# Can I use choke cherry wood



## timmyt509 (Jun 8, 2010)

Just wondering if I could use choke cherry wood for smoking? It has been dead for 3-4 years but it has not been cut down. I may even be willing to trade for another type of wood. thanks for helping.


----------



## TulsaJeff (Jun 8, 2010)

Yes you sure can..

Most ornamental fruit woods can be used just like their bearing counterparts.


----------



## TulsaJeff (Jun 8, 2010)

The fact that it has been dead for so long could mean the wood will not be the best for producing good smoke. Worth a try though.


----------



## timmyt509 (Jun 8, 2010)

thank you I have only been smoking for 2 years and was not sure i just want to make sure that it would not hurt anything. The wood has no fungus or anything like that.


----------



## cliffcarter (Jun 9, 2010)

The info that I find says that chokecherry may produce a bitter taste. Look here under cherry-

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/guide-for-woods-used-to-smoke-food


----------



## ak1 (Jun 9, 2010)

You should be good to go! Just go easy with it, as too much can produce a bitter flavour.


----------



## mballi3011 (Jun 9, 2010)

Now thats up to the experts then. Ok who are the experts: Dutch, Jeff, Bbally, Jerry, Dan, Bob and many others. It's their call...

Jeff says yes


----------



## timmyt509 (Jun 9, 2010)

ok so I got a 50/50 chance that it will be good. I think I will try it but lightly with a stronger wood such as hickory and make some damn good bbq. I am glad to find a chat room for bbq. Trust me when I say this where I am from in Nebraska ther are people that smoke and thier food does not taste good, either it is to salty or dry. I really want to learn all I can because I have a passion for food and maybe that is why some like my food. All I have learned from smoking is from books so it is great to have a site like this where I can get some good info. I want to make mistakes because that is the way I learn best what not to do but I really want to thank everybody for helping me this is what it really is all about having true smokers come together to learn and share from each other.


----------



## pineywoods (Jun 9, 2010)

Cherry of all kinds is a very good flavor as long as you keep it to Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) just like all wood


----------



## cliffcarter (Jun 10, 2010)

timmyt509 said:


> Just wondering if I could use choke cherry wood for smoking? It has been dead for 3-4 years but it has not been cut down. I may even be willing to trade for another type of wood. thanks for helping.







TulsaJeff said:


> Yes you sure can..
> 
> Most ornamental fruit woods can be used just like their bearing counterparts.







cliffcarter said:


> The info that I find says that chokecherry may produce a bitter taste. Look here under cherry-
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/guide-for-woods-used-to-smoke-food







Pineywoods said:


> Cherry of all kinds is a very good flavor as long as you keep it to Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) just like all wood


*timmyt509, *just out of curiosity how big is this tree that you are talking about?

In the 4+ years that I have been researching about and learning to cook BBQ I have seen the smoke wood list that I linked in my previous post many times.

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14774

http://www.texasbbqforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1346

http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/8.html

That this list has been propagated so widely leads me to believe that the information contained in it is believed to be valid by many authorities.

That chokecherry "may produce a bitter flavor" is seen as important to note by the author of this list should also be taken as a valid statement, at least until proven otherwise.

Has anyone ever used choke cherry as BBQ wood?


----------



## timmyt509 (Jun 10, 2010)

The chokecherry size is around 4"- 5" diameter and the length is probably 8-10'. There are several of them and I can also cut a few fresh ones.


----------



## eman (Jun 10, 2010)

I have used the commercially available cherry chips in My MES and have found that even those will cause a bitter taste when used to heavily.

 I have gotten away from cherry and have not used it in the last few smokes i have done.

 as for choke cherry i don't believe that it will harm you but i would try it on a small inexspensive smoke b4 trying it on a prime rib.


----------



## hookup (Jun 10, 2010)

I use allot of cherry because ..... IT"S FREE.

Typically if a piece of wood is mealy I wont use it.  But nice hard wood, go for it!


----------



## ak1 (Jun 10, 2010)

timmyt509 said:


> The chokecherry size is around 4"- 5" diameter and the length is probably 8-10'. There are several of them and I can also cut a few fresh ones.


As long as the aged wood is not mealy you're good to go. I wouldn't use the fresh wood just because there will be a lot of sap/moisture in it, and it will produce a lot of thick smoke.


----------



## ak1 (Jun 10, 2010)

cliffcarter said:


> *timmyt509, *just out of curiosity how big is this tree that you are talking about?
> 
> In the 4+ years that I have been researching about and learning to cook BBQ I have seen the smoke wood list that I linked in my previous post many times.
> 
> ...


Thing is, that list is not the "be all/end all" of smoking woods.There are many variables; time, temp etc. 

If you look at the list, it says you shouldn't smoke with Cedar. Ever heard of Cedar planked salmon?

There are areas in Germany where it's common to grill sausage over pine cones or even pine wood.

Obviously you shouldn't grill/smoke with any wood that releases toxins such as eucalyptus, or oleander.

With chokecherry the post says "may" introduce a bitter flavour. That word "may" doesn't sound definitive to me.

You also state that " should also be taken as a valid statement, at least until proven otherwise".  Why? Should it not be taken as an invalid statement, until proven otherwise?


----------



## cliffcarter (Jun 10, 2010)

> With chokecherry the post says "may" introduce a bitter flavour. That word "may" doesn't sound definitive to me.
> 
> You also state that " should also be taken as a valid statement, at least until proven otherwise".  Why? Should it not be taken as an invalid statement, until proven otherwise?


"may" simply introduces a caveat to smoking with chokecherry- it may produce a bitter taste. It is not meant to be an outright ban.

The author intended this to be a valid statement, if you wish to disprove it you should start with the hypothesis "if you smoke meat with chokecherry wood, then the meat will have a bitter flavor" and attempt to disprove it experimentally.

All I am attempting to do is point out information in response to a question posed here, just as you are.


----------



## ak1 (Jun 10, 2010)

cliffcarter said:


> "may" simply introduces a caveat to smoking with chokecherry- it may produce a bitter taste. It is not meant to be an outright ban.
> 
> The author intended this to be a valid statement, if you wish to disprove it you should start with the hypothesis "if you smoke meat with chokecherry wood, then the meat will have a bitter flavor" and attempt to disprove it experimentally.
> 
> All I am attempting to do is point out information in response to a question posed here, just as you are.


My apologies if my post came out sounding patronizing to your post. It was never meant that way. 

My point is/was that your post made it seem (IMO) that chokecherry shouldn't be used because it may impart a bitter taste.  

If the original author intended it as a valid statement, it's up to him/her to prove it unequivocally. Not use words like "may".  Any wood can give a bitter taste, depending on amount used, cure time, one's taste...etc.


----------



## cliffcarter (Jun 10, 2010)

No apologies needed, I was not offended. You are correct about our unknown author's equivocation on  chokecherry, perhaps he was only working on word of mouth and not actual experience. Maybe timmyt509  will cook with some and post the results and we will get a better answer.


----------

