Smoked Pistachios

IKnowWood · February 11, 2006, 12:40:33 AM

OK, I have been meaning to post this for some time. I have been experimenting a lot about these smoked pistachios for some time now. I found, what could be my best every.

I started smoking only a small amount at a time, then 1 lb, then I have done 2 lbs twice.

This is what the results are:

1st time:
I spritz the pistachios with a mic of lemon extract and orange extract and water. Then just rolled them in crushed salt. And smoked them with Cherry for 1 hour at warm (under 150).
---- Result: They were good, nice smoke aroma, great from the very first taste but did not have the depth I wanted.

2nd time:
Same spritz as the first time and I tried cold smoking with Apple for 1 3/4 hours.
---- Result: Not so great, had some smoke aroma and flavor but it disapated very quickly, under a week. Taste after smoke was not as good as they were cold. Edible for sure.

3rd time:
no Spritz, no salt, just pulled them in at a regular smoke (other meats in there) at 200 degrees for 1 hour. With Hickory I think.
---- Result: Great texture and good aroma. But tongue excitement was OK. just OK.

4th time:
Changed the spritz, used lemon and orange extract, water and added kosher salt and Turbinado sugar dilutted. then rolled in kosher salt, turbinado and some nutmeg. Smoked warm for 2 hours with Maple.
---- Result: Texture was great, aroma and smoke flavor was outstanding. A bit salty every once an again but amazing overall. Good tingle.

5th time: This was done along with 6th attempt.
I really tried something bold. I soaked the nuts (mixed with Pecan and Pistachio) in a blend of 8 oz Bullet Burbon (80 proof) and 2 piches salt. Brine overnight, nuts swimming in mix. after 16 hours or so, I drained and rolled them in plain fresh ground salt for another 20 hours. Then I smoked them at 200 degrees for exactly 2 hours in Oak/Hickory mix.
---- Result: Real bad idea. At the begining they nuts had an interesting mid and post taste flavor of Bullet. But the initial taste was just strange. Not burnt, not rancid nor mushy. just odd. After a few days, the pistachios and pecans both just odd, the Burbon flavor was gone. However I think there was some residue buzz in there. I won't try that again, wasted some good burbon.

6th time:
Simple. I drizzled plain pistachios with pure lime juice and rolled them around to coat them completely. Then I rolled them in plain fresh ground salt. Then smoked for 2 hours with Oak/Hickory mix.
---- Result: Best yet. Flavor was intense, had a great tingle and aroma, not as intense as I wanted however. But this was my best yet. Comments form friends and co-workers agreed.

7th time:
Have not done this yet, but I am going to repeat #6 and use Maple for exact same time. This will surely be great. Might try this tomorrow.

Experiment == GOOD

Oyènkwara · February 11, 2006, 02:06:46 AM

IKnowWood,

It sounds like you have been very busy! [:D]

The lime juice sounds like a great addition! With the salt, it sounds kind of like a smoked Margarita!!! Mmmmmmmmmm

Are the pistachios that you have been using pre-salted out of the bag? Or are they unsalted?

Tom

IKnowWood · February 11, 2006, 12:53:53 PM

I have tried at first the roasted and salted.

But the last several have been plain dry roasted, I think sunkits brand from the Grocery Store. The generic kind. There is a Middle Eastern store near my office that has nice Iran grown plain pistachios and some with salt from their area that had a great structure and size. I might get a 5lb ot 10lb bag fom them soon to try this. Don't know the brang, can't read the language.

The Sunkist ones are a great way to experiment, they are real cheap.

nsxbill · February 12, 2006, 06:48:00 PM

JJC has done this pretty regularly. Hope he will respond to this post. Do a search for pistachio nuts, and it will come up, as well as a good source.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

gotbbq · February 19, 2006, 02:16:38 PM

IKnowWood-

I like your idea. I started smoking coffee a few years ago when I first got my bradley. I went through a few trials til I got it how I like it. 1 lb ground coffee (fresh ground) -cold smoke with hickory for 2 hrs, (70-80 degrees) wrap in saran or platic for 1 day, ready to use.

Tastes like being outdoors camping.[:D][:D][:Dd

gotbbq

Oyènkwara · February 23, 2006, 02:35:13 PM

Smoked some more pistachios for the Daytona 500 party (which didn't happen due to a storm that came through the area knocking out power to a lot of upper NY and Vermont)

However, following IKnowWood's lead, I tried an experiment on a pound of pistachios while smoking the rest of the nuts. I sprinkled lime juice (the kind that you can buy at the supermarket in the plastic lime shaped squirt bottle) then stirred until all the nuts were very moist. I then sprinkled about 1/2 a package of McCormick's Mild Chili seasoning mix over the nuts again stirring until well coated.

Cold smoked for 2 hours using Pecan this time. They had a nice subtle Smokey-chili flavor. If you can stay away from them, the flavor gets better after they sit for a few days in a sealed bag.

Tom

iceman · February 23, 2006, 09:40:46 PM

I know the answer to this question has been posted somewhere before but I'll ask it again. What kind of nuts are you using to smoke. Are they the big bags fron Costco or Sams or are they unsalted or?[?]

IKnowWood · February 23, 2006, 11:02:17 PM

I have used the 1 lb Sunkist Dry Roasted unsalted version. I like these during my experiment as it helped me hone my best flavor combination. Once I did this, I then used a Roasted and Salted version that was still good but was a little more Salty but still good. I still like the final result.

I will soon try a larger Pistachio Nut that is from different locations that are Sun and Oven Roasted and salted. I am sure all will be great.

note: My Almonds I do the same way and Love them best plain in the Baker's bag. Roasted and shelled.

iceman · February 24, 2006, 12:25:12 AM

Ah Nuts!!! Opps. OK this weekend is going to be nuts. I like the lime juice idea. I'll try the Costco version and plain almonds from Safeway first. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the info.<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by IKnowWood
 I have used the 1 lb Sunkist Dry Roasted unsalted version. I like these during my experiment as it helped me hone my best flavor combination. Once I did this, I then used a Roasted and Salted version that was still good but was a little more Salty but still good. I still like the final result.

I will soon try a larger Pistachio Nut that is from different locations that are Sun and Oven Roasted and salted. I am sure all will be great.

note: My Almonds I do the same way and Love them best plain in the Baker's bag. Roasted and shelled.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Malc · November 13, 2006, 07:09:16 AM

I just did some of these. I made racks according to JJC's specs posted here http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=878.0

They were great! Cold smoked with 2 hours of apple. My co workers are devouring them as we speak. It is funny, everybody keeps smelling their fingers when they think nobody is looking.

Malc

iceman · November 14, 2006, 10:30:41 AM

Quote from: Malc on November 13, 2006, 07:09:16 AM
I just did some of these. I made racks according to JJC's specs posted here http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=878.0

They were great! Cold smoked with 2 hours of apple. My co workers are devouring them as we speak. It is funny, everybody keeps smelling their fingers when they think nobody is looking.

Malc

Hey Malc, how's it going? Do you have a recipe for what you did? I want to try different ways of smoking nuts just to try them out. I've done almonds and pisachios a couple of ways and would like to keep experimenting. :)

Malc · November 14, 2006, 11:29:27 AM

I guess there was really no recipe to speak of. I just made racks as JJC posted. I used about two pounds of the Sunkist pistachios I bought at Sams. I spread them out in about two layers and cold smoked for two hours with apple. That's it, nothing fancy. They would make a great beer snack.

Malc

iceman · November 14, 2006, 03:55:54 PM

Thanks Malc. That is for sure easy enough to try out.

Malc · November 15, 2006, 08:43:52 AM

Yep, it sure was. One other thing. I see you are in Alaska, so it probably will not be an issue, but when I did them the air temp was about 50F. I had read that it was important to not re-roast the nuts, so in order to make sure the box temp did not get too high I did something that I thought was a stroke of pure genius, although I am sure many people have done this as well. I removed the smoke generator from the box in order to preheat it, so no heat would be added during that time. I also got the first puck burning outside the box and then carefully reattached the generator. The box temp got no higher than 75F throughout the smoke.

Malc

iceman · November 15, 2006, 10:00:16 AM

Quote from: Malc on November 15, 2006, 08:43:52 AM
I see you are in Alaska, so it probably will not be an issue, but when I did them the air temp was about 50F.

Not an issue here. Right now we have to heat the smoker up in order to keep the food from freezing. Sure is nice having all that extra freezer space in the winter. (The whole back lot). :D ;) Myself, vampyr, Kummok, jimguy, and Peterscreek are all in the same boat as far as temps. go. :) Then again you have those "OTHER" guys like Old's that think 70 F is cold. Geez! LOL. ;D :D