Leaf chew, chaw , etc. Recipes

[Smokin Harley]

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[Smokin Harley]

Just to let everyone know who wants to try this method. It only took a matter of minutes to mix up the liquid ingredients . seconds to dump the scrap leaf into said (now hot) liquid, turn , stir, (more like a folding technique) then tamp down in the crock lightly about an hour on high and the occasional turning and stirring of the now saturated leaf bits,turn out onto a sheet pan. It was the repeated- oven drying,take out to stir ,redistribute the leaf, back in the oven,and so on and so forth until the desired dryness/moisture content etc.
This is very easy and only took a few hours of my day to accomplish very satisfactory results. If you have a scrap bag ,box or bucket of leaf bits and like leaf style chew, this is pretty much it.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I'm not a chew guy but I'll have to try this. Decoding the greats in your own kitchen is awesome.

 

[ArizonaDave]

Just to let everyone know who wants to try this method. It only took a matter of minutes to mix up the liquid ingredients . seconds to dump the scrap leaf into said (now hot) liquid, turn , stir, (more like a folding technique) then tamp down in the crock lightly about an hour on high and the occasional turning and stirring of the now saturated leaf bits,turn out onto a sheet pan. It was the repeated- oven drying,take out to stir ,redistribute the leaf, back in the oven,and so on and so forth until the desired dryness/moisture content etc.
This is very easy and only took a few hours of my day to accomplish very satisfactory results. If you have a scrap bag ,box or bucket of leaf bits and like leaf style chew, this is pretty much it.

I've kind of been wondering if one of those new leaf shredders Don has would work with scraps, but not sure if it's even needed. I think I'm going to try your method, and also Copenhagenforever's recipe. Looks good.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Dave, I taste tested this morning...The Ky Fire cured with no topping flavor added was good...average. Just a nice apple juice base came through more like a cider but not overpowering. The wintergreen actually fell short on flavor so I sprayed more on and shook it and added more. Its sitting again .I'll retest it another time after it has a chance to absorb all the flavor.
The apple cinnamon is the best as-is,hands down ,no further monkeying around necessary. And its got some kick to it(strength) .
If the wintergreen turns out I need to add way more flavoring I may just try a small micro batch (mouthful) and mix some of the fire cure with it .I think it would make a good combination of subtle flavors,possibly compliment each other . If not I can still add some other flavors to the wintergreen and come out ok, regular peppermint/spearmint oil may give it some help.

Back to your shredder idea- I didn't use one. The leaf was already short pieces and very dry . It crumbled just fine by hand . I don't like tiny pieces anyway . I'd rather keep it closer to a leaf shred than the size cut of Cope.

 

[ArizonaDave]

Dave, I taste tested this morning...The Ky Fire cured with no topping flavor added was good...average. Just a nice apple juice base came through more like a cider but not overpowering. The wintergreen actually fell short on flavor so I sprayed more on and shook it and added more. Its sitting again .I'll retest it another time after it has a chance to absorb all the flavor.
The apple cinnamon is the best as-is,hands down ,no further monkeying around necessary. And its got some kick to it(strength) .
If the wintergreen turns out I need to add way more flavoring I may just try a small micro batch (mouthful) and mix some of the fire cure with it .I think it would make a good combination of subtle flavors,possibly compliment each other . If not I can still add some other flavors to the wintergreen and come out ok, regular peppermint/spearmint oil may give it some help.

Back to your shredder idea- I didn't use one. The leaf was already short pieces and very dry . It crumbled just fine by hand . I don't like tiny pieces anyway . I'd rather keep it closer to a leaf shred than the size cut of Cope.

I was always a Kodiak guy, but there was this certain brand I used to get in FL when the spring baseball players were training......a peppermint type, it might have had some spearmint too. I'm probably going to try the apple/cinnamon combo. Speaking of tobacco crumbling, it's easy to dry scraps here in AZ, I'll probably just do that. Thanks!

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I only made a tablespoon (dry) of this two weeks ago. It was dark fired tobacco, fine cut then buzzed a couple times in the grinder. Apple concentrate was added to a hot pot, where it started bubbling, molasses added next with a dash of salt. Tobacco was mixed and like you said, folded, until it started getting tacky. A smidgeon washing soda added and massaged around in a baggie and aged about a week and a half.

Flavor was so good you absolutely know it's bad for you. Like nothing can be this good without paying later. Glad I made so little. If I were older I'd say f it and have a cheek full of this all day.

 

[Smokin Harley]

I think I did forget to say I added a bit of baking soda to the mixture.
It IS good isn't it? I was wondering if I put some citric acid in the mix ,would the flavors pop more .
My ex-brother in law used to keep bees and when he made flavored honey he used the lorann oils for flavoring, he found when he used citric acid ,he didn't need to use nearly as much flavoring oils .

 

[deluxestogie]

If you recall from middle school science, the effect of adding baking soda to vinegar (acetic acid), the same thing happens when you mix baking soda with citric acid.

Bob

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yeah any acid is going to move the ph in the wrong direction for n uptake

 

[Levi Gross]

I'm doing a batch of crockpot leaf chew. Using whats left of the Ky Fire Cured WLT wrapper leaf.
So far I have my small crockpot going . In it I started with a can of frozen apple juice concentrate , 1 tsp of kosher salt, 1 tbsp unsulphured molasses ,1 tbsp soy sauce ,2 tbsp raw local honey, and several droppers of liquorice flavoring. Also put in a tsp or so of veg glycerin. Got the sauce nice and hot and now have the leaf shredded and cooking...soaking up.
I have another batch (shredded pieces of scrap cigar tobacco, all kinds of different leaf in there from Criollo98 to Habano to Dominican binder ,and minimal scraps of KY fire cured wrapper, anything and everything I couldn't use as long filler) in the ready that I will use my ball jar wintergreen flavoring ,same basic sauce.
I also have a 3rd batch that I will use scrap leaf and do the apple cinnamon once again since it was so tasty, maybe with the crockpot simmering the sauce into the leaf , the flavor may hang on longer or be more than just a hint.
After the simmer and soak , the treated leaf will be drained of excess liquid , then go into the oven to dry a bit (right around the feel of thin soft leather) before bagging and storage.
My amount of scrap leaf fits (bulging) in one of the 8 x 15 vapor proof poly bags WLT ships .
Should keep me in chew for quite a while.

I know this post is a couple years old but, I tried this plus and minus a couple ingredients this evening using fire cured and burley red tips. I did it on the stove though and not the crock pot. I made one ounce. Tomorrow will be the test when I take it to work for myself and the guys to sample. I used to chew all the time and went back to smoking if this works out I may be experimenting with this further. So far it looks nice and has a hint of Levi Garret taste. Thanks for another great thread!