Palm wood

[the dude abides]

Not that I see many palm trees here in Iowa. But wondering what you southern folks use palm wood for? Can it be used for smoking? I've never heard anyone talk about it at all, so I was just curious?

 

[scpatterson]

The center of a palm tree is soft like a tater sort of(Hearts of Palm). I dont think you could really dry it to cook with properly

 

[meatball]

Would have to agree with scpatterson regarding the actual wood - it's not very "woody". Even the bark on the outside that falls off the trees doesn't seem like it would produce much smoke, would burn more like leaves do. The fronds are used to make decorative things sometimes and they dry out pretty good...but again it would be like smoking with leaves. Palm wood, from what I've heard, is used sometimes in construction, especially on Asian Pacific islands, and to create decorative crafty things and art, like plates and bowls and stuff like that. The sap can be fermented and made into palm wine, but I've only heard of islanders doing this and I've never seen it in Florida. But, like scpatterson said, the wood is too soft to burn.

 

[raceyb]

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Generally speaking, you want to use only hardwoods from fruit-bearing or nut-bearing trees. In my experience, fruit woods tend to impart a lighter smoke flavor, while the nut woods produce a stronger smoke flavor.[/font]

• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]acacia[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]alder[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]almond[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]apple[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]apricot[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]ash[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]bay[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]beech[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]birch[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]butternut[/font]

• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]cherry[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]chestnut[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]cottonwood[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]crabapple[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]fig[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]grapefruit[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]grapevine[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]guava[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]hackberry[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]hickory[/font]

• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]kiawe[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]lemon[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]lilac[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]madrone[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]manzanita[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]maple[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]mesquite[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]mulberry[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]nectarine[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]oak[/font]

• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]olive[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]orange[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]peach[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]pear[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]pecan[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]persimmon[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]pimento[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]plum[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]walnut[/font]
• [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]willow[/font]

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html

 

[fatback joe]

Yep.......eat it. It is called swamp cabbage down there and when it is made right it is excellent.

Swamp Cabbage Festival is in Feburary

http://swampcabbagefestival.org/index3.html