| Most of us are willing to simply go to the grocery store | | | | a 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 like | | | | If you use an electric smoker, follow the instructions |
| bacon, smoked ham, or lox. These are all created by | | | | that come with your unit for cold smoking. |
| the process of cold smoking, which uses smoke to | | | | Brining |
| 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 the | | | | bacteria and such can still grow on the food, which is |
| flavor while not cooking it, which makes it an excellent | | | | dangerous for your health. For this reason, food that |
| part of the preservation process. With a little time and | | | | goes through the cold smoking process often go |
| a homemade or an electric smoker, you can use cold | | | | through 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 |
| Equipment | | | | food and spoil it. Find a good brine recipe and make |
| For cold smoking, you want to keep the food closer to | | | | sure to soak your meat in it for a while. Once you've |
| room temperature than any sort of cooking | | | | finished with brining it, you can get your home or |
| temperature. To accomplish this, you either need an | | | | electric smoker ready. |
| electric smoker that can control the temperature in | | | | Time |
| one unit, or if you are making a homemade cold | | | | The last thing that's needed for cold smoking is time. |
| smoker, make sure that the actual smoking chamber is | | | | You may have to occasionally add chips to your |
| in a separate unit from the chamber where the smoke | | | | smoking box in order to ensure that your food is |
| is being made. A simple length of wide tubing can | | | | getting a constant flow of smoke, and it helps to have |
| direct the smoke to the smoking chamber without | | | | a 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, you | | | | up to several days, so make sure your setup is secure |
| already have a good idea of what sorts of wood are | | | | and 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 fruit | | | | wonderful foods such as your own homemade bacon. |
| trees. Apple, cherry, hickory, and even oak wood are | | | | Buy 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. |