Peach wood

[new2que]

Just smoked a chicken on my UDS using peach chunks... I dont see it mentioned too much around here (maybe because its only readily available in the SE), but it turned out great.  Light flavor even when the fire kicked up and some heavy smoke came out before it tuned back into the TBS.  I'd highly recommend it.

 

[pineywoods]

Glad you liked it. I think you nailed it when you said its hard to come by for most of us and that's why its not used by many of us

 

[alblancher]

I like peach wood also.  I have 15 trees and when it is time to trim I get enough wood for a couple of months of smokes.  I have been out West and was surprised to see them using Grape wood, used wine barrel staves, etc.  Find what available locally and go with it.

 

[dale5351]

My worst smoke ever was years ago using peach wood.  I was using a charcoal R2D2 / Cajun smoker.  The chicken breasts I smoked were very bitter tasting.  I had gotten the wood from a pick-it-yourself farm not too far from us.  They had trimed the peach trees and piled the wood on the ground.  That put me off of ever trying peach again -- for a long time.

I asked about it here on the forum not long ago, and the response was favorable.  I received some peach sawdust from Todd, the A-Maze-N smoke guy.   Tried it for cold smoking cheese, along with two other wood types.  I have to say that the peach dust was good -- although I don't know that I liked it any better or less than the other two.

I am now reasonably certain that the problem with that smoke was not the type of wood.  It might have been that the orchard had a lot of insecticide on the wood.  Most likely, it was that I over smoked and got creosote chicken instead of thin blue smoke chicken.

So -- my advice is go ahead and try it. 

 

[dale5351]

I like peach wood also.  I have 15 trees and when it is time to trim I get enough wood for a couple of months of smokes.  I have been out West and was surprised to see them using Grape wood, used wine barrel staves, etc.  Find what available locally and go with it.

What do you do to turn the tree trimmings into wood chips?  What sort of smoker do you use? (i.e. does it use chips, or chunks, or sawdust).

 

[alblancher]

The branches I trim are anything from 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter,  I just cut to length or chunk and place in smoker.  I have used some one year old wood (whips) in the smoker as flavor instead of fuel and they seem to have done pretty well also but the fire burns a bit hotter then I like.  I try to use splits in my small offset.

Al

 

[dale5351]

Thanks.

I have a large crabapple tree in my front yard.  I'm trying to figure out how I might turn trimmings into wood chips suitable for using in my MES.  Don't think it would take large branches too well:-}}

 

[geek with fire]

I think it is important to note with Peach (and most other fruit woods) that if you use a large stick burner you can use green peach wood.  But for most small smokers including drums, the peach wood needs to be well seasoned.  I let mine season for 4-6 months before I even think about using it.  Otherwise, you will get that bitter flavor.

 

[tjohnson]

Hey Dale,

I've always had a chipper shredder around, and I bet you a neighbor has one you could borrow.  I know you can rent on, but "Free" is always a better deal!!!

Todd

 

[mballi3011]

Yes I really like peach wood and I can get alot of it here in north fla. Now it is a nice and smooth smoke flavor too.

 

[splitshot]

Thinking of putting some peach on my next Fruita order, anyone use it on brisket?

 

[mneeley490]

Thinking of putting some peach on my next Fruita order, anyone use it on brisket?

I have not tried it on brisket, but I have used it with pork ribs, chicken, and cheese. It is a very sweet smelling smoke, and tastes great. Not sure how the flavor profile would match up to beef, though.

 

[smoke happens]

Peach and Apple are staples in my smoker. I use mainly Todd's pellets now though, and his peach pellets work great. I love peach on cheese, really mellow and smooth smoke. I think you would be fine using it in beef, depending on your rub you may only pick up the smokey flavor though and it will be subtle not strong.

For my taste buds and the woods I have used to date, Mesquite is on one end of the flavor/intensity chart and Peach is on the other.