Cold smoking is often seen as a mysterious art, shrouded in scientific jargon and requiring specialised equipment. However, the truth is that cold smoking is an accessible culinary technique that offers incredible flavour rewards. In this guide, we'll simplify the process and help you discover how easy and satisfying it can be.

Originally, cold smoking was used to preserve food, especially meats and fish, in times when refrigeration wasn’t available. Today, however, it's more about enhancing flavours, textures, and colours, making foods like bacon, salmon, cheese, and even oils taste extraordinary.

While store-bought smoked foods are readily available, they often contain additives and artificial flavours. Cold smoking at home lets you control exactly what goes into your food, ensuring a pure, natural taste.

Cold smoking primarily adds flavour to foods, rather than preserving them, as in the past. The technique involves curing, drying, and smoking foods at low temperatures (between 10-29°C), ensuring they stay raw but infused with rich, smoky flavours. While some foods, like bacon, may require additional cooking, others—like cheese or nuts—are ready to eat after smoking.

1- Curing: This stabilises fresh meat or fish using salt, sugar, and spices, drawing out moisture to prevent bacterial growth and preserve the food. Curing can be done through dry cures or brining and can last from a few hours to several months, depending on the food.

2- Drying: After curing, the food is rinsed and air-dried to remove moisture. This step helps the smoke adhere to the food more effectively, ensuring deep flavour infusion.

3- Smoking: Finally, food is exposed to cold smoke, which adds a flavourful finish and prevents further bacterial contamination.

Curing is essential for meats and fish, using salt and spices to draw out moisture. This process not only extends the shelf life but also intensifies flavours. Whether using a dry rub or a saltwater brine, curing is a straightforward step that requires minimal effort.

Once cured, the food must be dried thoroughly to create a tacky surface known as the "pellicle," which helps the smoke penetrate.

Drying can take anywhere from a few hours to overnight. 

Make sure the food is fully dried before moving to the smoking phase.

Cold smoking infuses the food with the signature smoky flavour. 

Maintaining a steady cabinet temperature between 10-24°C is key—any warmer, and the food may start to cook, compromising its texture and taste. 

If you’re cold smoking in warmer weather, consider running your smoker at night or adding ice to keep the temperature down.

Cold smoking isn’t just for meats and fish—you can smoke a wide variety of foods to add delicious layers of flavour.

Classic choices include smoked salmon, bacon, and chorizo. 

You can also experiment with duck, venison, lamb, or even beef.

Cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and creamier varieties are ideal for cold smoking. 

You can even smoke dairy products like yogurt for a unique twist in baked goods.

Chilies, garlic, fruits, and dried fruits take on a delightful smokiness after cold smoking and are perfect for use in chutneys, jams, or baking.

Nuts, seeds, grains, and even couscous can be cold smoked for use in soups, salads, or as flavourful snacks.

Smoked oils—whether olive, rapeseed, or sesame—are incredibly easy to make and can elevate everything from salad dressings to sauces.

Cold smoking salt, peppercorns, or even star anise adds a smoky kick to everyday dishes. These can be smoked in just a couple of hours for a subtle yet rich flavour.

You don’t need expensive equipment to start cold smoking. A simple cold smoke generator combined with a ventilated chamber—like a BBQ with a lid—is often enough. 

For those looking for a DIY solution, old kitchen cabinets, metal bins, or adapted fridges can work just as well.

The cold smoke generator is an essential tool that allows you to smoke foods without generating heat. It provides a steady smoke for up to 10 hours and is perfect for beginners and seasoned smokers alike.

If you're feeling creative, you can build your own smoking chamber using various materials, from old fridges to barrels.

But for those looking for convenience, products like ProQ’s Eco Smoker or Cold Smoking Cabinet. In addition, the ProQ cold smoking generator can be used with these or any ventilated BBQ or smoker.

Matching wood flavours to your food is essential for getting the best results:

• Light Smoke: Beech and Alder are ideal for fish and softer cheeses.
• Medium Smoke: Maple, Apple, and Cherry offer a balanced flavour that works well with pork and vegetables.
• Strong Smoke: Oak and Hickory provide a bold taste, perfect for lamb, beef, and hard cheeses.

Make sure to use fine wood dust for cold smoking, as it burns slowly and evenly without generating excess heat, such as the range of cold smoking dust from ProQ

• Wood Particle Size: A fine wood dust with particles around 1-3mm is ideal for a slow, even smoulder.
• Keep It Dry: Ensure your wood dust stays dry, as moisture can disrupt the smoking process.
• Ventilation: Perfect airflow is key. Experiment with vent controls to prevent the smoke from burning too quickly or going out.
• Weather Considerations: Cold smoking can be sensitive to weather conditions. Keep vents away from wind and monitor ambient temperature to ensure consistent results.

In summary, cold smoking is an easy-to-learn process that involves curing, drying, and smoking. With minimal equipment and the right techniques, you can enhance the flavour of a wide variety of foods. Whether you're using a basic BBQ or a custom smoking chamber, cold smoking opens up a world of culinary possibilities.

Cold smoking isn’t as complicated as it may seem. So grab your smoker, choose your wood, and start experimenting with this age-old, flavour-packed technique!