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Lynn Dollar
11-10-2020, 01:02 PM
will make good smoker wood .


True or false ?


From our ice storm of two weeks ago, almost every house has a pile of limbs and branches at the curb. And I'm seeing a lot of chinese pistache, whose cousin makes the pistachio, but this variety produces an inedible nut.


Its a popular tree for landscaping because it doesn't get real big, grows fast, has a nice shape that makes good shade, and turns bright red and yellow in the fall.


Anyone used this wood ?

halfcocked
11-10-2020, 02:22 PM
Nope but the grows fast part makes me think not.

mowin
11-10-2020, 03:51 PM
I know black walnut doesn't make good smoker wood. Extreme smoke flavor profile with a bitter taste.

locolobo
11-10-2020, 03:55 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^
I was gonna say that when I read the above.
I've used hickory, pecan and walnut since I have access to all 3. The hickory and pecan... Yes. Walnut... never again

mtbchip
11-10-2020, 05:36 PM
I use cuttings from our Macadamia tree. Nice smooth "alder like" smoke. I even use the shells sometimes.

mike243
11-10-2020, 06:16 PM
If you cant eat the nuts the woods not usable imo

Greygoose
11-10-2020, 06:16 PM
Does that include the family tree ?

thirdeye
11-10-2020, 06:38 PM
Coconut? not sure. Pine trees produce pine nuts, but pine is pretty harsh for cooking.

Monkey Uncle
11-10-2020, 07:34 PM
I've never cooked with Chinese pistache, nor have I ever seen one. Google tells me it is in the family Anacardiaceae, which also includes the cashew tree, as well as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Because of its problematic relatives, I wouldn't cook with it unless a trusted source told me it was o.k.

Just because a tree produces a nut does not mean it is related to other tree species that produce nuts. Oaks and beeches are in the family Fagaceae. Pecan, hickory, and walnut are in the family Juglandaceae. And almond is in the rose family, along with apple, pear, peach, cherry, plum, hawthorn, crabapple, serviceberry, and probably some other fruit trees that I'm forgetting.

The point is you can't make simplistic statements like, "it makes a nut, so it must be good for cooking." If it's good for cooking, someone else probably already has cooked with it. So your best bet is finding a reliable source who can say that they've made good food with it.

By the way, I have successfully cooked with black walnut. It smells wonderful and gives the food a deep, hearty smoke flavor. It's very similar to hickory, but stronger. You just have to be careful not to overdo it.

SMOKE FREAK
11-10-2020, 08:10 PM
Nope but the grows fast part makes me think not.

I agree. Hardwoods good for smoking usually don't grow fast.

Lynn Dollar
11-10-2020, 08:29 PM
Here's some Chinese Pistache at a local park where I walk my pug every day. They are very pretty trees


https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13886
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13888
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13885


https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13890
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13891

Lynn Dollar
11-10-2020, 08:30 PM
And here's one of the same trees above, after the ice storm



https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1258&pictureid=13892

Mike Twangzer
11-11-2020, 09:27 AM
Looks like a lot of leaves to rake up ....

Gimmethecash
11-11-2020, 09:38 AM
If you cant eat the nuts the woods not usable imo

Almond wood is great for smoking.

Robert
11-11-2020, 10:10 AM
Anybody ever use Pig nut Hickory? I've heard the nuts are bitter and so is the smoke from the wood.



Thanks,


Robert

SMOKE FREAK
11-11-2020, 10:23 AM
If you cant eat the nuts the woods not usable imo

I don't eat acorns but I can smoke with oak wood...

BobBrisket
11-11-2020, 10:50 AM
I've used ornamental pear, crabapple, plum, and non fruit bearing mulberry. I have used real pistachio, and it is amazing
A very hard wood. I would give some of the mentioned wood a try. Really the only way to know.

Bob

Monkey Uncle
11-11-2020, 11:48 AM
Anybody ever use Pig nut Hickory? I've heard the nuts are bitter and so is the smoke from the wood.



Thanks,


Robert

I've used it. It's fine. I've also eaten the nuts, and they are very good, although they are difficult to crack.

You might be confusing pignut with bitternut hickory. The nuts are supposedly bitter (I've never tried them), but I'd still try cooking with the wood if I ever got my hands on any.

gcs
11-11-2020, 01:05 PM
I have a pig nut hickory in my backyard, I use the fallen branches off it and its a very nice smoke, not bitter or strong.

mike243
11-11-2020, 03:59 PM
Folks eat almonds. the Indians ground white acorns for flour, Pig hickory are fine eating just a lot of digging for the meat, you can advise somebody to use something that's not common around the area if you want to, I ere on the side of caution