Use A Homemade Or Electric Smoker For Cold Smoking

Most of us are willing to simply go to the grocery storea simple metal chip box for barbecuing set on a hot
when looking for something that holds a certain flavor.plate will create all the smoke you need without a fire.
This is generally the case for smoked foods likeIf you use an electric smoker, follow the instructions
bacon, smoked ham, or lox. These are all created bythat come with your unit for cold smoking.
the process of cold smoking, which uses smoke toBrining
give flavor to the food as well as dry it out somewhat.Because cold smoking doesn't actually cook the food,
Unlike hot smoking, cold smoking gives the food thebacteria and such can still grow on the food, which is
flavor while not cooking it, which makes it an excellentdangerous for your health. For this reason, food that
part of the preservation process. With a little time andgoes through the cold smoking process often go
a homemade or an electric smoker, you can use coldthrough the brining process in order to make it salty,
smoking to make great foods that taste wonderful.which in turn makes it hard for microbes to live in the
Equipmentfood and spoil it. Find a good brine recipe and make
For cold smoking, you want to keep the food closer tosure to soak your meat in it for a while. Once you've
room temperature than any sort of cookingfinished with brining it, you can get your home or
temperature. To accomplish this, you either need anelectric smoker ready.
electric smoker that can control the temperature inTime
one unit, or if you are making a homemade coldThe last thing that's needed for cold smoking is time.
smoker, make sure that the actual smoking chamber isYou may have to occasionally add chips to your
in a separate unit from the chamber where the smokesmoking box in order to ensure that your food is
is being made. A simple length of wide tubing cangetting a constant flow of smoke, and it helps to have
direct the smoke to the smoking chamber withouta thermometer so you can attempt to check on and
transferring a lot of the heat.maintain temperature in the cold smoking chamber. In
Of course, you also need some wood to smoke with!cold smoking, food can be kept in the smoking box for
If you've ever used wood on your barbecue, youup to several days, so make sure your setup is secure
already have a good idea of what sorts of wood areand safe, so that you're not in danger of any fires.
safe. As a general rule, avoid woods with a lot of resin,Once you've got the technique down, you'll be smoking
like pine, and go for hard woods or woods from fruitwonderful foods such as your own homemade bacon.
trees. Apple, cherry, hickory, and even oak wood areBuy an electric smoker or make a smoking setup
all appropriate for smoking. To make the wood smoke,soon, and find out what depth it can add to your food.