Wood For Smoking Salmon

Alder offers a pure clean flavor that perfectly complements the delicateness of flaky salmon.

Wood for smoking salmon. One of the best woods for smoking salmon and other seafood is alder. It is widely thought that fish should be smoked with mild wood like cherry or apple but I disagree. Indigenous to the northwestern United States it is the traditional wood for smoking salmon.

An alternative for salmon is maple wood. Alder gives the best mild flavor to the salmon but apple or cherry can also work. Alder produces a very mild smoke flavor and doesnt burn too hot which is ideal for salmon.

I use stronger woods like hickory or mesquite. Wood chips for smoking are easy to find at hardware stores some grocery stores and online. Best Wood for Hot Smoked Salmon From my experiences fruit woods like apple cherry grape and pear work incredible well.

Alder is a very traditional wood for salmon but I have had great success with cherry as well. Just keep the smoke light fish can get overpowered very fast by the smokey flavor. Best Wood for Smoking Salmon.

You will want to smoke your fish about an hour for thin fillets and as long as four hours for big slabs of sturgeon or tuna belly. In my experience large trout or char as well as pink sockeye and silver salmon need 8 hours. Oak or maple I consider a medium wood it does work out well also.

When you use a strong wood you can infuse the smoked flavor into your fish faster with less wood. Almond gives a nutty sweet flavor that is good with all meats. Another advantage of strong wood is less maintaining of your smoker.