Liquid Smoke

     Occasionally I like to watch a fake reality television show called BBQ Pitmasters which follows barbecue cooks as they compete for cash and prizes in barbecue cooking competitions around the country, mostly in the south. The pitmasters babysit their smokers as they throw in chips of hickory or applewood and they watch temperatures and timers like a hawk. They do all this in hopes of getting a nice "bark" on the meat and a rich, smoky essence. 

     That's the hard way. For some, instead of hours of careful work, all they have to do is spend a few seconds and dump some liquid smoke on the meat and...done. Needless to say, barbecue purists groan and roll their eyes and, no surprise, some health groups are very concerned over possible health effects of this approach.

     Where did liquid smoke come from? Tradition has it that back in 1895 a Kansas City, Missouri pharmacist named Ernest H. Wright created it. His inspiration was the memory of "a drop of liquid trickling down the stove-pipe" in the print shop he worked at as a teenager. Ten years later he realized that smoke condenses when it comes into contact with the cold air. Thus, if he ran smoke from burning hickory through a condenser he could collect the droplets containing the chemicals. The droplets could then be used as a cheap alternative to smoking meat.

     Originally the liquid smoke was marketed as a preservative primarily to farmers in the South where Wright was selling it. In those days producers used smokehouses to preserve their ham and pork belly. The problem was that bugs love the taste of pork and flies laid eggs on the meat in the smokehouse thereby ruining it. Wright's liquid smoke did add a smoke flavor to meat, but he marketed it primarily as a cheap preservative. When he claimed his product was a preservative he wasn't just blowing smoke...liquid smoke does have some anti-microbacterial properties, and brining or topically applying it to meat can extend its shelf life. It goes without saying that competition quickly cropped up and others began selling their own brand of preservative. 

     By the 1950s and '60s backyard cookouts became popular and people began to get an appetite for the taste of smoke. At the same time canned, jarred and other forms of convenient foods became popular. Conditions were right for liquid smoke to come on the scene as a flavoring. It became popular because it was quick and cheap.

     In 1960 the Food and Drug Administration gave liquid smoke its safety blessing and by the 1970s liquid smoke was being used as a flavoring agent by backyard BBQers as well as in ketchup, barbecue sauces, cheese, oysters and bacon. 

     Many brands of liquid smoke produce it the old fashioned way just like Wright did...they condense the hot vapors from the smoke. But, it's not surprising that other stuff is added, stuff like like molasses, salt or vinegar. 

     It's also not surprising that in recent years the howler monkeys among health experts, scientists and dietitians are terrified over health concerns and the the dangers of liquid smoke use. 

     Fear stems from the fact that liquid smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a family of chemical compounds. A few of those compounds have been linked to carcinogenic effects and DNA damage. For example, a flavoring derived from burning beechwood is considered a safety concern due to findings that it might cause DNA mutations when consumed. The type and amount of these compounds depends on the type of hardwood used and the temperature at which it's burned.

Results of DNA mutation

     Many of the more reasonable scientists believe the concentrations in liquid smoke are far too low for any genuine health concern. The reason they aren't concerned is because the evil chemicals found in liquid smoke are no different than those you'd find in traditionally smoked meats or fish. 

     In the culinary world liquid smoke is a shortcut to achieving the barbecue flavor. Here's an interesting tidbit: ingredient labels refer to liquid smoke as "natural smoke flavoring" or some such. You'll find this "natural smoke flavoring" in McDonald's McRib sauce and Lay's potato chips, for example. 

     Barbecue purists cringe at the very thought of liquid smoke...it ruins the meat. Others, while they wouldn't think of putting it directly on the meat have no problem with incorporating it in a sauce to be slathered on the meat. Some consumers, myself included, dislike the taste of smoke, natural or liquid, and would never think of eating anything that is smoked.