Smoke is the essential characteristic of barbecue, however, the art of achieving that perfect smoke flavour can be quite treacherous. We have come up with the perfect technique for smoking the barbecue. So, are you ready to become the barbecue expert in your block? The secret lies in having wood wet, otherwise you’ll be getting flames instead of smoke. Check our guide and let us know what you think of it.
You can purchase wood chips from any local hardware store, however, ensure that the wood have not been treated with any chemicals.
Also, don’t go for cedar or any other conifers. Ideally, go for deciduous trees such as maple and hickory. Apart from this, you’ll need wide-mouthed preserving jars, if you can get your hand on Mason jars; perfect.
Step 1: Preliminary Soak
This step basically is for washing out impurities and pre-saturating the wood. You’ll need to soak the wood for about 2-3 hours followed by straining them and then setting them aside.
Step 2: Sterilize your jars.
Place jars on a rack that is at the bottom of a metal pail and throw in the lids too. Make sure that the jar and lids are completely covered with water (submerged by about two inches). Bring the water to a boil followed by letting them simmer for about ten minutes to get rid of any germs that might be present. Take everything out using tongs on a cleaner surface.
Step 3: Fill the jars.
Now fill the jars with pre-soaked wood chips about three-quarters of the way. Boil some water in a clean pot and once it has boiled, add it to the jars containing wood. Stop filling the jar when it is about half an inch from the top. Screw the lids on top.
Step 4: Seal the jars.
Lower these jars into boiling water and let them boil for about 15 minutes followed by removing them from boiling water and letting them cool down. This creates a vacuum seal.
Step 5: Label and store.
You can now label the jars with type of wood and store them where you want to. When you want to use wood, open the jar and throw out the excess water and use the wood.
