Wood Types For Smoking Food
Acacia
these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned
in a smoker, acacia has a flavour similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy.
Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables.
Alder
A sweet, musky smoke that is the traditional wood of the Northwest.
Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
Traditionally used in the pacific Northwest to smoke Salmon.
Almond
A nutty and sweet smoke flavour, light ash. Good with all
meats.
Apple
Slightly sweet but denser, fruity smoke flavour. Serve chutney
made from the same fruit to accentuate the flavour. even more. The strongest flavour
of all the fruitwoods. Beef, poultry,
game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Apricot
The flavour is milder and sweeter than Hickory. Serve chutney
made from the same fruit to accentuate the flavour even more. Good with most
meats.
Ash Fast burner
light but distinctive flavour. Good with fish and red meats.
Bay
Medium floral smoke with hints of spice & cinnamon Good
with most meats and veggies.
Beech
A mild much used wood like oak. Great for whatever you care
use it with.
Good with meat and seafood.
Birch
Medium hard wood with a flavour similar to maple. Good with
pork and poultry.
Blackberry
Much like the woods provided from fruit trees, the small diameter
trunks of the Blackberry bush provides a slightly sweet and delicate flavour.
Good for grilling poultry and other meats, such as small game
birds like grouse, pheasant, partridge, and quail.
Butternut
Strong smoke, like walnut, bitter when used alone Good on
red meats like Beef, Pork, Venison and other game meats. Can easily overpower
poultry.
Cherry
Slightly sweet fruity smoke that's great with poultry (turns
skin dark brown). This smoke is a mild, sweet and fruity smoke which gives a
rosy tint to light-colour meats. Good with all meats.
Chestnut
Slightly sweet nutty
smoke flavour Good with most meats.
Corncob
Although not considered to be a true wood. The heart of the
cob that holds the kernels is the fuel section of this alternative for wood. It
is ground into small granular bits that can be added to a smoking box or it can
be combined with other woods such as woods from fruit trees, to impart
several flavours. The Corncob provides a sweet flavour that may
overpower the food if too much is used to season the food as it cooks. Begin by
trying small amounts until the desired flavour is achieved. it is often used as
a smoking chip when grilling foods such as poultry, fish and small game birds.
CRABAPPLE
Similar to apple. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity.
Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
Fig
Mild & fruity like mulberry- Boston butt & ribs Good
with all meats.
Fruitwood Medium fruity sweet smoke- all BBQ meats Good with
all meats.
Grapefruit
Produces a nice mild smoky flavour. Excellent with beef,
pork, fish and poultry.
Grapevines
Tart. Aromatic, similar to fruit wood. The flavour is milder
and sweeter than hickory.
Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey,
pork and fish.
Hickory
Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavour. This great flavour works
well with pork, ribs, hams, poultry, and beef. These chips should be soaked for
1-2 hours to prevent a bitter taste.
The most common wood used. Good for all smoking, especially
pork and ribs.
Jack Daniel's
Made from the mellowing charcoal used to make Jack Daniel's
that smooth sipping whiskey. This is a STRONG, sweet smoke flavour with an
aromatic tang. It's good for cooking Beef, Pork, Poultry and Game meats.
Lemon
A tangy, citrus smoke. Medium smoke flavour with a hint of fruitiness.
Medium smoke flavour with a hint of fruitiness. Excellent with beef, pork and
poultry.
Lilac Very
light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
Lime
Medium smoke flavour with a hint of fruitiness. Excellent with beef, pork and
poultry.
Maple
Mildly smoky, somewhat sweet flavour. Maple chips add a sweet,
subtle flavour that enhances the flavour of poultry and game birds. Smoke a
pork roast with them for a sensational taste experience.
Mates well with poultry, ham, cheese, small game birds, and vegetables.
Wonderful for smoked turkey!
Mulberry A mild smoke with a sweet, tangy,
blackberry-like flavour Good with Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly
ham).
Nectarine The
flavour is milder and sweeter than hickory. Good on most meats, great on most
white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Oak
Most versatile of the hardwoods blending well with most meats.
A mild smoke with no aftertaste. Oak gives food a beautiful smoked colour. Good
with red meat, pork, fish and big game. RED OAK is
good on ribs. Especially good with beef brisket.
Olive
The smoke flavour is similar to mesquite, but distinctly lighter.
Delicious with poultry.
Orange
A tangy, citrus smoke. Medium smoke flavour with a hint of fruitiness.
Orange gives food a golden colour. Produces a nice mild smoky flavour. Excellent
with beef, pork and poultry.
Peach
Slightly sweet, woodsy flavour, milder and sweeter than
Pear
A nice subtle smoke flavour much like apple. Slightly sweet,
woodsy flavour.
Good on Poultry, game birds and pork. Wood type Smoking
Characteristics Meats or Veggies used with
Pecan
Sweet and mild with a flavour similar to hickory but not as strong.
Tasty with a subtle character an all-around superior smoking wood.
Try smoking with the shells as well. Good for most things including
poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is the best for that beautiful
golden-brown turkey.
Persimmon
Medium smoke- great for boston butt & ribs Excellent with beef, pork and
poultry.
Pimento Also
referred to as Allspice, Jamaican Pepper, Myrtle Pepper, or Newspice. This wood adds a natural and somewhat peppery flavour that
may also include flavours of several
spices combined, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, similar to the flavours provided when allspice is used as a seasoning to enhance
the flavours of various foods. It
is a common wood often used in grilling Jamaican foods such as jerk chicken. Often used for grilling poultry and fish.
Pistachio Nut
Shells - If you like the taste of pistachio nuts why not?
Allegedly not so hot with fish.
Plum/Prune The flavours is milder and sweeter than hickory. Good
with most meats, great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey,
pork and fish.
Seaweed
The seaweed is washed to remove the salt and air or sundried
before use. It provides a somewhat spicy and natural flavours to the foods
being smoked or grilled. Commonly used for smoking shellfish such as clams,
crab, lobster, mussels, and shrimp.
Walnut (Black)
While pecan is hickory's milder cousin, black walnut is the strong
one. Often mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple, can be bitter
if used alone. An intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. Can
easily overpower poultry.
Good on red meats like Beef, Pork, Venison and other game meats.
Walnut (English)
Very heavy smoke flavours, usually mixed with lighter woods like
almond, apple, pear or pecan.
Can be bitter if used alone. Good on red meats like beef,pork,
venison and other game meats.
Woods Not to Used
Never use wood from old pallets. Many pallets are treated
with chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the pallet may have been
used to carry chemicals or poison.
Avoid old wood that is covered with mould and fungus that
can impart a bad taste to your meat.
Also ELM and EUCALYPTUS wood is unsuitable for smoking, as
is the wood from SYCAMORE and LIQUID AMBER trees.
Never use lumber scraps, either new or used. First, you
cannot know for sure what kind of wood it is; second, the wood may have been chemically
treated; third, you have no idea where the wood may have been or how it was
used.
Never use any wood that has been painted or stained. Do not
use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically
treated.
DO NOT USE any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR,
SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, or SWEET GUM TREES they will make you sick!
