The best Liquid Smoke in the UK: Shopping Guide and Recommendations (05/22)

COLGIN LIQUID SMOKE NATURAL HICKORY FLAVOUR 1 x 118 ml BOTTLE AMERICAN IMPORT

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4.09 GBP

Stubbs Hickory Liquid Smoke - 148ml

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4.00 GBP

Colgin Natural Pecan Liquid Smoke 118 ml

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3.69 GBP

Colgin Liquid Smoke Natural Hickory 472 ml

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8.55 GBP

Stubb'S | Hickory Liquid Smoke | 1 x 148ml

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5.24 GBP

Colgin Natural Hickory with Chipotle Flavour Liquid Smoke (118ml)

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2.99 GBP

Guide: Questions you should ask yourself before buying Liquid Smoke

What is Liquid Smoke?

Liquid Smoke, also called liquid smoke, is a smoke flavouring. In the manufacturing process, smoke is transported in water. By adding the liquid smoke flavouring, food gets the typical smoke flavour without having smoked the food.

Liquid Smoke-1 — Liquid Smoke is created by the condensation of the smoke. Each type of wood has its own flavour.
(Image source: unsplash.com / Tirza van Dijk)

No wood or stove is needed for this process.

Many manufacturers rely on Liquid Smoke because the production of smoked food is complex and expensive. For example, nowadays you can find many foods in supermarkets with the label "smoked" without them ever having been smoked.

Who is Liquid Smoke suitable for?

Liquid Smoke is suitable for anyone who likes to grill and enjoys the taste of smoked food. You are spared the process of smoking. If you like BBQ sauces, Liquid Smoke is the right choice for you, as they usually contain some Liquid Smoke.

Adding Liquid Smoke does not make your food last longer, as it does with normal smoking.

Is Liquid Smoke unhealthy?

To understand whether Liquid Smoke is unhealthy or not, let's first explain how Liquid Smoke is made. Liquid Smoke is made by burning wood at high temperatures in a stove. The rising smoke condenses and is collected in a container. Thus, Liquid Smoke is just liquid smoke that gets a certain flavour of its own from the burnt wood. In further production, Liquid Smoke is filtered. After filtering, Liquid Smoke is consumable to a certain extent. At most, Liquid Smoke is only as unhealthy as conventional smoking. This is because smoke, regardless of the source, has some chemicals that contain carcinogens.

Is Liquid Smoke vegan?

Since Liquid Smoke basically only consists of water and smoke, it is vegan. Watch out for additional substances that may have been added to some products. Vegan products are often labelled accordingly.

For which dishes is Liquid Smoke suitable?

When the word smoking is mentioned, many people first think of meat. However, Liquid Smoke can be used in many areas. The use of Liquid Smoke should not be limited to meat. In other words, Liquid Smoke can be used for fish, vegetables and even cocktails in addition to meat. Liquid Smoke is particularly practical for vegetarians or vegans. Those who do without meat due to their lifestyle and do not want to miss the taste should reach for Liquid Smoke. Due to the smoky taste, the taste of fried bacon can be imitated with vegetables and some other ingredients.

Liquid Smoke-2 — With Liquid Smoke you can give your dishes a very special smoky flavour.
(Image source: unsplash.com / Hoan Vo)

As already mentioned, Liquid Smoke is also suitable for preparing fish. Especially for salmon, Liquid Smoke can be used as a marinade. Cocktail lovers will especially love this tip. Because Liquid Smoke is wonderfully suitable for alcoholic drinks and makes quite an impression. One or two drops give your drink a very special taste. These are distributed in the glass before pouring and then poured away again. The smoky taste remains. This is especially recommended for tequila and whisky.

What is the shelf life of Liquid Smoke?

As a rule, Liquid Smoke has a minimum shelf life of about two years. It should be noted that Liquid Smoke does not make your food last longer than ordinary smoking.

In what size should I buy Liquid Smoke?

When using Liquid Smoke, you normally only need a few drops. You can usually find Liquid Smoke in 100ml bottles in the shops. Due to the small amount that can be used for the desired dish, the bottle lasts quite a long time. However, it depends on your personal needs. In some online shops, you can also find Liquid Smoke in larger versions. The dealers also offer Liquid Smoke in one to two litre versions. This version of Liquid Smoke is ideal for commercial use. If you are an absolute barbecue enthusiast and barbecue every day, this is also the better option for you.

What does Liquid Smoke cost?

The usual bottles of Liquid Smoke with 100ml cost about 5-10 euros. The larger version with one to two litres can be found for as little as 15 euros. However, since Liquid Smoke has a shelf life of about two years, you should not buy too much of it.

What alternatives are there to Liquid Smoke?

Paprika powder comes from Spanish cuisine and is smoked for several weeks during production. It comes in different levels of spiciness. Be it spiceless or very spicy. In the meantime, this has become an integral part of European cuisine. Paprika powder is mainly used in soups, sauces, meat or fish. It not only gives the dish a spicy taste, but also gives it a reddish colour. Caravan comes from Russian cuisine and refers to a smoky tea. The leaves are smoked over pine wood. As an alternative to Liquid Smoke, the Caravan leaves have to steep in boiled water for about 6 minutes. The tea can then be used as a Liquid Smoke substitute. Chipotle powder comes from Mexican cuisine. It is made from jalapenos that are smoked over firewood for a long time. A distinction is made between two types. Chipotle powder is made from red and green jalapenos. These give your dishes a spicy and smoky flavour. Just like liquid smoke, smoked salt is produced by smoking over different types of wood that give off their own flavour. Smoked salt goes especially well with meat and fish and gives your dishes a smoky flavour. Smoked salt is divided into Danish, Viking, Hickory and Salish smoked salt. They differ particularly in price and taste.

Buying criteria: You can compare and evaluate Liquid Smoke based on these factors

Ingredients
Quantity

Ingredients

Pure Liquid Smoke consists only of smoke and water. However, the ingredients can also include other spices. These include salt, vinegar or soy sauce, for example.

You have to find out which Liquid Smoke is suitable for you by trying it out yourself.

Quantity

As described above, the quantity depends on personal consumption. For private use, it depends on the dishes and the frequency with which the Liquid Smoke is to be used. For occasional use at the barbecue, the 100 ml bottle is perfectly sufficient. If you grill very often and on a large scale, 100 ml will not be enough in the long run and you should use more. Larger Liquid Smoke bottles can be found from one to two litres. This size is ideal for commercial use.

Trivia: Facts worth knowing about Liquid Smoke

How do I dose Liquid Smoke?

When it comes to dosing Liquid Smoke, less is more. In general, only half a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke should be used for any food. Since the perfect dose varies according to taste, add just a little of the Liquid Smoke at first and top it up afterwards. The following table gives you an overview of the dosage of Liquid Smoke.

Dish	Dosage
Pulled Pork	1 teaspoon
Quesadillas	1 teaspoon
Salsa	1 teaspoon
BBQ Sauce	1 teaspoon
Burger Patties	2 teaspoons
Oven Smoked Pork Roast	3 tablespoons

As you have seen in the table, for most dishes, one teaspoon of Liquid Smoke is enough to add a smoky flavour to your dish.

How should Liquid Smoke be used?

When using Liquid Smoke, it is important to pay attention to the dosage. If Liquid Smoke is in the dish, you will taste it immediately. As already mentioned, less is more and tasting is the order of the day. Liquid Smoke is placed in a separate bowl when baking. When heated, the Liquid Smoke rises from under the aluminium foil and settles on the meat. However, Liquid Smoke can also be spread directly on the grilled food. For soups or marinades, simply add a few drops directly.

How do I store Liquid Smoke?

Storing Liquid Smoke is quite simple. It should be stored well sealed in a dry and cool environment.