Is it feasible to smoke meat with spruce needles?
I am thinking of constructing a makeshift smoker and smoke some meat out in the woods this weekend. When burning spruce needles they produce a lot of smoke; is it suitable to smoke meat with spruce needles or are there any health concerns I should be aware of?
Best Answer
It's feasible, but then you'd better really like the taste of turpentine and have the courage to take a chance on ingesting it. Turpentine comes from the oils of pine and -- you guessed it -- spruce. I wouldn't recommend taking a chance on smoking anything using coniferous materials. If you're in an area with spruce, then you probably have alder as well. There's your viable alternative.
Additional info: If you don't have alder handy or you just dislike alder smoke, then wild hazelnut or wild applewood will work just as well. (I use the applewood.) If you don't live where the trees are, most hardware stores that sell wood stove or pellet stove fuel will have wood chips made from hardwood trees. If you live anywhere near an orchard, take a drive to the country and ask a grower if you can buy or reserve some apple, cherry, or nut tree prunings. And finally, if you live in eastern North America, maple and butternut woods make excellent smoking materials.
Pictures about "Is it feasible to smoke meat with spruce needles?"
Can you smoke meat with spruce wood?
Wood Never to Use for A Barbecue Not all wood can be used as a smoking agent. Don't use softwood such as pine, fir, spruce, cedar. They burn too fast, give off a lot of smoke and some say it can cause you to become ill.Can you cook with spruce wood?
Spruce tips are pine-y, citrusy, and flavorful, and Scandinavian chefs like Rene Redzepi and Mads Refslund have embraced the young shoots as a staple of new Nordic cuisine. They toss them in savory dishes like salads, pickle them whole, or use them to infuse syrups and cocktails.Can you smoke pine needle?
Hard Woods They are preferred during long cooks because they add better flavor to meats. Hickory, oak, maple, pecan and alder are all hardwoods. Pork responds very well to hickory and maple smoke. Maple goes well with veggies and cheese and both woods are good with poultry.Five Smoking Mistakes I've Made And What I've Learned
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.