Smokinlicious® Smoking Wood Tips

 

Smokinlicious® Wood Chunk Bag

 

At Smokinlicious®, we are very pleased to announce the arrival of our new retail Wood Chunk bag in Canada!

A BAG IS A BAG RIGHT?- WRONG!

You may ask yourself, “What’s all the fuss over a bag. A bag is a bag, right?!” Well, not really, especially when it comes to giving customers what they want and expect from clean, bark-free wood. A lot of time, effort and consumer input went into the design and make-up of our wood chunk bags. Not only do they protect and preserve our forested all hardwood wood chunks perfectly, they allow cooks and smokers to enjoy the rewards of wood fired, smoked food.

The bag compliments our commitment to provide you with dust-free wood with the right amount of moisture for smoke vapor. We know all too well that it’s the vapor that deliciously flavors food with a smoky touch!

GOOD SIZE & DURABLE

Measuring 20 inches high by 9 inches wide, our durable paper bags have an open mesh window. The open window allows air flow for the chunks to “breathe.” This is a key and “one of a kind”example of the Smokinlicious® pledge to bring you only the best wood product for cooking and smoking. Each bag is top stitched, allowing for easy opening and reuse while not shying from max protection. Like our Wood Chips, you will now find our specialty cuts of alder, ash, hickory, red oak, sugar maple, white oak, or wild cherry.

ONLY AVAILABLE IN CANADA

For now Our Bagged Wood chunks are available at select Canadian stores in our new paper packaging. Available in our “Double Filet“, “Single Filet“, and “Natural Grilling” specialty cuts, our wood chunks all come with the moisture level reading recorded right on the package! No more guessing about the moisture of the wood! Look for this product and all our exceptional products at a Canadian retailer near you. Or check our website for the nearest distributor.

 

 

If you love to cook then you likely know that most dried herbs and spices never go bad if stored properly. You could say the same for smoking woods. Like a spice, smoking wood loses its flavor essence as it dries out. Lose the moisture and the wood becomes only a fire stick, producing heat. This results in the opposite of what you want when trying to add flavor from the wood.

Proper Storage is Key

We know that storage of wood in a cool, dry location will preserve the moisture level in the wood. Why? Wood loves to adjust to temperature and humidity to find balance. But how cool or warm does that location have to be? Is there an ideal temperature? Let’s find out by doing a simple experiment.

Time to Experiment!

How do we get started with our experiment. Wet and dry are all dependent on moisture. Fluctuate temperature and you will change moisture.

Using identical pieces of hardwood – same species, moisture level and size – one piece was placed in the refrigerator with a temperature between 40-42°F. The other piece was placed in the freezer with a temperature of 30°F. Using a timetable of three weeks, we took moisture readings each week. Let’s see how the hardwood did:

Freezer Refrigerator

Starting Level 27.1% 30.8% Moisture

Week One 18.8% 30.3%

Two 18.6% 30.0%

Three 16.9% 29.8%

 

Holy icicle! There are some major results here. First, log in the freezer lost nearly 50 percent of its moisture in just 3 weeks! Second, refrigerating smoking wood appears to stabilize it. If you want to make the wood happy, refrigerate it.

Lessons Learned?

1. Wood likes cooler temperatures in the range of 45°F.
2. Wood doesn’t mind a dark storage area.
3. Freezer temperatures cause the free water in the wood to evaporate quickly.
4. Wood likes as much space as it can get.
5. Don’t store in plastic unless you want mold!

There you have it! If your cooking and smoking with food, regardless if you’re using wood chips, wood chunks, logs or smoking dust, the popular question of how to store smoking woods rests with a cool location, no direct sunlight and avoidance of plastic storage.

Just one more reason SmokinLicious® products are the best!

CURRENT DAY UPDATE

It seems that moisture and wood storage remain a hot topic. As more people invest in vacuum sealer devices for their food products, they question whether these are a good alternative for wood storage.

The short answer is, no. Let’s take a look at the reasons why.

Vacuum Sealing Wood is Not a Good Idea!

The purpose of vacuum sealing foods is to remove all the air or oxygen. Oxygen is what mold and bacteria thrive on. When using feezer bags, foods don’t show freezer burn which extend their life in the freezer. For refrigerated foods that are vacuum sealed, you’ll find an extended life as well. The question is, will the extended life transfer to wood stored in a vacuum sealed bag?

To answer this question, you need to understand what oxygen does. First, wood needs air. By removing all the air in a vacuum bag, stress results on wood fibers. Deprive wood of air and you have a greater risk for developing specific molds that thrive in oxygen low environments. Second, the plastic bag increases the risk for mold on the wood. Wood likes cooler temperatures but it does NOT like to be wrapped in plastic.

In the end, it is best to find a cool, dark location that has airflow for your wood. Keep it away from plastic and from porous materials like a concrete floor. Once the wood has air, space, cool temperature and darkness, it will thrive. Happy wood means flavorful foods!

 

 

 

Wet or Dry Wood for Smoking- Does It Matter?

Cooking Wood- What You Should Know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smokinlicious is busy developing some new products for the Backyard Barbecuer and or for competition teams!

The “Q” Can.

We tested this last year at various events and it worked great to carry the charcoal chimney starter, fire starters, lighters, and other items that would be flammable in transit or just next to the “Barbie”! Plus when the event is over and it’s time to clean out the cooker, the Q can becomes an ash can! Perfect for delivering “hot” ashes to the collection barrel or off the deck! Once the ashes are cooled and emptied, simply put everything back in for transit or storage.

We have left room on the other side of the can for a teams “logo” or Name of the Backyard Barbecuer! It’s a Great gift idea!

Wood storage box

We have developed a “wood” storage box. Hold approximately 1 cubic foot of chunks or chips. The box is made of wood with a strong rope handle and can be sprayed or dunked in water to rehydrate the wood prior to use! Box comes with a wood cover. In order to maintain proper air circulation we have spaced the boards for proper air flow

These items will be available on line soon!

 

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Smokinlicious® is pleased to announce the release of its new retail market packaging! This paper packaging is equiped with a vent panel to allow for proper air circulation! Our wood chip bags are available immediately and will soon be followed by the “single” and “double” filet chunks. Please look for these products in selected retail markets.

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Dr Smoke and the Culinary crew (Donna, Aaron and Adrienne- Big John[out hunting wild game]) went to Whole Foods Market (Oakville Ontario) for a demonstration of their BBQ products. They have been using Smokinlicious products on their two Southern Pride smokers. Stephen and his crew have been perfecting their smoking techniques and have been improving for the past 4 months.

Well! they had a little surprise for the Dr and crew! They made up a BBQ chile for the “Gray” Cup weekend! It was a texas sytle chile! It was wonderful! Yes Wonderful! The Dr and Aaron were doing the sampling- one for the public and two for us!

Stephen says that it will be a standard feature in the store. So if you are close to Oakville Ontario, Take the Trafalager exit off the QEW go south one block and stop into the Whole Foods Market! Try the BBQ chili for sure, plus their other BBQ items! Say hello to Stephen, Patrick, Melody and the rest of the BBQ crew!

Please send the Dr an E mail on what items you liked! Look on the events schedule for the next time we will be doing a Whole Foods demonstration in Oakville.

 

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Single Filet at Oinktoberfest

During most competitions we distribute a sample of our products to the competing teams. I call it the secret ingredient of the competition!! During the Oinktoberfest in Clarence, NY I handed out Smokin Dust® as our gift pack to the teams. In the fairness of the competition I try to mix up the flavors among the teams! The following is what one competitor had to say about our product:

“We would like to thank you for your sample of Black Cherry Smokin’ Dust® during Oinktoberfest 2007. We were able to place 4th in pork during the KCBS contest using your product. Even better we were able to win Grand Champion in the backyard event on Sunday. We used the Dust on all categories, (1st chicken wings, 6th sausage, 3rd ribs, 2nd beef). We also won the chili cook off with meat smoked using the Dust. Overall great product that gave us the winning edge, my order is coming soon!”

Brian
Good Smoke BBQ
Rochester, NY

Thank you Brian!!

Bon Bar B Q

Dr Smoke!!

Present Day Update…

Although the Ointoberfest no longer takes place in the Fall but moved to August, this was one of those local events that allowed us to secure many local connections to make testing our products that much easier.

Our wood chunks were one product that we knew needed expansion. Just how would we find ideal sizing without having to offer extreme options that would challenge our packaging team? By turning to our competitive friends who could offer valuable critic and suggestions that aided us to develop the Double and Single Filet options.

The Birth of the Single Filet Wood Chunk

Larger fireboxes mean a larger chunk is needed. To determine the ideal size that could fit multiple manufacturers’ equipment, we turned to our competitor friends who influenced our final product. We will be forever indebted to all those who worked with us to bring our two great chunk options to the market.

Oh, and these friends also are credited with our choice to give you 3 wood choices in every carton, no matter the size chosen.

With SmokinLicious®, you have history with the dedication and commitment it takes to bring great flavor to anything cooked by fire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Smoke Is In The HouseBy now you are probably aware of our team member, Dr. Smoke, who is an on-going source of knowledge as well as the developer of our flavor-enhanced line of products. Any question or concern may be directed to Dr. Smoke either via our email info@smokinlicious.com or via our toll free line 800-941-5054. Recently, we received an interesting question regarding a specific wood species that we wanted to share.

Doc,
I recently had to cut down my big California Pepper Tree that was killed in a freakish January cold streak here in Las Vegas. The wood smelled so good it made me wonder if it would be good for smoking meat. I mean, the peppercorns it produced had that gorgeous fresh-ground pepper smell, so what the heck, right?

Any thoughts?
Kenny S.
Hi Kenny!

Thanks for the interesting question regarding the California Pepper Tree. First, I think the name is very interesting, as the tree is actually Brazilian. This tree has a long history of healing power in
tribal and herbal medicine uses. It has been known to kill bacteria, kill fungi, reduce inflammation, regulate heartbeat, lower blood pressure, act as a laxative, and heal wounds. Because the chemical composition of this plant in known to contain tannins, steroidal
saponins, and essential oils, it has been linked as a cancer cell killer and viral killer.

The California or Brazilian Pepper Tree has a spicy aromatic scent that is the result of high oil and essential oil content. These oils have not been found to be toxic to animals or humans ingesting them or applying them topically. The bark has been used to prepare a remedy for colds, flu, sore throats, and upper respiratory infections. Although the research literature indicates that the leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, resin, and balsam have been used medicinally in the tropical areas, there is no concrete information on the use of the tree for smoking. Therefore, I would recommend that you try this wood sparingly but keep in mind that due to the high oil concentration, it may be a wood the causes too much heat flare-up to be controllable in the traditional sense of smoking (i.e. slow and low). Also, you must remember, it is a “spicy” wood so smoke a food item that can easily accommodate this flavoring.

If you do smoke with the California Pepper Tree wood, send me a note
on how things turned out.

Thanks again for the question.
“Bon-Bar-B-Q!”
Dr. Smoke
Although we make no guarantee that Dr. Smoke can answer 100% of the questions posed, we can guarantee that he will at least direct you to an appropriate source for additional information. So keep sending Dr. Smoke those queries and he’ll keep you informed!

 

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Dr. Smoke along with his bag of natural flavors is off to the Wildwood BBQ Championship or the official event title- New Jersey State Barbecue Championship in Wildwood, New Jersey! He will be experimenting with a “Mango” and a “Wine” Flavor. Once the formula passes the “smoke” test they will be released on our web site for sale! Watch for them soon!!

Wildwood BBQ Championship- Present Day Update…

Although it has been many years since the Wildwood, New Jersey event, our Smokin’ Dust® has stood the test of time. After more than a decade, we still offer 14 premium flavors and 8 natural flavors to spice up your fire and foods:

• Alder
• Almond
• Apple
• Ash
• Beech
• Bourbon
• Cherry
• Coconut
• Hickory
• Jamaican Rum
• Lemon
• Mango
• Maple
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pear
• Pecan
• Plum
• Red Oak
• Vanilla
• White Oak

The burst of flavor can be used in charcoal grills, cold smoke generating mazes, hand held food smokers, and traditional smokers. With charcoal, wood or any combination of fuel product, you’ll be amazed at the flavor punch Smokin’ Dust® provides.

Just like the ingredients used in your cooking, our Smokin’ Dust® is all natural, air collected and made just for wood-fired cooking. Up your grilling and smoking game with our full line of all natural, clean products. Find out what a premium wood product can do to your favorite foods!

 

Please see the reference to Smokinlicious as posted in the Toronto Star- We are listed under the receipe section.

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/224494

 

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Smokinlicious® is excited to announce our sample menu for the 2007 barbecue season. Visit our Events page to locate the barbecue event taking place near you. We will be featuring many of the menu items cooked in our Plank Roasting Pan, on our Large Cooking Plank, and on our Grapevine Skewers. And, of course, we will be maintaining our temperature with our wood chunks, wood chips, and Smokin’ Dust®.

We have broken down our menu into three parts: Beginnings, Mid-Day, and Sweet Endings. Your welcome to visit throughout the event to sample these wonderful foods:

g Chile Cornbread

g Smokin’ Quiche

g Sweet Taters and Apple Casserole

g Smoked Pizza

g Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

g Chicken Kabobs

g Glazed Pork Tenderloin

g Fiery Fruit with Melon Kabobs

g Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Is your mouth watering yet? See you on the circuit!!

The following was received from Aaron and Adrienne Ross, Dizzy Pig BBQ Team, Canada –

“The two of us have found your products provide a fantastic outcome, and are a pleasure to use. The coconut really adds to my desserts and I’m whole heartedly looking forward to trying your citrus flavors on a cheesecake recipe that I have invented.”

The following was received from Dave Witt in West Seneca, NY –

“I mixed about 3 tablespoons of Smoking Dust with my regular cherry wood sawdust. I had no issue with the temperature going hotter. I was a bit concerned when I opened the bag of dust… I was worried that because it was so fragrant that it would overpower the finished product. Instead it brought to the forefront the subtle flavor of what wood type was being used. You have a very good product there and I’m looking forward to trying it on my offset soon.”

The following was recevied from Tom T. in Eastlake, OH –

“Just like to say thank you for the great wood chunks that I have purchased from you. I have purchased sugar maple wood chunks from you twice and have achieved great success smoking meat with it. The chunks burn for a long time and add an excellent taste to the meat. Your chunks have come to me in a consistent size, just perfect for smoking, and the wood was very clean!!!!! Keep up the great job.”