Sassafras in the smoker????

[Salmonsmoker]

Thursday, while driving home from work, I saw a roadside stand where they had ribs and chicken cooking in a large smoker (made from a 250 gal oil drum). Since smoked foods is something that I have a life-long passion for, I stopped to pick up dinner.

The smoke cloud from the smoker had a unique odor - it was not the usual Hickory, Oak, or Maple. I asked the vendor what wood he was using - he replied "Sassafras" - it gives the food a sweet flavor."

That was a new on for me, but something I had to try. So - last evening I fired up my smoker, filled the chip-pan with green Sassafras, and did some cheese that was waiting to be smoked.

From that first experiment I found that the flavor from Sassafras is light and sweet - however, it is also very mild and thus, needs more smoke than some other woods to get the heavy smoke flavor that I like. I will be trying it on fish next week and will let you know how it works.

If anyone else has a chance to try this, or has any experience with it, let me know.

Enjoy,

Salmonsmoker

[Tom222]

If you need any sassafras wood, stop by. I hate them. You kill one, and ten come to the funeral.
Keep us posted as to how it all works out. It would be nice to find a use for this weed tree.

[Moe]

It makes sense that it would give it a sweet flavor. They used to make sassafrass tea out of it somehow, but I don't know how. We've got a lot of dead sassafrass if ya ever run out!

[Big Al]

So how did the fish turn out Salmonsmoker? My parents have a couple hundred small sassafrass trees and I wouldn't be opposed to cutting a few down if there's a good use for them.

[Salmonsmoker]

Big Al

I tried it on some cheese. I thought it was good. Most of the people who sampled it did not like it as well as the hickory that I usually use. I need to go catch some fish then try it on them.

Salmonsmoker

[claybuster100]

Although I've never used it in a smoker, I have been using it for hotdog sticks for as lomg as I can remember. My dad taught me this trick when I was a little tyke ( about 40 yrs. ago ) and have been using it and passing it along ever since. The stick gets hot from the fire and the sap goes into the hotdog, mmmmgooood!!!

[Liver and Onions]

Salmonsmoker,
Are you sure that they were not using the roots for the chicken ? Sassafras tea is made from the roots and is very easy to make. Just find a few sassafras trees, wait until the ground thaws and then using an ax and shovel dig up some roots. After washing the roots, throw them into a container and heat(do not boil). Add a little sugar to taste. The roots can be dried and stored in a potato(or potatoe if you went to the Dan Qualye school of spelling) for later use.
L & O

[Salmonsmoker]

L & O,

It could be that they were using the roots. They didn't specify - maybe didn't want to give away their secrets. We do have a lot of Sassifras growing on our property - will give the roots a try later this spring.

Thanks for the suggestion

[multibeard]

Sassafras lumber has a real nice look to it, kind of yellow/ orange color. I have a decoy carved out of it and it is pretty sharp looking. When the leaves first start to come out try chewing some of them when they are still tender.-------While we are on trash trees my brothers father- in- law grew staghorn sumac in his yard. He fertilized it. When the biggest on died at 10 inced thru we took it and had it sawed on a band mill. That wood was some thing else. Part of it was a pretty green and in the loop of grain it turned to a soft brown color.

[Salmonsmoker]

Multibeard,

When in the woods, like an all-day mushroom hunt in the spring, we often chew on the bark of the green Sassafras twigs to waylay thirst. It works very well.

[trout]

A small warning!
Sassafras grows in the same soil as the dreaded Poison Ivy
So be careful.
Vines can and do climb the trees and the roots are below the suface too!
Scout your trees during the summer and make sure you can ID the unwanted poison ivy.
In a smoker the Ivy could cause some serious problems.
Not a common problem but you should be careful.

[Salmonsmoker]

Trout,

Excellent point. Poison Ivy would not be good in a smoker, or in Sassafras tea. The green bark on new growth is what I have used for the smoker, and for chewing when in the woods. For tea, I use the bark of new-growth roots.

[boltaction]

Salmonsmoker, you say you used green sassafras, was it the trunk or roots? Do you think you would loose the "sweet" flavor if you used dried sassafras? This is something I would like to try next time I smoke. I'm woundering if you would get a sweeter flavor if you used green wood from a tree in the spring when the sap is flowing?

[chuck44mag]

Going to give it a tyr this summer or spring. When the frost goes out I'll just take the quad out and pull me up some roots and all.

[Salmonsmoker]

boltaction,

I used the green twigs - put them directly on the coals. But that was just an addition to the 2/3 Red Oak : 1/3 Shagbark Hickory that is my usual smoking mix. Will try the roots later this spring.

[chuck44mag]

Do you just use the bark of the Shagbark Hickory Salmonsmoker?

[Salmonsmoker]

Chuck44mag,

Yes, only the bark - that is where the Hickory oils are most concentrated. It gives the smoked foods a nice tang. The Red Oak gives a more Earthy falvor - together they get many compliments.

[chuck44mag]

Thanks SS for all you info on this BB your a welth of info.

[Salmonsmoker]

Chuck,

Thanks - Lots of years of experience - the only advantage that I've found for being an old fart.