As some of you may have noticed, I have just had my first run trying to cold smoke.
It was successful, and I'm already looking for other stuff to cold smoke.
Now, here in Norway winter's ahead, and i cant't smoke anything when temperatures are lower than 32 F. Of course I could add some sort of heat unit to my WSM. I digress- has anyone tried to cold smoke oil? Let's say olive oil, or just plain sunseed oil? Does the oil pick up the smoke flavour, or is this something that it is a waste to try?

If I could do that, I could sprinkle some smoked oil on different meats and still get some smoke flavour. Anyone?

I suggest smoking salt. search around the forum, I know that in the past, people have tried it and posted their efforts.

I have smoked Maldon salt.
Seems like someone is making a business out of it. Have to give it a try..

http://www.thesmokedolive.com/

quote:

Originally posted by Geir Widar:

Now, here in Norway winter's ahead, and i cant't smoke anything when temperatures are lower than 32 F.

Why is that? It doesn't get much below freezing here in Virginia but I haven't had trouble at all in the winter. I'm curious because I'm (sort of) originally from New Hampshire and I'm going to retire in another 18 months and if I can't smoke in the winter... I'm sure not going back there.

Ron

I'm talking about cold smoking. You can't do that when temps are lower than 32 F. You can do it, but then you'll need a additional heat source in the smoking chamber.

Both smoked paprika and chipotle (smoked jalapeños) will add smoked flavor to foods. I use them for grilled items often, when I want smoke flavor but the time on the grill is too short to offer much in the way of that. Smoked salt is another, as j notes, as are smoked nuts, which one can then mince to sprinkle on foods or toss in salads.

The smoke flavors oil picks up can be very uneven - sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so. But smoked additions to the oil - like smoked paprika, et al. - can flavor it very nicely. It can be used to cook in (gently) or can be painted on the foods at finish.

quote:

The smoke flavors oil picks up can be very uneven - sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so.

you know, I was wondering about that. For some reason I was thinking they wouldn't play nice together.

I see. Well, paprika is nice, so are nuts, but I think I will try some sunflower oil a run after all, despite the warnings. It does not cost me much anyway if it is a disaster.

quote:

Originally posted by Geir Widar:
As some of you may have noticed, I have just had my first run trying to cold smoke.
It was successful, and I'm already looking for other stuff to cold smoke.
Now, here in Norway winter's ahead, and i cant't smoke anything when temperatures are lower than 32 F. Of course I could add some sort of heat unit to my WSM. I digress- has anyone tried to cold smoke oil? Let's say olive oil, or just plain sunseed oil? Does the oil pick up the smoke flavour, or is this something that it is a waste to try?

If I could do that, I could sprinkle some smoked oil on different meats and still get some smoke flavour. Anyone?

This is an interesting topic. One that hits home for me. I like oils for reuse after they have been infused after cooking something. Different say from stuffing an aromatic of various sorts into them and letting them sit for a period of time.

One long learned habit of mine from cooking with my italian/spanish/lithuaninan heritage is to save the oil that has been flavored from specific things. Due to the flavors that are infused during the process.

So case in point. "Hot" Oil. A traditional Italian way to preserve hot peppers, long hots, bananas, etc is to dry them. You basically thread them up in a hank and hang them to dry out. I do this whether I have garden grown or resort to store bought in season to keep them in stock.

The dried peppers are then pulled as needed and tossed into high temp oil until they just turn color/puff and removed and drained. Salted then eaten with dinner or plain or however you like them. They have become my "chips" so to speak. A nice dried long hot red prepped this way and salted goes with all kind of things. You can crush them too, etc.

Anyway - I always save the oil or some of it to cook/baste with or mix with other things. This is very similar to Sechuan Hot Peppr oil you buy in a store, but better. One simple but great use is to cook your eggs for breakfast with this oil.

Now - to the point. You can do the same with smoke peppers of any sort. You get the same result, but with the smoke flavor. Most excellent. Minor point is that this gives you smoked oil flavor, along with some heat.

A little off point, but a faster less complicated solution perhaps than cold smoking the oil and the act of infusion would be more complete than hoping that prolonged coexistence with just smoke will thoroughly penetrate. Just a thought.