Getting Started With Your Electric Smoker
There are many types of electric smokers to choose from. After buying your electric smoker and studying the directions provided, you'll want to season it. Seasoning your new smoker is as easy as just burning a few pans of wood, without any food, in the main chamber. This will give you a feel for the amount of smoke that will be produced. It will also impart a smoky flavor in its main chamber. The smoker, when new, may have that "new smell." Seasoning it with smoke will help to rectify that. You are now ready to start smoking.
Types of Smoking Methods
Depending on what you choose to smoke in your electric smoker will determine the proper smoking technique. Smoking is broken into two basic methods: cold or hot. Temperature in an electric smoker can range from the outside air temperature to about 250 F degrees. The division between cold and hot smoke is 120 degrees. Understand that 120 F and below is cold and anything 120 F and above is hot. Cold smoking is best suited for imparting flavor of smoke to fish, cheese and other food items that don't require intense amounts of heat. It also saves time because you may simply want to add a hint of smoke flavor and then finish it in an oven to save time. Hot smoking is used when you are smoking larger cuts of meat or fish that have to be cooked all the way through. Longer amounts of time are required. Electric smokers have made this type of smoking much easier because of higher-heat levels and more stable temperatures.
Types of Wood Used to Smoke Foods
There are many different products available to fuel your electric smoker with. Depending on the brand and model, this will dictate what you use. Hardwoods are best for smoking any type of food. Never use any type of soft wood-- this will impart a bitter flavor to your food. Hickory and mesquite are very common as well as any wood from a fruit tree such as oranges or apples. Wood products vary in form. Some come in pellets, sawdust chips or shavings. Read your directions and choose the right type for your smoker. Most book stores or your local library will have a vast variety of books to guide you on your journey into the world of smoking food and electric smoker makes the process that much easier.
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