Is crab apple wood good for smoking? Still confused about it? Worry no more and read our article to figure out the best features of smoking crab apple wood.
You probably know crab apple tree to be a very small tree. A beautiful tree with distinctive colored petals when in bloom. Red, white, pink, you name it.
Found very rarely and mostly in the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. Crab Apple tree has numerous benefits. And like most barks of trees, crab apple is used many times for smoking.
But is crab apple wood good for smoking? Yes, very much so.
There are various species of trees to use for smoking. It has been seen that all of them vary in heat, color and fragrance. Crab Apple wood is said to have one of the most visually pleasing flames.
Crab Apple Wood For Smoking- Good Or Bad?
Wood from any fruit bearing tree is suitable for smoking. Crab apple wood actually works very well for smoking.
The small, sour apples from the tree often gives off the perception that the smoke wood would make the meat sour. Oddly, it’s actually the opposite.
The meat turns out to give off a very sweet fragrance. The meat also turns out to be a very sweet and fruity flavor.
Crab apple, as you can tell from the name, is a part of the apple family. Thus, the meat from the smoekkewood gives off a mild and subtle fruity flavor along with slight sweetness.
It also doesn’t give the meat a bitter flavor like other woods. This is because it doesn’t have that strong eathy flavor.
Tips To Use Crab Apple Wood For Smoking
It is essential you prepare the wood beforehand. Otherwise, it won’t give out the best results.
Tip 1
Make sure the meat you’re choosing to cook goes well with the wood. In this case, pork ribs, chicken, wild fowl goes well with crab apple wood.
Tip 2
Cut the logs into smaller pieces. This will help the wood fit well in the smoker and burn evenly.
Figure out how you want your wood to be. Smaller wood chips burn faster while longer ones take burn for a longer time.
If you’re cooking meat that cooks easily, chop the wood into smaller pieces. If you’re cooking meat that takes a longer time, use longer pieces of wood to ensure it is fully cooked.
Tip 3
Soak your wood. Most people prefer drying them. But to get the best results from aromatic woods, it is best to soak them.
Soak your wood in water, or preferably wine, for about a day. This will allow the proper release of aroma and the flavors to soak through.
Tip 4
Like any other fruit wood, make sure to remove the bark before smoking. Presence of the bark will cause the smoked meat to have a bitter flavor.
Tip 5
Do not use lighter fluid to start your smoker. This will risk addition of chemicals and a bitter taste.
Apple Wood VS Crab Apple Wood
While both of them belong to the apple family, each have their own distinctive features. Apple trees are wanted by most people due to the fruits they bear.
Crab Apple trees bear very small fruits. The crab apples are very small in diameter (about 2 inches or less). Crab apples are also very sour and tart-like.
When smoking both woods, they don’t differ much. Both of them produce a very similar sweet and fruit taste and smell.
Other Uses of Crab Apple Wood
Apart from smoking crab apple and its wood serves several other purposes.
The fruit can be used to make jam, jelly and even freshly pressed juice. The taste is a lot more sour than regular apples. Soe even ferment the apples to make crab apple liquor.
The wood itself is used for many reasons. Once hardened the wood is very strong and hard. It has been used to make tool handles, mallets, billiard cues and many more.
Before anything, crab apple wood had been mainly used for construction and manufacturing. The hardness of the dried wood helped in these sectors.
Nowadays, it is also used for furniture, cabinetry and turned objects.
But it is important to properly work with the wood. Crab apple wood contains some interlocking grain. Due to this the wood can split if it is not dired carefully with the end grain sealed properly.
Workers generally don’t have a hard time with carb apple wood.
The wood tends to take paint and glues well. The wood can also be strained well. This makes it a great choice for decorative purposes.
Other Types Of Smokewood
Apart from crab wood there are many other types of smokewood. Let’s take a look at some of the best woods for smoking.
Almond
Almond wood gives off a very nutty and ashy flavor. This flavor goes best with chicken, turkey and mostly birds.
Almond chips can also be used to grill meats, if you prefer a nuttier flavor. However, it is strongly advised to not use almond wood to grill red meat.
Cherry
If you appreciate a strong sweet flavor, this is the one for you. Cherry smokewood is possibly the most popular wood amongst all the others.
The strong sweet and smoky flavor suits almost every type of meat, from chicken to beef to pork. Cherry wood blends well with oakwood.
Hickory
Hickory is used mainly for barbeque flavors. It is often called the king of barbeque woods.
The pungent flavor goes well with bbq meats such as chicken, beef, lamb, pork. However, hickory doesn’t go well with fish barbeque.
Maple
Maple wood chips are suitable for pork, poultry and cheese. These wood chips produce a somewhat sweet smoke with maple syrup flavor. It is popular for bbq grilling.
FAQs
Is Crab Apple Wood Toxic?
No, the wood and the fruit itself are not toxic. However, crab apple contains seeds inside. These seeds contain amygdalin. This makes the seeds of crab apples toxic.
What Wood Should Not Be Used For Smoking?
Woods such as pine, fir, redwood, cedar and cypress should not be used for smoking. These are softwoods that contain terpenes and sap. The meat in the end turns out to taste bitter and bad. Chemically treated and moldy woods should also be avoided.
How Long Should I Dry Wood Before Smoking?
Generally, it takes about 11 days for wood to dry completely. At high temperature, the wood will burn. So, slow smoke your wood at a lower temperature and allow it to dry slowly.
Can you use unseasoned wood for smoking?
It is best to not use freshly cut or unseasoned wood for smoking. This wood will contain too much moisture. This will cause the would to burn unevenly and result in the meant having an unpleasant flavor.
Summing Up
Coming back to the main question. Is crab apple good for smoking? Yes, as we have discussed in this article. Crab apple wood not only gives off a great aroma, but also provides a great smell.
However, in order to achieve that perfect taste and smell you should follow our tips stated before.
Smoking meat tastes a lot of your time and patience. And provides the best results for taking your time and patience as well.
Be patient and follow through the steps accordingly to get the best results. Do your best!
