Cooking with Cherry Wood

S

Smokin Ribs

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I was told that if you are going to use cherry wood to smoke with that you should only use a piece the size of your fist or the meat will turn out bitter.
Is this true or can you use all the cherry you want for fuel?

Thanks for any clarification
 
I love cherry. use just like apple. might even be slightly milder than apple
 
Not sure why it would be bitter? Unless it wasn't well seasoned wood? It does make food darker though. So if you're not used to the color difference, that could be a surprise when you open the lid.
 
I use the woodchips in a woodchip soaker set. Never tasted bitter meat from it though.
 
I use an apple and cherry mix for my ribs. I go with 3-4 chunks and love it. Its much more mild than hickory.
 
I use cherry all the time. My grandfather lost a few of his fruit trees in a storm a while back so I talked him out of some Cherry, Peach, and Plum.

I just chunked it to pieces about the size of a fist and let it dry out.

I've used the Charry similar to how I would apple or any other fruitwood and have had good luck with it. No bitterness at all. Though I don't usually cook on smoke for several hours.
 
Jaskew82 said:
I use an apple and cherry mix for my ribs. I go with 3-4 chunks and love it. Its much more mild than hickory.
Click to expand...

Same here. I've never had any of the issues associated with cherry that folks talk about, and I typically use heavy smoke.
 
Cherry is a great flavor wood but I don't use it for primary fuel source due to the darkness it causes in the meat. My primary fuel source is oak over charcoal, I toss in a cherry log at about an hour into the cook, this gives me the flavor and color that I like. Experiement, that's what this is all about.
 
I toss in half splits or quarter splits, never smaller. No issues so far. But I DO remove the bark.
 
i use cherry ALOT. used to use wood chunks, now i use BBQr'e delight smoke stix. never had any bitterness with either.
 
No problems here. I love the color it gives meat. From my own experience, it might actually be the mildest of the four fruitwoods I've used... the other three being apple, bradford pear, and peach.
 
Be careful using the flowering fruit trees. A flowering cherry will make the meat bitter. Always use fruit bearing trees !
 
lilburnjoe said:
Be careful using the flowering fruit trees. A flowering cherry will make the meat bitter. Always use fruit bearing trees !
Click to expand...

If you're referring to my mention of bradford pear, I don't like the smell of the smoke compared to other fruitwoods, especially apple. However, other than a chimney of charcoal to start a coal bed, I've smoked some incredible spares in my old char-griller with nothing BUT seasoned bradford pear.:deadhorse:

Anyways, never tried flowering ornamental cherry, though. Thankfully, I'm getting a wild cherry from my dad that he cut down a couple weeks ago.:-D
 
I use cherry all the time in my WSM's, and I use more thank one chunk. I love cherry.
 
I use cherry a lot, it's real good on chicken, cooked indirect on the OTS Silver. Using a base of B&B oak lump, and cherry/apple chunks works with anything.

It's also a fine choice for pork loin, or anything else lean.
 
I use cherry all the time in my Langs and have never had a problem with a bitter taste.
 
El Lobo said:
I toss in half splits or quarter splits, never smaller. No issues so far. But I DO remove the bark.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Bark = bitter if you're using chunks! I like cherry :thumb: Mild or not is a matter of opinion M2C.

Wont be a problem in a stick burner - only in a closed environment - especialy ceramics!
 
I almost always use a mix of Cherry and Apple and have never had a problem with a bitter taste. Have heard this with Mesquite, but not Cherry.
 
I think if you're making tea with it you don't want to use to much. Perhaps there was some confusion.
 
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