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Showing posts from 2018

Wood Dust and Chips - What are the basic differences?

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Wood is wood isnt it??  well, in a way yes, but the way wood behaves when it burns largely depends on the size of the pieces. There are a few other factors which influence the way the wood behaves when it's burning like the moisture content and the species of wood. I'll cover these other factors in another blog post. Wood burns when it is heated beyond a point known as the fire point which is normally around 300 celcius. However this can change depending on the size of the pieces and moisture content. When wood is in a fine dust form it can be explosive and there are examples of wood mills exploding due to the dust being ignited by a spark resulting in a dust explosion . Now, were not looking to put our smoked food into orbit but it's nice to know that we are dealing with something that has a lot of stored energy which we can employed to flavour and enhance our food. The only time we really need to take account of the form the wood takes is when we want it t

Pig in a Day - The whole Hog one day pig butchery workshop at Coldsmoking HQ

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Coldsmoking Cookery School in Milton Keynes  Are offering a whole day immersive porky experience with Ben Aveling from Radmore farm and Turan from Coldsmoking cookery school.  We start the day by getting to grips with the carcass where we will demonstrate how to divide it into the primary cuts.  We will show you the basic tools for this process and you’ll learn some interesting recipes that can be made from some of the offal. Next you’ll learn how to cut delicious pork chops and make and tie mouth watering pork roasting joints. After that we will turn our attention to curing your own bacon and pancetta using belly and loin.  We’ll break for lunch where you can enjoy some delicious locally reared pulled pork in a brioche bun served with a selection of coleslaw, apple and locally made BBQ sauce together with a selection of pork charcuterie. After lunch we will focus on sausages and Chorizo finishing the day off by looking at some of the larger pieces

Fermenting Food Workshop

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Have you ever wondered how food ferments? I'm constantly enthralled by the action of bacteria, yeast and moulds. While some of these organisms can give us problems by causing food to spoil, some can benefit us in surprising ways.  I was recently hosting a sausage making workshop at coldsmoking HQ and I met up with a guy called Kevan who had a keen interest in fermenting, bushcraft and outdoor cooking. One thing led to another and he is now hosting a fermenting food workshop at the cookery school.  On this hands-on workshop led by a former pathology graduate Kevan Palmer, you'll learn the fascinating art of lacto-fermentation. He has years of experience with fermented food and bush craft. He will teach you the theory behind this process and the importance and benefits from maintaining a healthy gut. You'll learn how to create Sauerkraut, making a batch to take home and ferment for yourself. You'll be taught how to make Kim chi, making Pa Kim chi, a punchy blend

Vegetarian Food Smoking Course - Isn't it about time?

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Food smoking has for many aficionados focussed heavily on MEAT. Whilst there's nothing inherently wrong with that, there's a lot more to food smoking than just meat! Over the past ten years I've experienced a wide variety of vegetables that have benefited from a dose of smoke.  So, if the idea of smoking a vast array of different vegetables, nuts and cheese we are hosting our first Vegetarian Food Smoking Course here at Coldsmoking HQ. If you'd like to know more check out the course detail on our website . 

Making Salami and Chorizo Using Starter Cultures

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Have you ever wanted to make your own salami and fermented sausage? Well, using a starter culture can be the answer to achieving a realistic, tasty and importantly, safe product.   We make an authentic chorizo sausage that can either be eaten raw or cooked. When I say raw, I do of course mean once fermented and air dried. The fermenting process is an important safety step as the culture which is introduced into the sausage mix starts to work immediately by feeding on the added glucose, multiplying tp out-compete other harmful bacterial that could cause food poisoning or spoilage. One advantage of using a starter culture is this sausage has a really authentic tangy flavour and develops a deep red colour. If you'd like to know more about fermented sausage or starter cultures why not get in touch .