Has anyone ever tried ceder wood to smoke salmon with ? At present time I use apple or pecan with good results,I would prefer alder but do not have a source. Have read several articals where folks are using ceder planks to place salmon on and using the open pit method of cooking they heat the plank just to point of smoking. This mush like the Native Americans do in the Northwest. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Papa Shaka

Howdy,papa shaka.

I have seen this discussed on other forums and they say no.

The heated wood cooks the fish,as a frying pan does,and not the smoke or fire.

Emeril's in New Orleans has done this for years and I 'm not real impressed with the results.The flaming plank is interesting? to see once,and then it is just cooked fish IMHO.

Hope this helps a little.

Tom
Thanks for the input,I'll stay in touch.

Papa Shaka

Smoking with cedar can cause hives, and lung problems, cedar plank cooking uses the oils that come to the surface as the plank heats to inpart flavor on salmon, under no circumstances us cedar for smoke on your food.
Jim

I concur with Jim. You are undoubtably thinking of Juniperus virginiana or common Red Cedar. Something else to consider is that its oils make it highly flammable. The plank method is fine if done properly, but please don't use it in your CS.

Best wishes.

Thanks everybody for the input re/ceder
I don't believe I'll use it.

Thanks again
Papa Shaka

Makes one hell of a house but I don't think I would use it as smoke.