Cherry Wood - my favorite

S

Smokin J's

Got Wood.
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Gotta say that for most of my long smokes, I love using Cherry Wood! The smoke is firm but not overpowering! I am not a fan of Mesquite for most long smokes.

PLease share your experiences as I hope to learn from the seasoned Bretheren!
 
If I had to use only one wood for smoking, it would be cherry.

That being said, I don't have to, so I also use sugar maple, pecan, oak, apple, hickory and corn cobs as the mood strikes me.
 
Cherry is great but you need to be careful of what you buy. I use chunks. Weber's bag of cherry is fantastic. But the "Texas Smoke" cherry you get from DoItBest stores is nowhere near as good.
 
Cherry is great! I scored two huge sacks of cut offs from a buddy who has a woodworking shop. Split them all into nice sized chunks, and it's become my new go-to as well. Seems to flavor all meats nicely without being overpowering.
 
The combination of hickory and cherry is fantastic on salmon!! I've done side by side blind taste tests of smoked salmon (hickory, hickory & apple, hickory & cherry) and the cherry combo is the top pick by every person who tasted it (not just me)
 
I've mostly used apple, but the few times with cherry was interesting. I kinda liked it too
 
I like cherry, but for chicken I havent found anything better than oak and cherry. If I am doing pork I like Hickory/Cherry. Beef is just stright oak. Cherry is one of my favorites but I use oak just as much. Once you learn your meats and woods you can think your wood combinations through and have the perrfect blends of smoke to complament your rub/seasoning/sauce.
 
pecan and cherrry for me on everything except chicken. i use oak lump charcoal and 1 chunk of pecan
 
I almost always use oak lump (Ozark Oak) but I add cherry more than any other wood for smoke. I like the taste and the color it adds to the meat. I still use pecan, apple, and sometimes hickory.......but cherry is my go-to wood and I often add some cherry for color even if using the other woods.
 
Ive got some cherry im going to try it soon but i gotta split it up. I usually use Hickory/Apple or Pecan/Apple or just straight up hickoryand some times just pecan. I always like to change it up.
 
I've never tried just straight fruit wood on its own. I'm always afraid if there is not some hickory wood in there it just will not taste like barbecue. My next brisket I'm going to try pecan and cherry. I may have my wife hide my hickory so I am not tempted to throw a piece in there.:biggrin1:
 
So far I've used Apple, Cherry, and Peach and Cherry is my favorite if I just had to pick one. Amazing color (for bark and smoke ring). It never let's me down and I love the flavor that is there but not in your face and distracting. The best chicken thighs I ever did were straight cherry with Yardbird rub. Amazing!

All that said, I also have Pecan, and Oak that I have yet to try. Can't wait!!
 
Maybe a silly question, but does it matter if the cherry wood is from a cherry tree such as bing cherry versus a black cherry?
 
Last edited:
I too love Cherry wood. And Hickory too. Just got 5 whole Cherry trees and a big Hickory, all cut into 16" rounds and drying away. The fall looks to be busy splitting time around here! Wife thinks I'm a redneck with all the piles of wood stacked up in the yard!
 
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