Gretchen’s Butter Beans

Liquid smoke has an undeserved bad reputation. People tend to think it’s some kind of chemical trick.

It’s not; it’s smoke that’s cooled and condensed. The flavor it adds is the real flavor of the wood used to make the smoke, in much the same way barbecue adds smoke flavor to food. The reason for the poor reputation is that it’s often overused, making the flavor too harsh.

From the box of D.W. from Cedar Falls, Iowa.