Liquid smoke: good and bad. Composition and application of liquid smoke

Smoked products (fish, sausages, meat) always look appetizing. Their scent is crazy. Many people are happy to buy smoked products, without thinking about how they are made. Usually liquid smoke is used for these purposes, the benefits and harm of which will be examined by us today. What goes into its composition? Where is the product used? How to Make Liquid Smoke Most? 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 generally very few people know what it is. Let's take care of everything together.

What is the technology for producing liquid smoke? This is due to the burning of wood. The resulting smoke is filtered. Special equipment cleans it of tar and tar, and then dissolves it in water. This is how liquid smoke is produced. The composition of the product depends on the materials used. Usually for these purposes, wood of bird-cherry, beech, alder or apple-tree is used. Liquid smoke goes on sale in the form of powdered mixtures, sprays and aromatic liquids bottled. Regardless of the form of production, this product belongs to the category of artificial flavors.

Application

Today, many people know that it is possible to smoke meat and fish not only in the traditional way, but also with the help of liquid smoke. Each of the two options has its minuses and pluses. We will talk about them some other time, but for now we are interested in liquid smoke. The use of this product is happening more often. The main goal is to improve the aroma and taste of fish, meat and various dishes.

Liquid smoke (application in cooking):

• As an additive to sauces ("Grill", "Barbecue" and others);
• To give an amazing flavor to second courses, soups and gravy;
• For snacks from fish and meat;
• For cooking delicacies in a microwave, multivark or oven;
• For marinating (smoking) meat products and fish products.

How to make liquid smoke yourself

Many of us have a weakness for smoked products. But the products presented in the shops do not always indicate the way they are manufactured. Some smoked products contain tar and carcinogens, which have a negative impact on the health and well-being of a person. Avoid unpleasant consequences can be, using natural flavoring "Liquid Smoke". It is sold in almost all supermarkets and chain stores. If you have not found this fragrance, then do not despair. Now we will tell you how to prepare liquid smoke yourself. We offer several options.

Method # 1 - obtaining liquid smoke from natural smoke

We need a cigarette and a frozen glass. What are the next steps? We light a cigarette, releasing the smoke into a glass. What will it give? Harmful pitches will settle on the walls of the glass. Smoke will get very thick, which means that it can easily be poured into another container or food.

Method number 2 - use of spices

We take soy sauce, seasoning "Curry", garlic and mayonnaise. Mix them in a deep cup (pial). We will get a marinade, in which you need to soak meat for a second course or a shish kebab. In this case, you can do without food additives. A great option for those who choose a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition.

Method number 3 - the original solution

A little sugar, a mixture of green and black tea, rice - all these ingredients must be wrapped in two layers of foil. We put it under the meat during extinguishing or frying. The resulting thick smoke will well prekoptit dish, improve its flavor and taste.

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

Liquid Smoke: Benefit and Harm

Doctors do not recommend taking a great interest in smoked products. And people suffering from liver and stomach diseases, it is necessary to reduce the use of such products to a minimum. These are general recommendations. But we are interested in liquid smoke. Benefit and harm - what is outweighed? Let's figure it out.

Let's start with a list of the positive qualities of liquid smoke. Firstly, it improves the flavor and flavor of second courses, soups, cheeses, fish and meat products. Secondly, in the composition of liquid smoke carcinogens, tar and tar are present in negligible amounts. Due to this, it is considered safer than natural smoke. Thirdly, smoking products with liquid smoke does not take much time.

Now let us single out the negative aspects. Here everything depends on the dose of the carcinogen. Some manufacturers deliberately overestimate the concentration of liquid smoke. This is done in order to smother the unpleasant smell of stale meat or fish. But a large dose of carcinogens is dangerous to human health. In some countries, the use of liquid smoke is prohibited. After all, he is considered the strongest carcinogen. In Russia, the permissible doses of this substance are not defined and are not regulated.

Liquid Smoke: Recipes

So, you bought a bottle with a flavor in the store. What to do next? We offer several recipes for the preparation of these delicacies.

Smoked chicken

Take a deep saucepan. Spread the chicken in it with the breast down. In a separate bowl, combine crushed garlic with black pepper. Sprinkle this mixture with meat. The consumption of products per 1 kg of chickens: 20 g of garlic and 4 g of ground pepper. Press the saucepan with meat load, fill with brine and leave for 14-16 hours. In the fridge is not necessary to clean. For the brine will be needed (per 1 liter): 10 tbsp. L of liquid smoke, 5 g of sugar and 50 g of salt. When the chickens are ready, we put sauce on them. It is made from 2 tbsp. L tomato paste and 1 tbsp. L of liquid smoke. We withstand 2 hours. Then we send the chickens into the oven and bake until ready. Meat is served to the table in both cold and hot form.

Cold boiled pork

1 kg of pork should be stuffed with garlic and carrots. Solim and pepper. Fill with liquid smoke (4 tbsp). That the meat is evenly soaked, it is necessary to massage it for 3 minutes. We wrap pork with foil, send it to the oven and bake until ready.

Smoked Ribs

Prepare a mixture of black pepper, chopped garlic and liquid smoke (4-5 tbsp). We rub her ribs (1 kg). We remove the meat in the refrigerator for a day. Then we take out and bake in the oven. You can serve ribs hot. They will be an excellent addition to the second dish. In the cold, smoked and baked ribs are an ideal snack for beer.

Sausages

Take sausages (sausages), remove them from the shell. We apply liquid smoke to the surface. We send the processed products to a microwave oven or to an oven. Bake until ready. The dish is served with garnish (rice, mashed potatoes, pasta).

Copt mackerel at home

We offer you a simple recipe. It is possible and at home to perform smoking of fish. Liquid smoke is one of the main ingredients. With strict adherence to the recipe, you will get a delicious and fragrant fish.

Grocery list:

• 4 tbsp. L of sugar;
• 2 kg of mackerel;
• vegetable oil;
• 5 tbsp. L of liquid smoke;
• 8 tbsp. L of salt;
• Onion husks ;
• Water - 2 liters;
• spice.

Preparation:

1. Frozen mackerel should lie in a bowl for a couple of hours at room temperature. After that, we need to start cleaning it. We cut off the head and extract all the insides. Rinse the fish with cold water.

2. We make brine. Take the pan, pour warm water, add sugar, husk, salt and favorite spices. Brine should be left for 15 minutes. Then remove from the plate and cool.

3. Add the above amount of liquid smoke to the brine. There we also omit the mackerel. Top cover and install a small bend. We put the pan and fish in the fridge for 4 days.

4. We take mackerel and dry it using paper napkins. Now hang it for 12 hours. Under the fish, you must put the pan in order to drain the fat.

5. At the end of the process, wrap the smoked fish in the food film. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.

How to identify foods cooked with liquid smoke

Today, the stores offer a huge selection of smoked products. The method of their preparation is indicated extremely rarely. But to distinguish the product of natural smoking from soaked in liquid smoke, everything is possible. We perform a visual inspection. The orange or golden color of the product, as well as its uneven coloring, indicate the use of liquid smoke. Smoked in a natural way, meat should have a dry surface, and not oily.

Afterword

Now you can easily prepare liquid smoke. The benefits and harms of this flavor were discussed in detail. Use it or not - it's up to you.