{"id":190,"date":"2019-09-19T16:36:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T20:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smokinlicious.com\/blog\/?p=190"},"modified":"2021-01-29T14:24:24","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T19:24:24","slug":"as-fall-and-winter-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smokinlicious.com\/blog\/as-fall-and-winter-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Storage of Cooking Wood- As Fall and Winter Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"<strong>As

As Fall approaches think about the storage of cooking wood.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"Donna<\/p>\n

Posted By Donna G<\/p>\n

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\"Listen<\/p>\n

I<\/span>t seems every year as we approach the Fall, weather predictions are made on how severe the winter will be. This includes predictions on subzero cold in our area of the Northeast USA.\u00a0 In preparation for whatever Mother Nature brings our way, we thought this would be a good time to remind you about the storage and maintenance of your cooking wood products.\u00a0 Storage of wood is necessary to keep the flavor essence at its best which makes your foods taste great!<\/p>\n

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Wood and Water<\/h3>\n

A<\/span>s you have learned, wood is hygroscopic.\u00a0 That’s just a fancy word for saying wood can attract and absorb water. When you hot smoke, moisture is a friend to the wood because smoke is attracted to moist surfaces.\u00a0 To make sure your wood will produce a good quality smoke vapor, you need some water in the wood.<\/p>\n

W<\/span>hen wood \u201cdrinks\u201d or takes in moisture, the molecules expand. Throughout the seasons, all hardwood will expand and contract as moisture and climate conditions change.\u00a0 Think temperature and humidity levels.\u00a0 Hot summers keep trees conserving water.\u00a0 Wet springs cause trees to swell and limit water intake.<\/p>\n

W<\/span>hat you may not know is some\u00a0 species of hardwood are more hygroscopic than others.<\/a> This can bring some challenges at different times of the year and in various locations throughout North America. So,what can you do?<\/p>\n

A Few Easy Tips for the Best Storage of Cooking Wood<\/h3>\n

H<\/span>ere are some \u00a0 suggestions to stabilize cooking hardwoods<\/a>\u00a0 you may have purchased from us:<\/p>\n

\u2022 purchase smaller quantities of wood that will meet your immediate cooking needs; a quantity you can use within a month\u2019s time<\/p>\n

\u2022 don\u2019t store the wood directly on a concrete floor or in plastic containers. Hardwood will seek out the moisture found in concrete. Plastic containers can often make the wood sweat resulting in mold development<\/p>\n

\u2022 try to maintain the hardwood in a storage location that has a temperature which doesn’t go above\u00a0 55-60 degrees F. Relative humidity should be in the range of 40-50%<\/p>\n

\u2022 for larger quantities of wood, try rotating or shaking the wood that is located at the bottom of the storage container to the top so you can ventilate the pieces equally<\/p>\n

\u2022 if you should see\u00a0 signs of surface mold<\/a>\u00a0 developing, mix 1 part vinegar (I prefer white) to 10 parts water and place in a spray bottle. Then spray the mixed solution on the wood pieces to halt and reverse any growth. For wood that is showing more severe mold, you can mix the same formula in a soaking bucket and place the pieces in the solution to soak for about an hour.<\/p>\n

Select Hardwoods That Store Easier<\/h3>\n

A<\/span> final point: denser hardwoods are more prone to instability because moisture variations can trigger more stress in these woods.\u00a0 To help understand what are the denser hardwoods, here is the order of our hardwoods from most dense to least: Hickory, Oak, Beech, Ash, Maple, Cherry, Alder.<\/p>\n

<\/span>With a little planning, you can continue to enjoy our premium cooking woods during all seasons of the year with little to no additional work. Don\u2019t forget, Fall and Winter are two perfect seasons to fire up the grill and\/or smoker and start experimenting with the seasonal foods available in your area!<\/p>\n

Bon Bar-B-Q!<\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Smoke- We provide helpful information on our packages as a guide for the proper storage of cooking wood.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"More

More Related reading on helping you with tips and recommendations on the proper storage of cooking wood.<\/p><\/div>\n