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