung oil available at most hardware stores.
Because this is natural wood, it may warp and bend over the year with changes in humidity. The wood was dried in my kiln to 7% moisture content, so any seasonal changes should be limited.
