acid (vinegar) and other organic acids, thanks to which the pH of smoke is a very microbeunfriendly 2.5 Many of the phenolic compounds in wood smoke are also antimicrobials, and phenol itself is a strong disinfectant The phenolic compounds are also effective antioxidants, and slow the development of rancid flavors in smoked meats and fish In addition to antimicrobial compounds, smoke also contains antihuman compounds, substances that are harmful to our long-term health Prominent among these are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are proven carcinogens and are formed from all of the wood components in increasing amounts as the temperature is raised Hot-burning mesquite wood generates double the quantity that hickory wood does The deposition of PAHs on meat can be minimized by limiting the fire temperature, keeping the meat as far as possible from the fire, and allowing free air circulation to carry soot and other PAH-containing particles away Commercial smokers use air filters and temperature control for these purposes Liquid Smoke Liquid smoke is essentially smoke-flavored water Smoke consists of two phases: microscopic droplets that make it visible as a haze, and an invisible vapor It turns out that much of the flavor and preservative materials are in the vapor, while the droplets are largely aggregates of tars, resins, and heavier phenolic materials, including the PAHs PAHs are largely insoluble in water, while most of the flavor and preservative compounds do dissolve to some extent This difference makes it possible to separate most of the PAHs from the vapors and dissolve the vapors in water Cooks then use this liquid extract of smoke to flavor foods Toxicological studies ...fire, and allowing free air circulation to carry soot and other PAH-containing particles away Commercial smokers use air filters and temperature control for these purposes Liquid Smoke... Smoke consists of two phases: microscopic droplets that make it visible as a haze, and an invisible vapor It turns out that much of the flavor and preservative materials are in the vapor, while the droplets are largely... This difference makes it possible to separate most of the PAHs from the vapors and dissolve the vapors in water Cooks then use this liquid extract of smoke to flavor foods Toxicological studies