[Sca-cooks] RE: Food safe firewood

[Biles, Christina]

Sharon Gordon <gordonse at one.net> wrote:
 

We know not to use because they are toxic:
Datura plants
Jimson weed
Oleander
Poison ivy

We had some questions over:
Elderberry--one person had been told the wood was toxic
Pine--food safe but better not to use due to its resinous properties and
the flavor it would add???

Woods that are good to use due to adding flavor to food:
Apple
Cedar
Oak
Cherry (and pretty much any fruitwoods)
Alder
Walnut
Ash
Maple


Woods that are good to use for food but probably shouldn't be used in
the
SCA as we thought they were of North American origin:
Hickory
Mesquite
Pecan

Good for wooden dishes:
Maple
Oak
Cherry

Good for wine barrels:
English Oak (not all oak varieties add the same flavors)

Good for buckets or crates that vegetables and fruit might be
transported in
from the garden:
hardwoods

What can be added to this? Anyone know of a site that has a chart of
food
safe and unsafe wood?
It normally boils down to hardwoods good, softwoods bad, with a few
exceptions for exotics.

-Magdalena da Cadamosto