Can I smoke with Bradford Pear

[sooner26]

Live in Mcalester and got hit with the ice storm. Had two large bradford pear trees and lost them both. Is it ok to smoke with?

[wood_is_good]

I don't see any problem, just make sure it's seasoned and not green

[rstcso]

Most fruitwood is excellent for use in a smoker. I'd suggest using some oak and supplementing the flavor with the pear, but like was mentioned, not until it's seasoned. If your area, that might take several years :( .

Welcome to the forum. I was raised in Checotah. I hear the whole area is in pretty bad shape.

[sooner26]

The area is pretty bad. I live in town and just got electricity back yesterday. Telephone poles were snapped in half. Some of the large trees just laid right over pulling up roots and all. Between this storm and the feista bowl this year hasn't started off to good.

[serialgriller]

i'd like to hear a few more people weigh in on this. a bradford pear simply flowers in the spring - it is not a fruit bearing tree (at least the bradford pears i'm familiar with aren't fruit bearing). i don't know if it can be used for smoking purposes or not. i would like to find out though because i have a 15 year old bradford pear i'm getting ready to take down and i was hoping to be able to do something with that wood.

[bigwheel]

Well had the misfortune of having half a big one belonging to the neighbor decided to split down the middle with half of it landing on Frederica. Broke my radeo areial any my blue bug shield. It burns just fine. Now much flavor but aint nothing disgusting about it. Cant tell much difference tween it and real pear wood. They do make little bitty pears I think.

bigwheel

[Paul Taylor]

I have a ? in all of this. Ain't there one of those pear woods that ain't good to cook/smoke with? I am just wondering.I read somehting about that in a post a while back. I think that it was last spring if memory is correct.

Paul Taylor

[cappy]

I have a ? in all of this. Ain't there one of those pear woods that ain't good to cook/smoke with? I am just wondering.I read somehting about that in a post a while back. I think that it was last spring if memory is correct.

Paul Taylor

*****ly pear? :) Heh

Actually, you get a pear-burner on them and the cows sure love 'em...

[Paul Taylor]

NO it wasn't no *****ly pear. It was supposed to be some kinda pear that someone said made the food taste like crap.

Paul Taylor

[droller]

Makes a fairly nice bowl.

[HFD26]

If I ain't mistaken, a Bradford Pear is not a fruit tree, but a fast growing ornamental tree. :? Need to Google that one.

[cleglue]

I wouldn't.

[vinman]

I have a ? in all of this. Ain't there one of those pear woods that ain't good to cook/smoke with? I am just wondering.I read somehting about that in a post a while back. I think that it was last spring if memory is correct.

Paul Taylor

I know I had a post awhile back where I asked about pear wood but I don't remember any talk of it not being good to cook with.

As far as Bradford vs any other pear tree...I think what you're talking about is a mock pear tree where they flower and have really small if any fruit on them. I compared some wood from one of these mock pear trees as well as some real pear wood and didn't notice any difference. Has a spicy/ fruity smell to it. Same goes for cherry wood compared to weeping cherry. Not much difference.
Anyhow, here's the link...
http://www.texasbbqrub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=114783&highlight=#114783

[rstcso]

Taking HFD26's suggestion, I Googled Bradford pear and got a few answers. It is a fruit tree native to the "Old World". They are a cultivated variety of a pear native to Korea and China. It is of the same genus (Pyrus) as the pears we eat. As sooner26 can attest, "the narrow branching angles cause trees to split in half, especially when subjected to ice and storm conditions". From Wikipedia: "The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves expand fully, and are white, with five petals; they have a sickly-sweet smell that some have likened to semen, decaying crab meat, or jasmine and dog vomit".

It sounds like the wood should be fine to cook with, but make sure there aren't any flowers hanging around :shock: .

[Grumpy Gator]

Telephone poles were snapped in half.

I'd let them season a might longer than the pear... :twisted:

[serialgriller]

It sounds like the wood should be fine to cook with.........:shock: .

well, it sounds like it's not gonna generate much flavor, but could be used for generating heat after about 4 hours into a cook.

[DaHorns]

they have a sickly-sweet smell that some have likened to semen, decaying crab meat, or jasmine and dog vomitWell thats a mighty strange comparison......note to self, don't smell a bradford pear flower :shock: .......

[3970010]

I tried to smoke a Bradford pear once. It kept falling out of the paper.

[Txngent]

Wikipedia: "The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves expand fully, and are white, with five petals; they have a sickly-sweet smell that some have likened to semen, decaying crab meat, or jasmine and dog vomit".

http://www.33smiley.com/smiley/emotions/7.gif

[Buckeye]

If I ain't mistaken, a Bradford Pear is not a fruit tree, but a fast growing ornamental tree. :? Need to Google that one.

Ditto........That's whut I alwaze thaut a Bradford Pear wuz.....a Christmas tree. :?

[vinman]

Taking HFD26's suggestion, I Googled Bradford pear and got a few answers. It is a fruit tree native to the "Old World". They are a cultivated variety of a pear native to Korea and China. It is of the same genus (Pyrus) as the pears we eat. As sooner26 can attest, "the narrow branching angles cause trees to split in half, especially when subjected to ice and storm conditions". From Wikipedia: "The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves expand fully, and are white, with five petals; they have a sickly-sweet smell that some have likened to semen, decaying crab meat, or jasmine and dog vomit".

It sounds like the wood should be fine to cook with, but make sure there aren't any flowers hanging around :shock: .


I have one of those trees next door to me and I can agree with the smell of the flowers :shock:

[bigwheel]

Sure do make some nice itense shade. Neighbor had two planted side by side an ghurantee it so dark under there I dont think English Ivy could grow. They sure is bad about splitting. Took me two days with a chainsaw to see Fredericka again when one of them decided to divide on me. Thats was when I learnt you could cook with it:) In fact did a cater for 300 using the stuff. They ate up like little piglets and demanded mo. Thats when I showed them toward the day old cookies and watermelon.

bigwheel

[david brace]

...never heard of it...

DB

[TB]

HFD26 wrote:
If I ain't mistaken, a Bradford Pear is not a fruit tree, but a fast growing ornamental tree. Need to Google that one.


Ditto........That's whut I alwaze thaut a Bradford Pear wuz.....a Christmas tree.

Dat wus buuutiful, Buckeye!

[Buckeye]

Dat wus buuutiful, Buckeye!

Whut. :? :? ....I wuz jus agree'n wif tha man. :P
I never herd of one til I went lookin for a Christmas tree. :wink: