This collection of natural hardwoods and fruitwoods will give you an instant hot smoking wood chips larder. The flavours range from robust oak and hickory to more subtle beech and maple to sweeter apple and cherry.
The chips can be used in either a dedicated hot smoker or a covered barbecue to create wonderful aromatic wood smoke infusions for hot smoking projects. Supplied in a kraft box with twine tie and hang tag, so makes an ideal gift for the outdoor chef or barbecue fan keen to explore wood smoke flavours. Also included in the pack is our Hot Smoked Guide to Wood Smoke Flavours with information on how to use wood smoke flavour and what to match with which foods.
How to Use
Wood releases wonderful aromatic flavours when it is heated and burnt, and these can be captured and used to flavour foods during hot smoking. You don't need a dedicated food smoker (though once you get into food smoking, you'll probably want one!) and can hot smoke in a covered barbecue. The wood will produce mellower flavours if pre-soaked and it will also smoulder more readily. You can hot smoke using both charcoal and gas barbecues. Place wood chips directly on white hot charcoals or use with a metal box (ideally cast iron or stainless steel) over a gas heat source. You will need a large handful of wood chips. Close the lid of your smoker or barbecue so that the smoke flavour can build and infuse your food, but keep the chamber well ventilated so that the smoke can renew itself. If cooking over long periods add a further handful of wood chips at hourly intervals.
Wood Tasting Notes
Oak - a strong smoke flavour which works well with most types of food including oily fish such as salmon and red meats
Hickory - a strong hardwood ideal for red meat, mackerell and commonly used with pork
Beech - a milder hardwood which complements more delicate fish and poultry
Maple - a medium strength hardwood which works well with pork, chicken and trout
Apple - a medium sweetish flavour perfect with pork and poultry
Cherry - sweeter and slightly stronger than apple and an ideal partner for game and red meats
