wanting to make cherry flavored smoked bacon

[daveyd]

suggestions? have some cherry wood.

[Huskee]

Cherry smoke will NOT make you bacon taste like cherry, it will make it taste like cherry smoke, which tastes like smoke. Might I suggest adding some cherry concentrate to your brine or to your surface treatment? How much or how long I am clueless.

[grillinglen]

I would think if you take a recipe that uses maple syrup and replace it with cherry syrup that that would be incredible I think I'm inspired for my next next batch of bacon

[mgaretz]

Be advised that cherry syrups and extracts vary wildly in their taste and quality from good to disgusting. My favorites so far are Torani Cherry Syrup and a house brand (First Street) of cherry sno cone syrup that comes from Smart and Final.

[Meathead]

I am sure you chimed in because I had nooooo idea of what to use.

[mgaretz]

My favorite mix to date (at least for the cherry ice cream I make) is 2 parts Torani syrup, 2 parts sno cone syrup and 1 part almond extract. The almond extract really pumps up the cherry flavor.

[grillinglen]

Lyons cherry fountain syrup is good as well

[daveyd]

thanks gonna look for a concentrated syrup

[ribeyeguy]

Cherry smoke will NOT make you bacon taste like cherry, it will make it taste like cherry smoke, which tastes like smoke. Might I suggest adding some cherry concentrate to your brine or to your surface treatment? How much or how long I am clueless.

Man do I love this post. There seems to be a common belief that the wood of a tree will give off the smoke flavor of the fruit that it produces. I've never found that to be the case, to me it's just varying levels of smoke intensity along with some subtle undertones. I've never found apple wood to impart an apple flavor anymore than cherry imparts a cherry flavor, it's all just smoke.

[Karon Adams]

also, do you want cherry flavored as in tastes like cherries from a tree (of which there are several hundred flavors) or are you looking for maraschino cherry flavor? which isn't actually cherry at all. Maraschino cherries and jergens hand lotion have their flavor/fragrance from the same source, Benzaldehyde. and MAN is it good! it is sometimes known as Bitter Almond but, even that has several different flavors associated. so, if you are looking for maraschino, you want Benzaldehyde. It is hard to find. I used to carry it in essential oil form for soap making back when I had the soap business. imagine my shock when the DEA came to call.... turns out, Benzaldehyde is also used in the meth making process (as is lye which I was buying by the 55 gallon drum. just a few alarm bells, there).

[daveyd]

here is what I'm trying. put curing salt on my belly, slathered that w cherry preserves and splashed sealed bag with cherry flavored Windsor for liquid. plan to smoke this in about a week! thanks for ideas. say no to meth

[Karon Adams]

first, the flash of you, maybe in an open Hawaiian shirt, shorts with a cigar an hat smearing salt on your stomach as you sit by the pool.... ;-) Second, I have taken to curing my bacon longer. happened by accident, for some reason, we were delayed smoking off a batch of bacon for a couple of weeks. oh.my.goodness. I don't smoke my bacon after only a week now. 3-4 weeks now. the flavors in your cure REALLY have time to meld and marry the flavors of the meat and as you eat the bacon, you don't get all those flavors at once. it is like every time your teeth come together as you chew, it is a slightly different combination of the flavors that went into the pork. very complex and very yummy! if you have the chance, let it sit on the cure a little longer some time. it really is good.

[daveyd]

result only OK my belly was uneven thickness and exceptionally fatty. cherry in crepes is better than cherry bacon and over easy eggs! oh well it was worth the try.

[BIGBECDADDY]

nothing ventured.......noting gained. But, I learned something here. Thanks to all.

[Huskee]

Welcome to The Pit! We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel.