Applewood with a canker, would you cook with it?

[nucornhusker]

There is a guy locally that is selling some applewood, and he told me he cut it down because it had a canker. Now my gut is to think that I shouldn't cook with it since it is a type of disease, but that is why I am seeking the advice of my brethren. Would you cook with wood from a tree that had a canker?

Thank you.

[Jaskew82]

Not worth the risk. That said, If I see anything unsavory on smoking would, I blast it off with a small blow torch.

[zwylde1]

Must of kissed an infected tree! :shocked:

[Wampus]

OK....I'll ask......what's a canker?

[HUCKS]

my thought of a canker is when the tree was hit or damaged when young.it is just a healed over sore.cut out that little section and burn the rest

[zwylde1]

Here ya go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canker

[Wampus]

K. I guess that if I were worried about it, I'd just cut that part out and not use it. I think it's all still wood, so I'm not sure it's that big a deal, but why not use all the rest of the apple wood and not the part that has the canker?

Of course I don't get all worked up over a bit of fungus on my logs or moss either. Most folks cut up smoke wood with a chainsaw that uses bar & chain oil on the chain, which gets on the wood at each cut, but we all still use it.


I'd use it.

[Chef Jim]

As I recall a major Canker problem here in Florida had everyone ticked off. Canker was supposed to cause a blemish on the fruit. Although completely safe to eat some PC idiot says you can't bring that fruit to market cause it's not pretty.

I don't believe that using wood from a tree that had canker would harm you. Just sayin.

[nucornhusker]

Thanks guys. He said that the tree was slowly dying and that a guy he had look at it said it was a canker. So the guy that looked at it may be wrong. I was only concerned because he said it was slowly dying. I thought that it might be more of a disease that would affect the wood.

He cut it down in November and said they ate the apples off of it last summer, so it might be okay. I'll have to just look at it in person.

Thanks for the advice! Gotta love our little home here. :clap:

[CarolinaQue]

I'd say give it a try. You'll know by the look and smell of the smoke if it is good or not. Try it on chicken first. If it is slowly dying, maybe it's just an old tree? All trees die eventually. But like others have said, if it does have a canker, just cut that section out and don't use it if you're really concerned about it.

[early mornin' smokin']

If it's rotten, don't use it. If it's good hardwood that hasn't been treated with pesticides, smoke away!!

[realspaazz]

Apple canker is a fungal disease, Nectria galligena. I Would get a sample of the wood and burn some to test the smell and flavor. If it smells funky it is past its prime. I think that it should be ok and would snag as much applewood for myself as possible.

[nucornhusker]

Bump. Any additional input is appreciated. :thumb:

[phil c]

use it!
There are a variety of dieases apple trees are susetible to, canker bbeing just one of them, and there are several varietys of canker. I would be more concerned about the amount and variety of pesticides and fungicides that have been sprayed on the tree over the tears than I would be any disease.

[WvSmoke]

I get most of my smoking wood from the woods surrounding my house. The trees are already down. Maybe they blew down, maybe they died and fell over. I usually don't know. The point is, if the wood is solid I use it.

[smokinit]

Take it from a carear tree guy dry it and use it.

[nucornhusker]

use it!
There are a variety of dieases apple trees are susetible to, canker bbeing just one of them, and there are several varietys of canker. I would be more concerned about the amount and variety of pesticides and fungicides that have been sprayed on the tree over the tears than I would be any disease.I did ask him about sprays and he said he's lived there over ten years and never used any, so I think that should be okay.

Thanks again for all of the help everyone!

[Grange]

Around here oak wilt is a problem in certain areas yet people, including myself, will cut up the dead wood and use it for not only smoking, but also heating their house. As long as the wood isn't rotten and dry I'd probably use it.

[Untraceable]

Your over thinking it. cut it and use if it if looks good. Alot of the apple I use is from Crab apple trees that have fireblith and are dying. prefectly good wood.

[Terry The Toad]

I wish I could give you a definitive answer, but I can't. However, I have no doubt that lots of the firewood for sale comes from trees that died for one reason or another (including disease.) Like several others have said: if it is not rotten, and you can be reasonably sure it has not been sprayed -- I would use it.

[Gerrit_Boys]

When I cut wood, I sometimes end up with undesirable pieces and toss them in the campfire pile. I'd take that tree in a heartbeat and as long as it's not rotton, I'd cook with it.

[Big A]

It's all wood burn it the heat will kill anything.Good luck and I'm not responsible for any cankering issues that may arise from the canker.:loco:

[nucornhusker]

When I cut wood, I sometimes end up with undesirable pieces and toss them in the campfire pile. I'd take that tree in a heartbeat and as long as it's not rotton, I'd cook with it.I've got a separate firewood pile as well, which was my plan if most of the wood is good and I have a few bad ones to weed out.

[nucornhusker]

I picked up the apple today, it was nearly a quarter cord for $25. There are just a few pieces I won't use, otherwise it was a good bunch of wood.

Thanks to all that advised me it was okay to get this wood. I really appreciate all of the help! :grouphug: :thumb:

[CarolinaQue]

^^^Good to hear...that's what we're here for!!!^^^

Now for some pics of cookin' with it!!!

[ClayHill]

I'm late to the game...but i'd cook with it in a heart beat.......I even smoke with wood that has been treated with pesticides:shocked:, lifes to short to worry about crap like that,IMO