Outdoor cooking on the barbecue and smoker is now becoming a serious leisure pastime. Certainly in England where the weather is not altogether reliable, the advent of wonderful contraptions such as umbrellas and patio heaters has made outdoor cooking an extremely pleasurable recreation. In fact so much so that you'll see people lighting the barbecue in all weathers - a funny lot those English!
Speaking as one of that "funny lot", an extremely enthusiastic fan of outdoor cooking and now a creator and purveyor of outdoor bbq recipes and free smoker recipes I thought is was I did some research into the subject of my chosen fuel of fun.
What concerns me is that I'm thoroughly enjoying myself lighting fires, grilling fish and steaks and washing it all down with a glass or two of the falling down water and yet I must be damaging the environment, mustn't I? Charcoal comes from wood, so with all these barbecues there must be serious deforestation going on followed by greater transport costs to ship it from further afield and less trees to absorb the carbon dioxide greenhouse gas.
So in the spirit of my own education and learning I wanted to find out about how charcoal is made and as a result I've found out about the process of coppicing.
Coppicing is the cutting of a tree or shrub to ground level. Doing this stimulates the tree to sprout a number of new shoots and they grow very vigorously. Coppicing could be described as similar to pruning except that with coppicing all the wood is removed and not just a few branches. By cutting the tree or shrub to the ground, all dead, diseased and old wood gets removed and that can be put to good use. The tree now free of disease is able to grow as fast as possible and this makes for a thicker plant that is also better for wildlife.
Coppicing is carried out in cycles from one year to many years depending on the species of tree and what the wood is going to be used for. This means that a variety of coppicing activity will be taking place in a wood thereby ensuring the continuation of the ecology and an ongoing supply of wood.
Coppiced trees can survive for many centuries and perhaps one of the most astonishing facts about the English countryside is that very often the oldest trees are those that have been cut down the most! Add to this the fact that because it's sustainable there aren't truckloads of charcoal pounding the roads, it really is a local industry.
So now I can write my free smoker recipes for your enjoyment safe in the knowledge that outdoor cooking on the charcoal BBQ grill can remain my chosen method of relaxation and recreation.
Please note that this article is not a statement of scientific fact; it's merely a way of absolving me of guilt at lighting a fire. Of course we need to be careful whenever the earth's natural resources are consumed and I work on the principle that the cooking process itself is no more or less environmentally unfriendly that turning on the stove or the oven. Of course I maybe wrong but at least I feel happier knowing that I'm not contributing to serious deforestation.
Not all charcoal is produced the way I have described above so please be careful when buying charcoal to check that it does indeed come from a sustainable source.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cook greens like a soul food
By: wyann | 20-10-2008
how to cook greens like a soul food
Ask Curtis Stone a question here.How much wine and ...
By: Tony D | 20-10-2008
Ask Curtis Stone a question here.How much wine and what kind?
How to do hot bath canning whole chicken
By: Missy | 19-10-2008
how to do hot bath canning whole chicken
Fighting two battles when it comes to eating
By: A Tight Scotswoman | 19-10-2008
I don't eat properly due to a limited amount of types of food I like and the fact that as a senior citizen, I am now on a fixed, limited income.
This causes not only being overweight but also another health problem with anemia, low folic acid, low B12, and needing injections of B12 to help boost the blood.
Due to health problems and aging I also don't like to be in the kitchen for very long and this popping frozen food into the microwave is probably the biggest reason why the B12 injections were needed.
If I have to spend more than 10-20 minutes fixing a meal, then I fall back into bad eating habits. I think this is due to not feeling well and wanting to get in and out of the kitchen and sit down.
I used to be a great cook and loved to cook and that is why the weight gain, so I am fighting two battles at the same time.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Breakfast for Eight!
By: Chris | 19-10-2008
For the Thanksgiving holiday I am having 8 overnight guests. I would like a make ahead easy Breakfast receipe with eggs and meat..any ideas?
Cheers
Chris
I would like to digitize 120 and large negatives
By: ciro | 19-10-2008
how to digitize large negatives
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Food and Beverage Articles
New York Raw Food Restaurants
By: virgilio vallecera | 18/11/2008
New York raw food restaurants are attracting attention, as more people desire healthier diets and lifestyles. New York City consistently serves some of the best raw food cuisine in the world, and proudly hosts 10 raw food restaurantsincluding 3 vegetarian restaurants that are partially raw. The Big Apple is known for its diversity of cuisine and raw food restaurants provide a healthy and delicious alternative.
Widen Your Customer Reach With Online Food Ordering System
By: Shefali Dhamija | 18/11/2008
For proper proliferation of any business, it is quite essential to have a wider customer database. Businesses often follow various strategies to increase their customer reach. Online Food Ordering System is one such strategy which is designed for the restaurateurs who are looking forward to broaden their customer database.
Life as a Chef!
By: Deb Brown | 17/11/2008
To help people to decide if they want to be chef.
What to Expect From a Cheap New York Hotel
By: Brooke Coin | 17/11/2008
Cheap does not necessarily mean a bad thing especially when we are talking about a New York hotel. You will just have to be extra careful because some establishments abuse the word cheap and they would offer horrendous services. A stay in a New York hotel need not be expensive and while you may want to spend a little on it, you can still get at least the basic accommodations and necessities anybody would expect.
Chic Boutique Hotel Rooms in New York
By: Brooke Coin | 17/11/2008
These visitors may have a lot less budget for vacation but they are most deserving for a decent stay in the Big Apple. They would need chic and comfortable New York hotel rooms regardless of the size and shape. However, with the country’s dollar rates going down and the sales demand of hotels in New York City going up, these desires would be very difficult to attain. Of course, that’s true if we can’t help…
How to Choose the Right New York Hotel
By: Brooke Coin | 17/11/2008
New York City is like the melting pot of the world. It is probably the only place on Earth where you can find every nationality. It is also a melting pot of cultures brought about by the migration of the early part of the 20th century. Some say that this migration is not yet finished because year in and year out there are still many people coming to New York. Well, you may not be migrating to New York City but if you are planning to visit it one day, you should probably think about a few importa
How to Find a Cheap New York Hotel
By: Brooke Coin | 17/11/2008
Your first stop for information in finding a New York hotel would be your travel agency. With all probability, they have a list of partner hotels where they can recommend you and perhaps even easily book a good and cozy room for you. Ask for it outright when you first deal with them about your travel plans. I'm sure they would just be very happy to help you out.
Visit the Sights After You Have Found Your Perfect New York Hotel
By: Brooke Coin | 17/11/2008
New York City is the largest city in the United States and by far, the home of world famous tourist attractions. Just think about the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Central Park just to name a few. These are just a few of the reasons why millions of tourists visit the city annually. Therefore it is considered a sin if you just stay in your New York hotel room and don't go out to see the wonderful things the Big Apple can offer you.
More from Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man
Eight Reasons To Shop Online This Christmas
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 17/02/2008 | Internet
This Christmas will be the biggest ever for online shopping despite the doom and gloom predictions of the retailers. Consumer confidence may have disappeared from the high street but it's the online sector that's set for bumper Christmas sales. It's amazing to think that the growth in on-line sales is...
Guaranteed Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey Barbecue
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 17/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
The technique of indirect cooking is essentially a slow roasting process which guarantees a tender result. When you think about it it's pretty logical. The definition of indirect cooking is where the heat is not directly applied to the turkey as opposed to a grill where the turkey is seared...
Which Wood Chips For Your BBQ Smoker?
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 17/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
I've seen many lists about wood chips and what meats best accompany them and it's always struck me that this is approaching the problem for the wrong side. The wood chip is choosing the food and in my book it should be the food choosing the wood chip! So when...
Social Networking And Outdoor Cooking
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 17/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
The first meat that I ever wanted to cook on a barbecue was a chicken using the rotisserie and I've never really stopped to think about why. I guess it's down to "the boy with a new toy" mentality in that the BBQ spit came in the pack with the...
How To Cure Salmon
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 17/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
Before firing up the BBQ smoker, many chefs will either cure or brine the fish or meat as a way of adding extra flavor.
Curing and brining however have been traditional methods of preserving food for donkeys years and in today's refrigerated society the techniques and skills have been on the...
Essential Tips For The Novice Smoker
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 02/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
Writing a website full of BBQ Smoker Recipes is a time consuming business even at the best of times. I take pride in ensuring that the pictures I put up on my site are of food that I have cooked and not some glossy template purchased on the internet and...
Charcoal Briquette Manufacturing Is Environmentally Friendly
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 02/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
It's interesting to note that before Henry Ford made the BBQ grill popular by link selling it to his cars with the vision of day trips and pic-nics, charcoal was nothing but a waste product left over from the recovery of acetic acid and methanol. In the early 1900's after...
How To Ensure Barbecue Food Safety
By: Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man | 02/02/2008 | Cooking Tips
Many friends and work colleagues have phoned in sick because of food poisoning and followed it up with something like "I had a BBQ at the weekend, and I must have eaten something not properly cooked".
To be honest I think some of them probably just drank too much but clearly...
Food & Beverage 
| Posted: 22-01-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 26 | Rating: (53) 
(?) 
