Tobacco, like any natural product, has a shelf life. Whilst this shelf life can last quite a long time, the tobacco starts to dry out the moment you break the seal. In an unopened pack, the tobacco should stay fresh for around two years. However, we know you've bought it to smoke, so that's not a realistic consideration.
You may not realise it, but drying out the leaves is intentional and part of the actual tobacco production process. This process allows for chemical changes to take place in the leaves, allowing for a smoother, less harsh smoking experience. However, the producers are careful not to let the product dry out completely. To halt the process, they seal the smoking tobacco in an airtight package just at the right moment. These practices may make it more challenging for you to keep tobacco fresh, but be glad to know there are storage steps you can take to help you achieve your goal.
Reasons Tobacco Stops Being Fresh
As soon as you open the pouch, the drying process starts again. Everyone smokes a pouch at a different rate, so whilst some will consume the pack in a matter of days, it might take others a week or two to finish it off. No matter how quickly you smoke, we'd recommend working to keep your tobacco in the best possible state. After all, you've paid a lot of money for this smoke, so you should get to enjoy it in its peak condition.
Be Proactive
One of the best ways to prevent your tobacco from drying out and how you can keep it fresh is to take a proactive approach. Never let it dry out, to begin with, if you want to have a better smoking experience. Focus on what you can do to store your product right away so that you can prevent your tobacco from losing its flavour. The minute you open your tobacco, start planning out how you’re going to store it properly so that you can prevent it from drying out.
Learn about the following storage methods so that you can take action after you purchase the tobacco and hopefully succeed in keeping it fresh.
Methods to Stop Tobacco Drying Out
The industry standard recommendation is to use a hydro-stone to introduce moisture into the atmosphere of where you store your tobacco. These are simple, cheap, and readily available terracotta stones. By soaking them in a bowl of water, they absorb the liquid, and as they dry out, they will gradually release it into the air. Therefore, when stored in a pouch of tobacco, the hydro-stone won't make the tobacco wet but will keep it moist by increasing the water content in the air. Bull Brand stocks the Mascotte Hydro-stone, and at £1, it is a cheap and simple solution to avoiding crumbly tobacco! Buy Mascotte Hydro-stone
Additional Storage Options
You can also store tobacco to keep it fresh by using Tupperware or plastic containers commonly found in most kitchens. Be mindful that you should only use this method for the short-term and if you’re in a pinch. The reason it might not be a long-term solution is that the containers may not always be completely airtight. To keep your tobacco fresh this way, get your plastic container and put foil around the top of a pile of tobacco. Then, moisten or dampen a paper towel and place it on top. However, be careful not to use so much water that it begins to leak onto the tobacco. Close your lid tight, and your tobacco is sure to stay fresh for some time. You’ll want to keep an eye on the container and tobacco to make sure the paper towel is always moist and to ensure that water isn’t directly leaking onto the product. If you don’t want to use a paper towel, then know that an apple, fruit slice, or piece of sponge can do the trick too.
Another practical option to stop tobacco from drying out is to store it in a mason jar. You can find mason jars in most homeware shops, but make sure that it’s a quality jar that you can seal tightly. You should also confirm that there’s no water or residue in the jar before you put your tobacco in it. Increase your chances of keeping your tobacco fresh for longer by putting it in a Ziploc bag first and then placing the bag into your mason jar.
Getting Moisture Back into Your Tobacco
The good news is that it’s possible to bring your tobacco back to life if you find it’s dried out after you’ve already tried to store it. You can spray a fine mist of water on it but use it sparingly so that you don’t wash away the flavours. It’s not an ideal solution but will do the trick if you want to introduce more moisture to a favoured batch of tobacco.
Another option is to pull out your old fashioned teapot and put it to good use. You can reinvigorate your tobacco and add moisture by filling the pot halfway with boiling water. Do not put the tobacco in the water. Instead, place the dried out tobacco into the basket and let it sit for about a half an hour. Check on it after this amount of time and then repeat the process if you find it’s not yet moist.
Conclusion
If at any time your tobacco becomes soggy or wet when you’re trying to store it and keep it fresh, then it’ll need to be dehydrated. Understand that even a few water drops can negatively impact the flavour and balance of the tobacco, which will decrease your pleasure of smoking it. You should now feel confident and prepared to store your tobacco correctly so that it stays fresh over time. Try a few methods and suggestions out and see what’s easiest and works best for you. Remember that you want to act fast and be proactive instead of reactive so you can have a better smoking experience and feel like your money was well spent. If you are ready for some tobacco, hand-rolling or pipe tobacco, then Bull Brand is the place to be, browse our range of tobacco here and if you want a Mascotte Hydro-stone then click here.
