💨
🧂 Other Methods

Smoking

Use smoke and heat to flavor, dry, and preserve meats, fish, and cheeses.

📋 Step-by-step
1

Cure meat with salt (and sometimes sugar) for the time specified in your recipe.

2

Air-dry the surface to form a pellicle — a tacky layer that absorbs smoke.

3

Cold smoke at 68–86°F for flavor, or hot smoke at 165°F+ to cook.

4

Monitor internal temperature with a food thermometer for hot-smoked items.

5

Cool quickly and refrigerate or freeze promptly after smoking.

💡 Helpful tips
  • Use hardwoods like hickory, apple, or cherry — avoid treated lumber.
  • Cold smoking requires careful temperature control to stay out of the danger zone.
  • Sliced smoked foods dry out faster — wrap tightly.
⚠️ Safety note
Cold-smoked fish and meats carry listeria and botulism risks without proper curing. Follow tested commercial or extension-service recipes.
🥕 Best for
Salmon & trout Pork & bacon Cheese Nuts Tofu
⏳ Typical shelf life

Refrigerated smoked fish: 2 weeks; cured smoked meats vary by recipe