I’m always eager to learn how customers find us and what past experiences they have with other wood suppliers but I sure wasn’t prepared for the recent comment I received from a customer in the South. Here’s what he had to say: “My big box store brand fruitwood smelled like a burning trash dumpster on my last smoke”! Hey, don’t cook with trash!
Seriously, I don’t make these things up!
Don’t cook with trash blog is about how the recycling community is not putting their products in pretty bags and selling it as cooking wood!
It got me thinking about the risks people take when shopping for wood products for a grill, smoker, smoker box, smoke tube, cold smoke generator, charcoal cooker, kamado, or other equipment. Now, I know we all have choices and some of us elect to educate ourselves to make the best choice for our family based on that information. Just like fruits and vegetables listed as organic, there are other criteria to factor into the decision to purchase non-organic over organic with the primary one being COST. The same is true for hormone-free meats and poultry, or free-range products. We try to educate ourselves on the difference, health risks, and cost parameter than we proceed with our purchase choice.
But how do you make the same educated choice on wood for cooking when there isn’t comparative information?
So, let me try to at least provide some comparative information from our product standpoint, as well as give you a checklist to use when making your next purchase.
Ponder These Questions
Is the wood harvested in the USA?
Is the product 100% hardwood? (You should never cook with softwoods or press woods as they can produce the increased potential for toxins to the food)
Is the product 100% of the species listed on the bag or does it just say “hardwood”?
Who is the manufacturer of the product?
Is the name on the bag simply the distributor or do they actually make the product?
What part of the tree is used to produce the product? All parts, outer cores, center cut?
Is any process applied to the wood? Heat treatment, air drying, kiln dry, fumigation, pesticide?
Does the product register moisture above 10%? If not, isn’t that simply “firewood”?
It’s wood so what assurance do you have that it’s clean, bug-free, chemical free, and safe for cooking?
So why did our customer have such a bad experience with the box store wood purchase? Likely, the wood contained all parts of the tree with no assurance which exact parts were in the bag of wood he purchased. You could end up with all outer core and bark! If a hardwood mixture was purchased, he may not have had woods that were considered ideal for cooking and that would have altered performance and taste outcome as well. But the biggest variable is moisture. If the wood was kiln dried or “seasoned” it would have depleted all water content making it an ideal choice for the fireplace, not necessarily the cooking equipment. It’s so hard to control the temperature of a fire when the wood is excessively dry and contains bark as these variables lead to variation in combustion which means hotter temperatures, more sparks, and less flavor.
Next time you’re in the market for some wood product for cooking, take a bit of time to check the packaging or look at all the information on a website. Then ask yourself: do I want to eat anything cooked over this or will I simply be putting it in the trash?
Dr. Smoke, Don’t cook with trash and only purchase your cooking wood from a NON-recycler of wood products.
SmokinLicious® has the luxury of manufacturing every wood product we offer for sale. That means, our moisture rich wood is ready to use immediately. We certainly are not firewood as we work only with the heartwood of the hardwood trees and need proper storage to maintain our clean, fresh state. Plus, we want you to have a pleasant outcome to smoking your foods which is a direct result of the moisture level.
It’s Serious Business- Smoker Wood Storage!
We take wood storage seriously! Which is why when you purchase our products, you’ll receive a card educating you on the best storage containers and conditions. Simply put, any container that encourages air flow is ideal. We have found that some plastic containers can actual cause mold spores which is why materials made from wood, cardboard or metal are preferred. If you should encounter wood that has begun to develop evidence of mold, you may follow these steps to sanitize the wood for cooking:
1. Dilute 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water (or 1.5 ounces of white vinegar to 3 gallons of water). Be sure the wood is completely submerged in the vinegar mixture.
2. Let the wood soak in the solution for a minimum of 2 minutes.
3. Remove the wood from the vinegar mixture and allow to air dry.
4. Store the wood as recommended above.
Prevent Sunburn
Just like your skin, wood can get too much sun and become sunburned, especially given we are bark-free product. It is best to select a location for storage that is away from direct sunlight. A cool, dry location is ideal. If you select a garage or basement area, be sure you don’t place any cardboard container directly on the cement surface or moisture will be drawn in through the carton to the wood and could result in appearance and aroma changes. If you do see the outside of the wood turn a bit gray, that likely is the result of some sun exposure.
Temperature and Humidity for Smoker Wood Storage
As a last point, keep temperature and humidity in mind when you select a storage location. Since our hardwoods are native to New York State, they are accustom to certain conditions including 4 seasons. Wood can be stressed especially when traveling in a truck to your location. Be sure to follow our directive sticker on the carton advising to get the carton open immediately upon delivery. Air is crucial to your wood remaining in the great condition it is in when we packaged it.
For those wanting to know if refrigeration is an option, our study shows refrigeration certainly doesn’t hurt the wood but you do need to rotate any unused wood periodically to prevent mold potential. Freezing the wood is not suggested. When you plan to use the wood for wood-fired cooking, be sure to remove the wood from a cold location and allow to come to room temperature in order to prevent a lengthy time waiting for combustion to take hold which is what produces smoke vapor.