Smokinlicious® Smoking Wood Tips

Forest hardwoods for smoking in all Smokinlicious® products

The Smokinlicious® motto Only use forest hardwood for smoking Share on X

Smoking and wood-fired cooking are a passion for many. You invested in a quality piece of equipment. Shopped for the best ingredients. Dedicated time to watching videos and reading articles on smoking. Sourced hardwood that claims to be for smoking. But do you know for sure?

So Many Terms

Food labeling over the years has become complicated. That seems to have passed on to hardwoods for smoking and cooking as well. Package labeling for wood is not usually accurate. In fact, it implies certain information.

Case in point, many suppliers now use the term 100% natural. But what does that mean? Natural used for food labeling means there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives and there has been minimal processing. Certainly, a supplier that sources wood from orchards uses the “natural” term but you have no assurance the tree has not been genetically modified. Translation – chemicals have been added.

Move on to the various drying processes and even more confusion occurs.

Kiln-dried, air-dried, and naturally cured are all common labeling for wood. But that’s as far it may go. No one references how long that process is, or at what temperature the drying occurs, or even where this process happens (i.e. open yard, shed, etc.).

True Forest Hardwood for Smoking

When you see forest grown on the package you assume the wood comes from a natural growing area. Even if there is a reference to a drying process, be sure the wood does not appear cracked and light in weight. If too much moisture is taken from the wood, you’ll end up with seasoned firewood and not a hardwood for smoking. Remember, moisture is needed to produce a clean smoke. No moisture means no flavor from the wood.

Be sure the label states 100% of the hardwood named on the package. If not, you may be using a combination of hardwood AND softwood! You have to make the decision on whether you want to use bark-on or bark-free wood. Off-flavors can develop with bark.

In the end, by reading wood labels in detail like you do with food labels, can guarantee you a better choice. After all, some of the best flavors come from those items direct from the land around us.

Products discussed in this Blog:

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®

More Related reading on forest hardwoods for smoking!and other great smoking and grilling tips and techniques

Forest Grown Hardwoods- The Precious Forest

Hardwood vs. Softwood for Cooking

Dr. Smoke- only use forest hardwoods for smoking!

Wild cherry Wood smoking traits discussed!

Wild cherry Wood smoking traits discussed! Share on X

What can I tell people about smoking food with wild cherry wood when they have been told there is arsenic in wild cherry wood? They want to know if it is safe. Also, what about the issue of cyanogenic compounds? Is this a concern, and if so, I assume it is a non-issue if the wood is aged a period of time?

Thank you for educating me about the SAFETY of using wild cherry wood for smoking food.

Elizabeth Andress

Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.
Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist
Department of Foods and Nutrition
The University of Georgia

Our Response to The Wild Cherry Wood Question:

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