Seasoning Firewood for Cooking
Cooking over fire requires a clean burn, which you can only get from wood that has shed its sap and water. Using green wood creates excessive smoke and soot, which ruins the flavor of your food and prevents you from controlling your heat.
Patience is your primary tool.
Do not attempt to rush the drying process by applying artificial heat; natural evaporation ensures an even burn from bark to heartwood.
- Splitting maul or axe
- Wood moisture meter
- Pallets or elevated rack
- Heavy-duty tarp
The End-Grain Check
Look for radial cracks forming on the cut ends of the logs. These splits occur as the internal fibers contract, signaling that the water has evaporated.
The method.
Split the logs immediately
Freshly felled timber holds significant moisture in the bark. Splitting logs into quarters increases the surface area exposed to the air.
Stack for airflow
Lay logs in a single row on pallets, keeping the pile away from building walls. Cross-stack the ends to ensure the pile remains stable without blocking the wind.
Cover the top only
Drape a tarp over the top surface to shed rain, but leave the sides open. Trapping moisture against the wood will encourage rot rather than seasoning.
Verify with a meter
Before moving wood to your cook site, split a piece and press the pins of a moisture meter into the fresh face. Anything reading 20 percent or lower is ready.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Hardwoods like oak and hickory take significantly longer to dry than softwoods like pine.
If you live in a humid climate, stack your wood in a location that receives full sun for the majority of the day.
Listen for a 'clack' sound when striking two logs together; dull thuds indicate high moisture content.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I season wood indoors?
Only if you have a shed with excellent ventilation. Indoor storage without airflow simply creates a damp environment perfect for mold.
Does the type of wood matter?
Yes. Dense hardwoods hold more water and require more time to reach equilibrium with the air, but they produce longer-lasting coals for cooking.
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