Smoked salt, nuts and other edible Christmas gifts from your smoker

Barbecue people are hard to buy for. They already own the thermometer, they have opinions about charcoal, and anything with "pitmaster" printed on it goes straight in a drawer. A jar of smoked sea salt that you made yourself is different. It's personal, it's genuinely useful, and it shows off the one thing they can't buy: your smoker and your choice of wood.

It's also about the cheapest gift there is. A box of flaky sea salt, a bag of nuts and a few jars will make presents for half the street.

What to make

If you only make one thing, make the salt. It's foolproof, it keeps, and it improves everything from roast potatoes to caramel.

Plan one smoker session

The trick is to do it all in one go. Light the smoker once for nuts, and let everything else ride along.

1. Light up and settle the smoker at around 110–120°C with a couple of chunks of oak, beech or apple.
2. Salt goes on first, spread thinly on trays on the cooler parts of the grate. It's happy at any temperature.
3. Nuts go on next, in a single layer on a tray or a perforated grill pan, nearest the heat.
4. Chilli flakes or dried chillies go on wherever there's room.
5. Nuts come off after about an hour. Salt and chilli can stay on while the fire dies down, picking up more smoke as it cools.

Cheese is the exception. It melts at those temperatures, so it needs a separate cold smoke on a cold day. More on that below.

Smoked sea salt

Use flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt. Fine table salt tends to clump and doesn't take on as much colour. Spread it thinly on a baking tray or a foil tray with holes poked in it, no more than a few millimetres deep, so the smoke can reach as much surface as possible.

Smoke it for anything from two to four hours, stirring every half hour or so to turn the bottom layer up. It's done when it has turned a pale tan and smells of the fire. Taste it: if you want it stronger, give it longer. Let it cool and dry completely on the tray before jarring, because salt that's still warm can sweat and clump in the jar.

Oak gives a classic smoky salt. Apple gives a softer, sweeter one, which makes a lovely second jar to give as a pair.

Smoked nuts

Almonds, cashews, pecans and mixed nuts all work. Use plain, unsalted, unroasted nuts.

For every 500 g of nuts, toss them with a tablespoon of oil or melted butter and a teaspoon or two of fine salt. Add a pinch of smoked paprika, cayenne or a little brown sugar if you like. Spread them in a single layer and smoke them at around 110–120°C for roughly 45–75 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. They're done when they're golden and smell toasted. They'll still be slightly soft while hot and crisp up as they cool.

Let them cool completely, ideally for a few hours, before they go in jars or bags. Warm nuts sealed in a jar turn soft. Make them no more than a week or so before you hand them over: they keep for one to two weeks in an airtight jar, but they're at their best fresh.

Smoked chilli flakes

Dried chilli flakes or whole dried chillies take smoke well and make a punchy present. Spread them on a tray and smoke them alongside the salt for an hour or two. If you're smoking whole fresh chillies, it's a much longer job: they need drying out completely afterwards, in a low oven or a dehydrator, before you crush and jar them. Damp chillies sealed in a jar can go mouldy.

Smoked cheese

Cheese makes the most impressive gift and needs the most care, because it has to be cold smoked: smoke without heat, on a cold day, so it doesn't melt. Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Red Leicester and Gouda work best. Our smoked cheese guide has the full method, and cold smoking at home covers the kit. Leave smoked cheese wrapped in the fridge for a few days before giving it, as the smoke mellows.

What not to give

Garlic, herbs or chillies in oil. Homemade flavoured oils with fresh garlic or herbs can carry a risk of botulism unless they're kept in the fridge and used quickly. They're a poor choice as a gift that might sit on a shelf.

Anything you can't vouch for. If you're not sure a home-smoked meat or fish is safe to keep, don't gift it. Salt, nuts, dried chilli and properly wrapped cheese are the safe, sensible choices.

Jars, labels and allergies

Small glass jars with clip or screw lids look good and keep things fresh. Wash and dry them thoroughly first. Kraft paper bags tied with string work for nuts you're giving within a few days.

Every label should say:

• What it is and what wood you used: "Oak-smoked sea salt" reads like a present.
• What's in it. Especially nuts, but also any dairy, sugar or spices. Nut allergies are serious, so make it obvious.
• The date you made it, and a "best within" date for nuts.

A short handwritten note with a serving suggestion is the bit people remember. "Try it on buttered new potatoes" turns a jar of salt into a present.

Your first step is to buy a box of flaky sea salt and some small jars this week, then pencil in a dry Saturday at the start of December for a smoker session. If you'd rather buy something, our smoker gift ideas cover kit at every budget.

FAQs

How long does homemade smoked salt last?

Kept dry in a sealed jar, smoked salt keeps for many months. The smoky smell slowly fades over time, so it's at its best within the first few months.

Can I smoke salt in a kettle barbecue?

Yes. Set it up for indirect heat with a small amount of charcoal and a chunk of wood, and put the tray of salt on the cool side. Salt doesn't mind high or low temperatures, so it's a very forgiving first cook on any smoker.

Which nuts should I smoke?

Almonds are the classic and keep their crunch well. Cashews and pecans take on smoke beautifully but brown faster, so stir them more often. A mix of all three makes a good gift.

Can I smoke sugar too?

Yes. Demerara or granulated sugar smoked the same way as salt makes a lovely gift for bakers and cocktail makers. Keep it away from direct heat, as sugar can melt and burn.