Throw Honey Into Your Smoker For The Perfect Savory, Sweet Topping
You can smoke just about anything. Ribs and chicken, of course, but also fruits (like pineapple or peaches) and vegetables (smoked cauliflower can be an epic main course). Heck, you can even smoke water, eliminating the need for artificial liquid smoke and upgrading everything from cocktails to sauces.
Since you've got your smoker going, you might as well put something sweet in there, too. Use high heat to bake things like cobbler, or keep the temperature low to add a smoky note to fruit skewers. But if you want a smoky ingredient that you can keep on-hand for future culinary adventures, grab a jar of honey.
Smoked honey is your favorite sticky, floral sweetener with a campfire twist. By exposing the honey to smoke, it brings out savory characteristics that make it the perfect base for a glaze or barbecue sauce, sweetener for a summer cocktail, or topping for fresh fruit and ice cream. And don't even get us started on how amazing it would be on a cheese board! Make more than you think you'll need — you'll want this on everything.
Here's how to smoke honey
Just like any smoking project, making smoked honey comes down to two details: Wood and time. Choosing the right wood will help you impart a smoky flavor without overpowering the honey's subtle notes. The correct temperature will maintain the honey's integrity, keep it from burning, and help you avoid over-smoking the honey.
For something as delicate as honey, choose a light wood like you would for fish or chicken. Apple, maple, and cherry woods produce a lighter, sweeter smoke that will complement the honey — and won't make it taste like brisket.
When it comes to temperature, low-temperature smoking is the way to go. Over-heating honey can change the flavors and cause the sugars to caramelize or burn, giving your honey an acrid taste. Keep the temperature of your smoker low so your final product is smoked — but not burnt — honey.
Heat your smoker to 175 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and put your honey into a shallow vessel. A glass baking dish will ensure you don't accidentally add any metallic flavors to the honey. Check on your honey periodically to gauge the flavor and make sure it isn't boiling. The honey will loosen and get darker as it warms and smokes.
When you've reached your desired level of smokiness (anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours), take your honey out of the smoker and allow it to cool. If it's too smoky, don't worry! Just stir in some unsmoked honey to temper the flavor.