It is difficult to find a person who can refuse to eat smoked meat, fish or poultry - dishes that exude a unique aroma and look great, not to mention the taste of such products. But not everyone wants to buy smoked ready-made delicacies in the store, since their quality is sometimes questionable.

Therefore, in order to be sure of the freshness of smoked foods and forever forget about trips to the supermarket for your favorite delicacies, you can purchase a ready-made smokehouse or build it yourself. But in order to enjoy the taste of smoked products prepared with your own hands, you need to understand the operating principle of such equipment.

General concepts of the process of smoking products

The procedure for smoking any product involves a kind of thermal treatment of food using smoke generated from the smoldering of wooden chips or sawdust. At the same time, food supplies are saturated with the specific aromas of fruit trees, losing excess moisture and increasing the shelf life of finished products.

Today there are only 2 types of smoking - cold and hot. When cold processing foodstuffs, the temperature in the smokehouse does not exceed 25 °C, and the process itself extends over several days. In turn, with hot smoking, the finished product is obtained in two hours, since the smoke temperature inside the smokehouse reaches 120 °C.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that food that is prepared through cold smoke processing has sufficient long shelf life. However, such a cooking device is very difficult to manufacture. At the same time, regardless of the method of processing products, it is necessary to qualitatively prepare them for the smoking process.

How to prepare products for the smoking procedure

The preparatory process before smoking meat or fish products is quite important, so you need to treat it with due attention.

• Edibles used for smoking are rubbed with salt in advance and marinated in their own juice for at least 5 days. If a frozen product is prepared, then the time it takes to marinate increases.
• The most important quality of salt is considered to be the destruction of harmful microorganisms that die due to loss of moisture in meat, poultry or fish.
• After marinating, the product is dried, for which it is removed from excess moisture and left in a room with good ventilation. At the same time, it is very important to ensure that insects do not land on future smoked delicacies.

Only after all the processes discussed above can you proceed to direct smoking of meat or fish.

The main differences between cold smoking and hot smoking

The main difference between cold and hot smoking methods is smokehouse temperature. At the same time, the temperature difference when processing food with smoke in different ways is significant and can reach 90 °C. Due to such a large spread, the organoleptic qualities of the final smoked product differ greatly.

Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that smokehouses for hot and cold food processing are mechanisms are structurally similar, but the taste result of the finished product is very different.

With hot smoking, due to the high temperature, the foodstuffs are not easily smoked, but also baked at the same time. Moreover, this cooking option will not take more than a few hours. But the shelf life of finished products is minimal, in contrast to the technology of smoking products with cold smoke. The shelf life of hot smoked meat and fish does not exceed several days in the refrigerator.

Despite the speed of cooking with hot smoke, most people prefer the cold smoking procedure. This is due to the fact that the final product, in addition to acquiring an interesting taste, can be stored for quite a long time even without a refrigerator.

Raw materials for smoking products with smoke

Most homemade ice makers rely on smoke from an open fire. Therefore, for its operation, sawdust or wood chips are needed, which will support the combustion of fuel.

Therefore, to obtain the most delicious and refined smoked delicacy, it is advisable to use wood chips or sawdust as a base. choose fruit trees- apple tree, peach, cherry, etc. In a smoke generator, due to the lack of a large amount of oxygen, wood slowly smolders, releasing smoke at the temperature required for smoking.

At the same time, the taste qualities of smoked products are greatly affected. influenced by wood type. The following properties of the final product will depend on the type of wood from which the sawdust or chips are made:

• color characteristics;
• aroma of smoked product;
• taste qualities of food.

How to properly store smoked products

It is important to understand that not only preparation, but also proper storage of smoked products is of great importance. So, when hot smoking, the maximum permissible shelf life of products in the refrigerator is does not exceed 4 days, since such food is perishable. However, you can still slightly increase the storage time if you wrap the food in a salted cloth.

With cold smoked products everything is completely different. Food prepared this way can be preserved up to 6 months and even more. A high-quality smoke generator is able to process products evenly, which significantly affects shelf life. At the same time, in order to properly preserve the smoked delicacy, there are a number of simple rules.

If you follow these simple rules for smoking and storing products from both cold and hot cooking methods, a person will constantly delight himself and his guests with delicacies from fish, meat or poultry. At the same time, all culinary masterpieces can be made in your own own smoke generator from fresh foodstuffs without worrying about the taste and quality of the final product.

Delicious smoked fish can evoke truly amazing, special emotions in every person who shows a desire to discover the real facets of cooking. At the same time, it should be noted that there is a significant difference between hot and cold smoking technologies, since only with this approach will it be possible to enjoy a pleasant and harmonious taste.

Features of hot smoking

This technique is ideal for smoked fish lovers. Hot technology allows you to improve the taste characteristics of the product, giving it softness and juiciness. However, to prepare a special dish, you need to maintain a certain temperature regime. When using this method, the temperature should be from 45 to 125 degrees, and an increase to 150 degrees is allowed.

For hot smoking it is required from forty minutes to two hours. Despite this, the duration of the procedure can be delayed up to a day (24 hours).

After preparing delicious smoked fish, a beautiful golden hue is expected to appear. Any fish that is prepared by hot smoking does not involve drying or drying. Use becomes possible immediately.

What is cold smoking?

Cold smoking involves a long and specific procedure. Moreover, fish requires additional preparation, including salting. Salting fish can take anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks.

Smoking of salted fish is carried out at a temperature of thirty degrees. This assumes a significant duration of the culinary process. It can take three to five days to cook the fish, sometimes taking a month or even more.

Cold smoked products can be preserved by drying. The smoke that comes from a smoldering fire gives an amazing aroma, a special taste with spicy notes. Smoked fish can take on a distinct color, ranging from light beige to brown.

Cold smoking is actively used for sausages, fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, since the technique allows you to maintain the optimal density of the product and even increase it. When cutting, the fish will not fall apart, since the meat will acquire density and will be better attached to the bones of the fish.

Which method to choose: hot or cold?

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.

1. The hot smoking method, without a doubt, has technical advantages. The culinary process requires less time for preparing fish and preparing raw materials. You don’t need to wait several days for cooking, as the fish will immediately delight you with its amazing taste. In addition, the product can be tried immediately after the successful completion of the culinary process. However, hot smoking does not allow storing cooked fish for a long time, since it will only remain fresh for a week at a temperature of no more than +5 degrees.
2. Cold smoking will require more time, but it has decent benefits. It is this technology that allows the fish to retain all the vitamins and other useful components, since the strong thermal effect is completely eliminated. Cold smoking allows you to prepare fish that will not only be healthy, but can also be stored for a long time (about two weeks) without any negative effects. However, in order for the fish to be enjoyed for as long as possible, it should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees.

Only a cook can decide which option is best to choose: hot or cold smoking. This is due to the result that must be achieved, because advantages and disadvantages can be manifested in each of the two cases.

What beneficial properties does smoked fish have?

Fresh fish contains vitamins, minerals and other beneficial components. However, is there any benefit to smoked fish?

1. Smoked fish, which is prepared using thermal influence, certainly changes its chemical composition. High exposure temperatures lead to a decrease in nutrients.
2. If basic principles are violated during culinary processing, there is a risk that smoked fish will harm human health. In this case, the formation of carcinogens and other toxic compounds is expected, which immediately increases the risk of developing cancer.
3. Cold smoking involves less impact, which increases the chances of preserving nutritional components.
4. Smoked fish is a real delicacy that has gained recognition almost all over the world. The most important thing is to understand the principles by which smoked fish is prepared, because only in this case can you count on maximum benefits.
5. Some types of smoked fish, including herring and herring, can be a worthy basis for the daily diet.
6. Before deciding to include smoked fish in your diet, you need to take into account not only the method of preparation (hot or cold technology), but also the calorie content and the original raw materials.

Smoked fish can be healthy and tasty, but only if it is properly prepared, regardless of the specific technology used.

Immediately before smoking, a fire is lit and allowed to burn well, while the chimney is covered with asbestos-cement or metal sheets. On top or across the barrel, rods are inserted into the holes on which the prepared products are hung. The top of the barrel is tied with thick fabric (burlap), which is necessary to regulate the amount of smoke passing through the smokehouse, as well as the temperature. That is, depending on the current smoke temperature in the smokehouse, the fabric is either removed, or vice versa - pulled over the top of the barrel. The duration of smoking at a temperature of 23-25 ​​o C will be about 4 days. The food is hung only after the hearth is hot enough. The food being prepared must be dry, since soot and ash will inevitably be deposited on wet food.

For the cold smoking method, the hearth can be replaced with a stove. In this case, there is no need to cut out the bottom of the barrel; it is enough just to make a hole for the pipe in its lower part. The smokehouse pipe should not sit loosely in the hole, it should be fitted very tightly.

For the hot smoking method, the smokehouse is slightly modified. In this case, the fire will need to be lit directly under the barrel. The smoke temperature is maintained within 50-60 o C, and the smoking duration will be about half a day.

When smoking meat, it is recommended to use dry firewood with the addition of sawdust from deciduous trees. In addition to the fact that wet firewood burns slowly, it also causes a lot of inconvenience - it increases the humidity of the smoke, soot inevitably sticks to the surface of the prepared food, and its appearance becomes unappetizing. Good firewood is obtained from beech, alder, ash, etc. It is unacceptable to heat the smokehouse with spruce or pine firewood, in which case the acrid smell of resin will spoil the taste of the food. From time to time you should throw sprigs of rosemary, juniper, almond shells, and various aromatic herbs into the fire.

Examples of mini smokehouses

When you need to smoke a small amount of food using a hot method, in some cases you can get by with an ordinary bucket or similar container with a lid. In this case, a tray (a grid with holes) is installed at the bottom, and several holes are made in the upper part of the bucket for rods with hooks (the products for smoking will be hung on them).

You can also install a grating on the rack instead of a rod, choosing it according to the size of the racks. A small hole should be made in the top of the smokehouse to allow smoke to escape.

First of all, a layer of sawdust or shavings of deciduous trees about 4 cm thick is poured onto the container. Then the device is installed and the products are hung. After this, the bucket is closed with a lid and placed on the fire for a short time, until the shavings begin to smolder. As soon as this happens, the fire is reduced. The duration of smoking directly depends on the type of product and their weight and, as a rule, is 20-40 minutes. The prepared products must first be wrapped in gauze so that soot does not settle on them.

For hot smoked For a sufficiently large number of products, a barrel without a bottom is used, and the fire is lit directly under the barrel.

For cold smoked Barrels are also used, but with a bottom.

For this smokehouse option, the bottom of the barrel is cut out. Then they dig a hole with a diameter just under the barrel and a depth of 40 cm. Next, they dig a chimney-ditch, making it at an angle to the hearth (hole) in which the fire will be built. The barrel is placed on bricks, metal rods are placed under it, and the space between the barrel and the bricks is thoroughly coated with clay. It is best to line the fireplace with brick or stone. During the smoking process, the hearth and chimney are covered with metal sheets.

For this option, holes are made in the upper part of the barrel into which rods are inserted, and the products are hung on hooks. The barrel is placed on bricks, and a hole is cut in its lower part for a pipe through which smoke will flow into the barrel. The stove is located at a distance of 3-5 m and connected to the barrel via a pipe. The top of the barrel is covered with burlap during the smoking process.

This type of smoking is especially common among lovers of tasty and juicy smoked meats that do not require long cooking. The main difference is the smoking temperature. It ranges from 45 to 120 degrees, and the process usually takes no more than two hours; in rare cases, the process can last up to 4-5 hours. After cooking, the food acquires a golden hue, becomes juicy and very aromatic - this is also one of the features of hot smoking.

And hot smoked dishes do not require additional drying or drying. They are immediately ready for use, which cannot be said about the opposite smoking method.

All you need to cook juicy chicken or mackerel right in your own kitchen is a small cylindrical smokehouse. This simple device is capable of preparing several kilograms of product at a time. Moreover, it does not require special intervention: you load the food, wood chips, put it on heat and that’s it. The device will do the rest itself.

Distinctive features of cold smoking

Cold smoking is a technologically more complex process; it requires additional processing of the product, in particular, good salting. In this case, the ambassador can last up to 2 weeks. The smoking temperature during this process does not exceed 30 degrees, so the processing process takes a much longer time - such smoking can take several weeks or more. But usually it lasts from 3 to 6 days.

Products retain more beneficial properties when cold smoked due to drying. Due to the effects of smoke, foods also become surprisingly tasty and aromatic. The color of products smoked in this way will be golden or cherry.

Preparing cold smoked products is not difficult if you use the right equipment. An excellent option would be cold smoked smoke generators. These devices are convenient and compact, and can be used even in city apartments.

Which method is better and more effective?

“Which way is better?” - you ask. It all depends on what goals you set for yourself. Each method has its pros and cons. If we consider the technical side, then, of course, hot smoking wins. It requires less time for the process of preparing products and for processing raw materials before smoking. To taste smoked fish, you don't have to wait long before the fish is salted and then smoked.

The main disadvantage of hot smoking will be the shorter shelf life of the finished dish compared to cold smoking.

Despite the fact that cold smoking lasts much longer, it has its undeniable advantages. The most important advantage is that minerals, amino acids and other substances beneficial to humans are perfectly preserved in products.

The long shelf life of the prepared dish is another very important advantage of cold smoking. On average it is 2 weeks. At the same time, throughout the entire storage period, smoked meats perfectly retain their beneficial properties.

You can find out a little more about smoking