How to Cold Smoke Chocolate, Salt, Garlic and Snacks

We talked about cold smoking cheese with the Pitboss A-Maze-N smoke tubes and smoke maze here. In most areas of the country, it’s still prime time for cold smoking. The pellets in the smoke tube or maze slowly smolder, filling the cooking chamber with smoke but without heat. This means you can add smoke flavor to things like chocolate that would melt if you tried to smoke them traditionally. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and some smoked chocolate might come in handy. And, while you have the cold smoke going, you might as well take advantage and smoke some other neat stuff as well. What kind of stuff? Just about anything. Here’s a list of things that benefit from smoke flavor, how long to smoke each one, and what to do with it once it is done.

The list of things you can cold smoke is nearly limitless. All images by Michael Pendley

CHOCOLATE

Pick your favorite type of chocolate bar. Slightly bitter dark chocolate pairs nicely with the smoke flavor. So does sweeter milk chocolate. I like large bars for more surface area. Simply unwrap the chocolate, place it directly on a wire rack or the grill grate, and smoke for two to four hours, depending on how much smoke flavor you like. You can also smoke chocolate chips for some killer cookies by placing them in a coffee filter and putting it on the tray. To keep your chocolate from melting, keep temperatures inside the grill under 60 degrees. That’s not a problem if the outside temperature is several degrees lower, but you can add a tray of ice below the chocolate to keep the temperature down if the outside temps start to rise.

Smoke your favorite chocolate bar directly on the rack for two to four hours, depending on how much smoke flavor you prefer.

You can eat the chocolate bars straight or melt them or chop them up for recipes. Like s’mores? Try them with smoked chocolate. You might never use plain chocolate again. Add some to your next cup of hot chocolate or coffee. The campfire flavor is the perfect addition.

SALT

Smoked salt is the perfect seasoning for your next venison backstrap meal. Use coarse kosher and pile about half a cup into a coffee filter. Spread it into a thin layer and place the filter on the smoker rack. To do a large amount at once, spread a thin layer onto a baking sheet and place it onto the grill racks. Cold smoke kosher salt for four to eight hours.

Cold smoke smaller amounts of salt on coffee filters, or larger amounts spread evenly over a sheet pan.

BOURBON PEPERCORNS

You can smoke peppercorns dry, but to add even more flavor, soak them in Evan Williams Outdoorsman Edition bourbon for two to three days, then drain and smoke. Just like the salt, you can smoke small amounts on coffee filters, or spread a larger amount over a sheet pan. Fill your favorite grinder with the smoked bourbon peppercorns and use them on the table as a finish to your meals, or in the kitchen during prep. You will love the flavor.

For even more flavor, soak peppercorns in bourbon for a day or two before drying and cold smoking.

GARLIC CLOVES

To add some nice smoke flavor to your garlic dishes, peel whole cloves and smoke for two to four hours. The garlic won’t cook at low temperatures, but the flavor soaks in. Simply pack the smoked cloves into a jar or doubled up zip style bags and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Cold smoking adds smoke flavor to whole garlic cloves without cooking them, giving added flavor to anything you cook with it.

NUTS

Walnuts, pecans, and other nuts make excellent smoked snacks. Eat them as is, cook with them, or toss them in sugar for a sweet treat. I like to cold smoke most nuts for two to six hours depending on how much smoke flavor you prefer.

SUGAR CUBES

If an old fashioned is your cocktail of choice and you prefer a muddled sugar cube for the sweet portion of the drink, then try smoking your cubes for a bit for a nice campfire flavor in your mixed drink. Simply spread the sugar cubes on a sheet pan or screen and smoke for four to six hours.

A smoked sugar cube takes a regular old fashioned cocktail to a new level of flavor. Like a campfire in a glass.

No matter what you cold smoke, pick a day for it that’s below 60 degrees, load up your grill, and fill up your smoke tube or smoke box with pellets. Use a torch or strong lighter to light one end of the pellets and allow them to smolder with the lid closed. Don’t even start the grill. You aren’t after heat with this one, just the smoke flavor.