Classic liquid smoke. Liquid smoke: composition and use, benefits and harms

Everyone tries to save, write down, improve the recipes of their favorite dishes and, of course, reveal them to their acquaintances and friends. Various smoked products were no exception. They are loved for their unsurpassed taste, aroma that combines the smell of meat or fish with the smell of smoke, as well as beneficial properties that can be listed for a long time.

Even without special knowledge about the procedure for smoking fish, it is not difficult to guess that you can get a natural delicacy in a specially equipped smokehouse. It is usually set up on the backyard of a private house, so a certain category of people who live in apartments or simply do not have the opportunity to fully smoke fish mistakenly believe that they are not destined to try home-made smoked meats.

Recipes that allow you to imitate smoking will help destroy stereotypes. They are based on substances that give the product a color, smell, and sometimes even taste similar to smoked meats.

Folk craftsmen perfectly depict smoked fish using tea, sugar, and soy sauce. In a word, all products are used that do not harm the body and can bring the taste of cold or hot smoked fish closer to the taste. On sale you can find a special liquid called “liquid smoke”. More and more fish recipes involve this ingredient. We will reveal several secrets that will allow you to cook fish yourself, the taste of which is similar to the result of exposure to natural smoke.

Composition and use of purchased product

Liquid smoke is added directly to the product, since it is relatively harmless to the body. Here the term “relatively” is due to the fact that, by and large, harmful substances can be found in every product.

This flavoring is an aqueous solution of wood decay products. The material used is alder, bird cherry, beech or aspen.

The smoke from the smoldering of these tree species after condensation is presented in the form of soluble and insoluble fractions in water. The condensate goes through several stages of purification, as a result of which solid particles, tar, ash and harmful hydrocarbons are removed. The complex process of preparing the substance does not end there. The smoke solution is once again purified and goes through the distillation stage. Additional flavorings are added to it, and only after that the liquid extract is infused until fully cooked.

Liquid smoke in Russia is of industrial importance. Many food industry enterprises use it to prepare smoked cheeses, meats and fish in order to simplify the process and, as a result, reduce production costs. It is also available for free sale. Many people prefer to smoke fish with liquid smoke, spending a minimum of money and a couple of hours of time, rather than going out of town and starting the complex and lengthy process of natural smoking.

Hot smoking

It is more difficult to imitate hot smoking of fish than cold smoking, since you will have to perform two fundamental operations: saturate the fibers with flavoring and bring the fish to a state of readiness at an elevated temperature.

The cooking process begins as usual with cutting and salting the carcasses. You can smoke fish with liquid smoke both before and after baking. First, let's look at a popular recipe in which the fish should be smoked first.

• It must be remembered that with natural smoking the smoke penetrates deeper into the fibers, so large carcasses will have to be cut. This can be done by cutting them in half along the spine or by making cuts along the back. Salting fish will not take much time, because subsequent temperature treatment will reliably rid the meat of microorganisms. The carcass is rubbed with a mixture of salt and pepper, then sent to the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
• Salted fish contains a lot of salt on the surface. They get rid of it by soaking. All carcasses are immersed in water for 1-2 hours and then dried.
• Smoking with liquid smoke will not take long. The liquid is poured into a container so that it is convenient to immerse the whole fish in it. For large carcasses, exposure to flavoring for three minutes will be sufficient. Smaller fish are immersed in the concentrate for even less time.
• Now it’s time to give the fish the consistency it would have under the influence of temperature. In simple words, it must be baked in the oven or in a slow cooker.

After correctly carried out manipulations, all that remains is to enjoy the delicious dish. Let’s not hide it, there is still a difference in taste with naturally smoked fish. However, if you weigh the savings in time and money, you can overlook such inaccuracies.

• An alternative way to salt fish before the smoking process is to marinate it in brine. First you need to prepare the marinade, it is made in vegetable oil with the addition of lemon juice. Remember that wild garlic, dill, thyme, and garlic go well with the taste of fish. All spices are added to taste.
• If you decide to smoke river fish, then you may have to get rid of the specific smell of algae. A solution of vinegar essence removes unpleasant odors well and breaks down fibers, but it is undesirable to use it, because it itself has an unpleasant odor; lemon juice will take on this role.
• You only need to add a few tablespoons of smoky extract to the liquid marinade. This will be quite enough, since it is not recommended to use chemicals in large quantities. There are even recipes in which liquid smoke is applied to the carcasses during ventilation using a sprayer.
• Further, the algorithm will be identical to that described. Many housewives prefer to use a convection oven; it will prevent the fish from burning, baking it evenly on all sides.

There is a radically opposite way to cook smoked fish at home. First, it is salted or marinated, and then baked in the oven, and only the cooked fish meat is treated with liquid smoke. Split fibers allow liquid to pass freely, so there is no need to soak the fish for a long time. After it has been in the flavoring for a couple of minutes, it should be dried and ready to be served.

Cold smoking

It is even easier to imitate cold smoking using a smoky extract than hot smoking. All you need to do is follow the salting technology. The principle is that the fish is salted and becomes suitable for consumption. Then, with the help of a flavoring agent, it acquires the desired taste.

Salting fish can be done with either dry or liquid marinade. With simple salting, the carcass is cut along the ridge into two parts. Each piece is generously sprinkled with salt and pepper. If you are preparing fatty fish (chum salmon, mackerel), then the pieces are wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator. For fish with fibrous meat, you will have to prepare pressure.

The salted fish is soaked in water to remove excess salt. The total salting time is distributed as follows: the fish lies in the refrigerator for about a day, soaks for 2-3 hours. At this stage, we have received a semi-finished product for natural smoking, smoking with liquid smoke or for drying. The salt had time to be absorbed into the fibers, so the fish became edible.

It is not recommended to place fish in a concentrated solution of the extract, so it must be diluted in the following ratio: five tablespoons of the substance per liter of water. The carcasses should lie in the resulting liquid for several minutes. They are then removed and dried again. In a day, the dish will be ready to eat.

Benefit or harm

There are many opinions on this issue. Looking ahead, we note that there is no single positioning of the additive as harmful or beneficial compared to natural smoking. There is the fact that there is no tar and ash in the solution. These elements are considered the most harmful to the body, so supporters of the use of liquid smoke use facts to highlight the benefits of the extract.

Doctors have a different opinion on this matter; they believe that consuming smoked products is fraught with the development of cancer. Liquid smoke in this regard can aggravate the situation significantly.

In a number of European countries, such flavorings are prohibited. Here in Russia, they are not only freely available, but also used on an industrial scale. This is economically beneficial, but few people think about what is more harmful. The fact that the extract is made from natural smoke makes the buyer trust the product. Fans of active recreation will not exchange the crackling of wood in the fire or the bustle around the barbecue for anything.

Liquid smoke is a natural or artificial flavoring. With its help, at home or in an industrial workshop, you can give meat and fish the taste and appearance of smoked products. It is a dark brown concentrate with a smoky odor.

How to smoke lard in liquid smoke

There are two options for preparing lard using liquid smoke:

it can be cooked for a long time, then it will lose its elasticity and become soft, such a product is pure fat;

cook for a short amount of time, in which case the finished product will remain elastic, will closely match the consistency of the raw product, and will retain a maximum of vitamins and microelements.

Fresh lard

Let's consider the second option for preparing the product. To smoke lard according to this recipe, you will need:

lard itself;

liquid smoke;

two containers, one of which is suitable for cooking;

spices to taste and onion peels - if desired, give the finished lard a rich shade of smoked product.

The smoking process itself is as follows:

add salt to the water at the rate of 100 g per liter;

You can also add onion peels to give the finished lard a rich color;

boil water; if onion peels were added, boil for 5 minutes;

remove from heat, add liquid smoke at the rate of 65 ml per liter of water;

at this stage you can also add spices to taste;

place the lard in an enamel bowl;

pour it with the previously prepared brine with liquid smoke and cover with a lid.

The lard should be left in the brine for 12 hours. After this, it must be wiped dry with napkins. To further dry the product, it can be left in the shade, preferably in a draft, for several hours.

Smoked lard

The finished product should be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. Before storing it, you can grate it with black or red pepper.

How to smoke fish in liquid smoke

To make the finished fish tastier, it is better to pre-soak it for several hours. For smoking you will need:

any type of fish;

liquid smoke;

1 potato;

2 deep containers.

Smoked fish

Smoking instructions

Gut and clean the fish, rinse it under running water. If it is large, cut it into two parts along the spine, and also make transverse cuts along the sides. Small fish do not need to be cut; moreover, they don’t even need to be gutted.

Prepare the brine. To do this, place a raw potato in water and add salt until it floats to the surface. If potatoes float in brine, this means that its concentration is optimal.

Place the fish prepared with brine, cover with oppression and place in a cool place for several hours.

After salting is completed, take out the fish and dip it in liquid smoke: for fish divided into two parts along the ridge with side cuts, 15 seconds is enough, for small fish - a minute, for large fish that you smoke whole - 3 minutes.

Hang the fish in a cool place for a day.

When 24 hours have passed, the product can be eaten.

Smoking meat in liquid smoke

Raw meat

For smoking you will need:

meat - 1 kg;

liquid smoke - 3 tablespoons;

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;

1 onion;

salt to taste;

spices - you can use parsley, dried mint, oregano and other seasonings to taste.

To prepare smoked meat with liquid smoke, it must first be marinated. To do this, cut it into portions, pour liquid smoke over it and rub with salt. After this, put the meat in a cool place for half an hour so that it is saturated with flavor and absorbs salt.

After this, pour vegetable oil and spices over it and wrap each piece in foil. Place the meat on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees. Serve with any side dish to your taste - it can be vegetable salad, potatoes, boiled rice.

Smoked meat

You can also cook meat with liquid smoke and tomato paste in a frying pan. For this you will need:

1 kg of meat;

2 tablespoons of liquid smoke;

3 tablespoons of tomato paste;

onions - 2 heads;

carrots - 2 pieces.

Cut the meat into cubes, pour liquid smoke and mix with tomato paste. Leave it in a cool place for half an hour to marinate. After these preparations, you can proceed directly to cooking:

cut the onion into rings and fry until golden brown;

fry the carrots until they are soft;

Place the meat on a hot frying pan; when it releases the juice, reduce the heat, add onions and carrots, add salt and simmer until done.

To give the dish a piquant sour taste, you can add a little more tomato paste to it when stewing. An excellent side dish for this meat would be fried mushrooms, as well as potatoes, buckwheat or crumbly rice.

How to smoke chicken

Delicious chicken smoked with liquid smoke can be cooked in the oven. For this you will need:

whole chicken carcass;

ingredients for marinade: 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, mayonnaise, half a lemon.

Chicken carcass

To smoke chicken in the oven with liquid smoke, you need:

cut the carcass along the ridge and rinse it well under running water;

mix all the ingredients for marinating in a suitable bowl, coat the chicken with the resulting marinade, put the dishes in the refrigerator for a day;

Over the course of a day, the chicken will be well soaked in the marinade, after which it must be baked in the oven.

To get a delicious chicken carcass smoked with liquid smoke, you need to place it in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

Smoked chicken

To make the chicken carcass more appetizing, you can apply a special sauce with liquid smoke to it before putting it in the oven. To prepare it you will need:

2 tablespoons of liquid smoke;

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise;

4 cloves of garlic.

It is better to press the garlic. In this case, you will get a homogeneous paste that can be used to cover the outside of the carcass, as well as inside the cut running along the spine.

How to smoke a rabbit

To cook a rabbit you will need:

medium-sized carcass;

liquid smoke;

• spices: pepper, bay leaf, cilantro, parsley are suitable to add flavor to the meat; onions and carrots can also be used to add flavor and aroma.

Rabbit carcass

The carcass should be washed under the tap and cut into portions, and then soaked in water with the addition of vinegar until the meat turns white. Before soaking in water, the fat can be cut off - in this case, the dish will be less fatty, but also less juicy.

After this pre-treatment, you can proceed directly to cooking:

pieces of meat should be placed in an enamel pan;

pour water so that it covers the rabbit completely;

bring water to a boil;

remove the foam and add salt, add liquid smoke at the rate of 5 tablespoons per 1 kilogram of meat;

You also need to place onions, carrots, peppers, bay leaves, parsley, and cilantro in the pan;

simmer over low heat for 50 minutes.

After this time, to add flavor, if desired, the meat can be coated with a mixture of white wine and crushed garlic.

Meat) always look appetizing. Their aroma drives you crazy. Many people are happy to buy smoked meats without thinking about how they are made. Typically, liquid smoke is used for these purposes, the benefits and harms of which will be discussed today. What does it contain? Where is the product used? How to make liquid smoke yourself? The answers to these questions are contained in the article.

Composition of the product

Surely you have heard such a phrase as liquid smoke. The composition of this product is unknown to many. And in general, few people know what it is. Let's figure it out together.

What is the technology for producing liquid smoke? This happens as a result of burning wood. The resulting smoke is filtered. Special equipment cleans it of tar and resin, and then dissolves it in water. This produces liquid smoke. depends on the materials used. Typically, bird cherry, beech, alder or apple wood is used for these purposes. Liquid smoke is sold in the form of powdered mixtures, sprays and bottled aromatic liquids. Regardless of the form of release, this product belongs to the category of artificial flavors.

Application

Today, many people know that fish can be cooked not only in the traditional way, but also with the help of liquid smoke. Each of the two options has its own pros and cons. We'll talk about them another time, but for now we're interested in liquid smoke. The use of this product is becoming increasingly common. The main goal is to improve the aroma and taste of fish, meat and various dishes.

Liquid smoke (use in cooking):

• as an additive to sauces (“Grill”, “Barbecue” and others);
• to add amazing flavor to main courses, soups and gravies;
• for fish and meat appetizers;
• for preparing delicacies in the microwave, multicooker or oven;
• for marinating (smoking) meat and fish products.

How to make your own liquid smoke

Many of us have a weakness for smoked meats. But the products presented in stores do not always indicate how they are made. Some smoked products contain resins and carcinogens that have a negative impact on human health and well-being. You can avoid unpleasant consequences by using natural “Liquid Smoke” flavoring. It is sold in almost all supermarkets and chain stores. If you haven’t found this flavoring agent, then don’t despair. Now we will tell you how to prepare liquid smoke yourself. We offer several options.

Method No. 1 - producing liquid smoke from natural smoke

We'll need a cigarette and a frozen glass. What are the next steps? Light a cigarette, releasing smoke into the glass. What will it give? Harmful resins will settle on the walls of the glass. The smoke will be very thick, which means it can easily be poured into another container or onto food.

Method number 2 - using spices

Take soy sauce, curry seasoning, garlic and mayonnaise. Mix them in a deep cup (bowl). We will have a marinade in which we need to soak the meat for main courses or barbecue. In this case, you can do without a nutritional supplement. An excellent option for those who choose a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition.

Method number 3 - original solution

A little sugar, a mixture of green and black tea, rice - all these ingredients need to be wrapped in two layers of foil. Place under meat while stewing or frying. The resulting thick smoke will smoke the dish well, improving its aroma and taste.

Now you know how to make liquid smoke in three ways. Choose any of them and proceed to the practical part.

Liquid smoke: benefits and harms

Doctors do not recommend getting carried away with smoked meats. And people suffering from liver and stomach diseases need to reduce the consumption of such products to a minimum. These are general recommendations. But we are interested in liquid smoke. Benefits and harms - which outweighs? Let's figure it out.

Let's start by listing the positive qualities of liquid smoke. Firstly, it improves the aroma and taste of main courses, soups, cheeses, fish and meat products. Secondly, carcinogens, tar and resins are present in liquid smoke in negligible quantities. Due to this, it is considered safer than natural smoke. Thirdly, smoking food with liquid smoke does not take much time.

Now let's highlight the negative points. It all depends on the dose of the carcinogen. Some manufacturers deliberately overestimate the concentration of liquid smoke. This is done in order to eliminate the unpleasant smell of stale meat or fish. But a large dose of carcinogens is dangerous to human health. In a number of countries, the use of liquid smoke is prohibited. After all, it is considered a strong carcinogen. In Russia, permissible doses of this substance are not defined or regulated.

Liquid smoke: recipes

So, you purchased a bottle of flavoring in the store. What to do next? We offer several recipes for preparing real delicacies.

Smoked chicken

Take a deep saucepan. Place the chickens in it, breast side down. In a separate bowl, combine chopped garlic with black pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the meat. Product consumption per 1 kg of chickens: 20 g garlic and 4 g ground pepper. Press down the pan with meat with a weight, fill it with brine and leave for 14-16 hours. There is no need to put it in the refrigerator. For the brine you will need (per 1 liter): 10 tbsp. l liquid smoke, 5 g sugar and 50 g salt. When the chickens are ready, apply the sauce to them. It is made from 2 tbsp. l tomato paste and 1 tbsp. l liquid smoke. Let stand for 2 hours. Then send and bake until fully cooked. Meat is served both cold and hot.

Buzhenina

1 kg of pork should be stuffed with garlic and carrots. Salt and pepper. Fill with liquid smoke (4 tbsp). To ensure that the meat is evenly soaked, you need to massage it for 3 minutes. Wrap the pork in foil, place in the oven and bake until done.

Smoked ribs

Prepare a mixture of black pepper, chopped garlic and liquid smoke (4-5 tbsp). Rub the ribs (1 kg) with it. Place the meat in the refrigerator for a day. Then we take it out and bake it in the oven. You can serve the ribs hot. They will be a great addition to the second course. When cold, smoked and baked ribs are an ideal beer snack.

Sausages

Take sausages (sausages), remove the casing from them. Apply liquid smoke to the surface. We send processed foods or into the oven. Bake until fully cooked. The dish is served with a side dish (rice, mashed potatoes, pasta).

We smoke mackerel at home

We offer you a simple recipe. You can also do it at home. Liquid smoke is one of the main ingredients. If you strictly follow the recipe, you will get a tasty and aromatic fish.

Grocery list:

Preparation:

1. Frozen mackerel should sit in a plate at room temperature for a couple of hours. After this, you need to start cleaning it. We cut off the head and remove all the insides. Rinse the fish with cold water.

2. Make the brine. Take a pan, pour warm water, add sugar, husks, salt and your favorite spices. The brine should boil for 15 minutes. Next, remove from the stove and cool.

3. Add the above amount of liquid smoke to the brine. We put the mackerel in there. Cover the top with a lid and set a slight pressure. Place the pan with fish in the refrigerator for 4 days.

4. Take out the mackerel and dry it using paper napkins. Now we hang it for 12 hours. Be sure to place a baking tray under the fish so that the fat can drain there.

5. To complete the process, wrap the smoked fish in cling film. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.

How to identify foods cooked with liquid smoke

Today, stores offer a huge selection of smoked meats. The method of their preparation is indicated extremely rarely. But it is possible to distinguish a naturally smoked product from one soaked in liquid smoke. We carry out a visual inspection. An orange or golden color of the product, as well as uneven coloration, indicate the use of liquid smoke. Naturally smoked meat should have a dry surface, not an oily one.

Afterword

Now you can easily prepare liquid smoke. The benefits and harms of this flavoring have been discussed in detail by us. Whether to use it or not is up to you.

You can smoke food not only with natural smoke. It’s easier, more economical and safer for health to do this using a special one.

Liquid smoke and its benefits

Like regular smoke, liquid smoke increases the shelf life of foods and imparts smoky flavor, color, and aroma. However, it has one undeniable advantage - unlike natural smoke, it does not contain benzopyrene and other carcinogenic substances that can cause cancer.

The use of liquid smoke allows you to regulate the degree and intensity of smoking of products, ensuring their stable quality.

Cold smoked lard

Pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan, dissolve 4 tablespoons of kitchen salt in it, and then add one handful of onion peels. The husk must be present; it will give the finished product a yellowish-golden color.

After boiling the saline solution with the husks, let it simmer for 5-6 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Cut one kilogram into large pieces and place them in a spacious enamel pan so that there is a gap of about half a centimeter between the pieces.

Add 6 tablespoons of liquid smoke to the hot brine, stir and pour the lard over it until it is completely covered with the solution.

Place the pan on the fire. After bringing the brine to a boil, reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer for half an hour. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a cool place for 12-14 hours.

After the specified time has passed, remove the lard from the solution, wipe dry with napkins or dry in a draft. All that remains is to thoroughly rub each piece on all sides with red ground pepper and garlic gruel. Smoked lard is ready!

Smoking fish with liquid smoke

Wash fish intended for smoking thoroughly, clean and gut it.

Cut it into two parts along the vertebral ridge, or cut it from the inside along the ridge so that the two halves remain connected only by the spinal fin.

You can also make cuts from the inside of the carcass, this way the fish will be better saturated with brine. Small fish does not need to be gutted, just wash it thoroughly in running water.

Place the fish tightly in a plastic or enamel container, fill it with brine prepared from 1 liter of water, 3 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar, and then place under pressure in a cool place for 24 hours.

After a day, remove the fish from the brine, rinse with water and hang to dry for 2-3 hours.

Mix 5 tablespoons of liquid smoke with 1 liter of water and dip the salted fish into the prepared solution. For large fish, the residence time in the flavoring is 2-3 minutes, for small fish - 1 minute, and for a fish divided in two, 20 seconds is enough.

Hanging the fish by the tail, let it dry for 24 hours. After the specified time has passed, you can begin taking the sample.

Enjoy your meal!

Manufacturers of liquid smoke claim that the product is completely harmless, since it is obtained as a result of a special method of processing smoke from the smoldering of natural wood and its composition is almost completely free of harmful resins and carcinogenic substances. Liquid smoke produced in industrial conditions undergoes multi-stage purification; the quality of the product and the content of harmful substances in it are closely monitored by product safety control services.

You can use liquid smoke at the beginning of cooking or after the meat or fish has already been baked - to do this, coat it on top, wrap it in foil or cover the dish with a lid and leave for 10-15 minutes.

The package of liquid smoke usually comes with a small collection of recipes for dishes that can be prepared using it. Mackerel marinated in liquid smoke turns out to be very tasty; this recipe can help out the housewife on the eve of the holiday, when she wants to pamper her family with delicious smoked fish, but does not have a smokehouse.

You will need:

2 pcs. fresh mackerel;
- 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
- 1 liter of water;
- 2 handfuls of onion peels;
- 5 tbsp. l. salt;
- 2-3 peas of black ground pepper and cloves;
- 150 ml of liquid smoke.

The fish must be gutted, the entrails removed, and if desired, the head and tail can be cut off. At the same time, you need to prepare the brine for the marinade: pour water into a saucepan, add sugar, salt, add onion skins, spices, bring to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove the marinade from the heat, cool and add liquid smoke to it. Place the prepared mackerel in a separate container, fill it with this solution and put it in the refrigerator for a day.

After this time, remove the fish from the brine, wipe with paper towels, cut into portions and place on a dish. To add shine, you can rub the mackerel with vegetable oil and decorate the dish with lemon, herbs and vegetables.

You can prepare lard at home, which will closely match the taste and structure of the smoked product, but can be stored for a longer time than that prepared by hot smoking. It is better to use lard with layers of meat.

The recipe for the marinade is prepared similarly to that for mackerel; various spices are added to the brine to taste (optional), and liquid smoke is added at the end of cooking. The lard, cut into portions, is placed in an enamel bowl and filled with hot brine. Cover the pan with a lid and place in a cool place for 12-15 hours. After this, remove the pieces of lard from the brine, dry them with paper towels and rub them with red or black ground pepper on all sides, trying to rub the powder into the pores. The lard needs to be kept at room temperature for 25-30 minutes, then you can put the product in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator or freezer.