Unlike hot smoking, cold smoking gives the food the flavor while not cooking it, which makes it an excellent part of the preservation process. With a little time and a homemade or an electric smoker, you can use cold smoking to make great foods that taste wonderful.
As a general rule, avoid woods with a lot of resin, like pine, and go for hard woods or woods from fruit trees. Apple, cherry, hickory, and even oak wood are all appropriate for smoking. To make the wood smoke, a simple metal chip box for barbecuing set on a hot plate will create all the smoke you need without a fire. If you use an electric smoker, follow the instructions that come with your unit for cold smoking.