Smoking Salt, Pepper, Spices & Herbs (?)

[porterdriver]

I have been poking around to see if anyone has a list (chart, table) of the various "stuff" that can be smoked.  In the past I have bought some of that 'designer' smoked salt.  I have used my grill to make some (poorly) smoked pepper.  I have smoke paprika in my pantry.  Then I come here now that I have a DBS. 

Everyone here is smoking everything!  Smoked sugar?  Smoked coffee?  Only thing missing is smoked smoke (and I'm sure some is currently working on that)!!!!!!!!

So I thought to myself, "Self these folks have already have invented the wheel, ask them."

I want to smoke my own salt, my own pepper, my own paprika.  Can anyone share their experiences/times/woods for this project?  Does any smoke or use smoked herbs?

[Habanero Smoker]

As for pepper, if you are talking about black peppercorns I generally smoke cracked peppercorns and not the ground pepper. I smoke/roast them at 200°F - 225°F  (but not beyond that), using a cold smoke setup so the water bowl is not inside the cabinet. I spread a thin layer of cracked peppercorns in a sallow pan. Cheese cloth or coffee filters are not recommended for two reasons; 1) the pan makes it easier to stir the pepper during smoking, and 2) since you are using a temperature around 200°F it will bring essential oils to the surface and you don't want that to be absorb into the cheese cloth or filter.

I use Mesquite or hickory and smoke for 4 - 8 hours with the vent 25% to 50% open, stirring every 30 - 45 minutes. To get the best bang for my smoke time I will often smoke some salt or other dry food that do not have strong odors such as nuts. Remove the peppercorns from the smoker and allow to cool and air dry (stirring occasionally) before placing them in an airtight container. I generally will grind the cracked pepper as needed.