Nagging Question
What Is Liquid Smoke?
Tastes more substantial than it sounds
What is liquid smoke?
Liquid smoke adds smoky barbecue flavor to unbarbecued food. It’s not just a clever name: It’s made from water that has captured the flavor of smoke.
Wright’s Hickory Seasoning is made by collecting the smoke from burning hickory wood in a condenser and cooling it until it forms water, says Marge Broncaccio, a B&G Foods representative. The droplets are captured and filtered twice, before being bottled without any additional ingredients.
Colgin makes its liquid smoke in much the same way initially, but then ages it in oak barrels to mellow the flavors before adding vinegar, molasses, and caramel color.
The Lazy Kettle brand of liquid smoke is made differently. Hickory and a little mesquite are burned at a low temperature, then the smoke is captured and diverted into a tunnel, says Lawrence Ames, president of Honest Foods. In the tunnel, a constant stream of distilled water is channeled through the smoke to pick up the flavor. The liquid is then filtered to remove any sediment or oil before bottling. There are no additional ingredients.
Because the flavor of liquid smoke is so concentrated, Ames cautions against using too much: “A little is great; a lot is terrible.” If you’re going to use it, Chowhounds suggest adding some to a spray bottle of water to control the application. If you don’t want to use liquid smoke in a recipe, the hounds also offer some good suggestions for alternatives, which include chipotle chiles, smoked paprika, and Lapsang Souchong tea.
CHOW’s Nagging Question column appears every Friday.
Roxanne Webber is an associate editor at CHOW.
In the timeless words of Amy Sedaris, it's basically bong water.
I never make macaroni and cheese without adding a drop or two of liquid smoke (when I was a kid, my mom made mac & cheese with some smoked cheddar left over from a party platter, and it was AWESOME; thereafter, she added liquid smoke to the mix whenever she made it, so it became a flavor of my childhood). I also like it in deviled eggs/egg salad.
When I make Mac N Cheese, I add chicken that I cook with Bacon. Like the above writer, it adds a good smokey flavor.
Lemon_Curry, now I know what to do with that dusty old bong in the basement--DIY smoke flavouring!
Although Wright's mentions that it is 100% natural - doesn't specifically say its made from 100% wood. I used a half teaspoon in a 5 gal. batch of beer and it made it taste like burnt paper plates. Naming this hickory "seasoning" instead of hickory smoke may be a clue.
She should have tested them herself, rather than just passing on their advertising.
Another (vegetarian) alternative to liquid smoke is dried thyme.
I get hives from artifical smoke flavoring, is there a difference from liquid smoke. I avoid any type of smoke flavoring for fear of another 3 day hive fest!!!