Taste is a direct result of Freshness
Before you pack your rolling paper, remember that taste is a direct result of freshness. Tobacco is usually fresh and full of flavor when you get it from a great, trustworthy source. However, once tobacco and legal smoking herb dries out, the flavor is reduced and tastes different (and not in a good way). In the last few years, we are starting to see more questions regarding the storage and taste preservation of tobacco products. Many ask, “How can I keep my tobacco fresh?” Check out our quick guide that we put together to learn the best methods for storing your tobacco and herbs.
Don’t Stuff Your Rolling Paper With Dry Tobacco
The manufacturing process for procuring tobacco and legal smoking herbs has been fine-tuned over the last hundred years or possibly even longer. When fresh tobacco or herb is dried out during the curing process, the joints can create an unpleasant taste for your drag while smoking. The taste becomes intolerable for the most experienced smoker. Dry product also ends up breaking, turning into powder as you hand roll or use a machine. You will find product falling out and making a mess because it doesn’t have the proper consistency and preload against your paper, cone or cigarette tube. As dry product burns you will hit voids and hot spots that create runs as it burns also known as canoeing. Other problems include jammed rolling machines and cherries and embers falling off burning your car or clothes.
After tobacco is freshly harvested, there is a drying process. This process dries the leaves but doesn’t completely eradicate all moisture. It is then tightly stored to lock in freshness and to stop harmful pests and other airborne contaminants from contaminating the crop.
A little known fact about tobacco leaves is that they can actually be re-hydrated. Storing leaves properly so no moisture escapes is ideal but if you find yourself with dry-tasting, unsmokable leaves, the next best thing is to re-hydrate!
How To Rehydrate Tobacco
If your tobacco is dry and flavorless, there is still hope. Rehydrating tobacco is almost as big of an artform as growing the tobacco itself. There are a variety of different ways you can go about reintroducing water into your roll. A popular way has to do with boiling water. Remember, you don’t want to directly submerge the product with water, this could wash off the flavors that were added after harvesting. Instead, allow the steam to gently rise up and pull moisture back into the leaves. That way, the flavors will remain strong and not diminish.
Next, you can try to store your tobacco with fresh fruit sealed in a container. This is a subtle way to easily pull moistures (and even flavors) into your leaves. Experiment with different types of fruits and berries until you find the best mix for you and your individual tastes. The old schoolers swore by orange peels.
If you want some help rehydrating or maintaining proper hydration, we offer products that work well when stored with tobacco. The Zeppelin Blimpifier, Water Pillows, RAW Hydrostone, and humidifying disks are a great product that can be submerged in water and then slowly releases moisture to perfectly rehydrate your tobacco. These products are reusable and cost effective. Unfortunately, there is a problem with these. If you are not careful you can over hydrate your product leaving you with smokes that don’t stay lit. So be careful!
Keeping your product at the perfect moisture level
Today’s demand for keeping your product at the correct hydration point has been answered. Companies like Boveda, Integra Boost, and Moisture Pak have designed 2-way hydration packets that you drop in your favorite container and forget them. These companies have different size packs to properly keep your stash safe. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or run the world’s biggest grow house they have a solution for you. These packs also have different moisture contents for different types of product. For herbal use we recommend 62% humidity packs. They keep your product moist and your terpenes fresh and tasty! For tobacco users we recommend…
Boveda Hemp And Tobacco Moisture Packs
Boveda packs are a great way to hydrate your terps, tobacco, or anything else you want to keep moist in storage. Boveda was scientifically designed to adjust relative humidity levels via a terpene shield that coats your stash. This means that the packs have a built-in time release agent that responds to the moisture in the container and adjusts accordingly to lock in freshness. You can tell it’s time to change the pack when the insert becomes dried out in spots. Do not wait until the entire packet gets dried out or your product may suffer. Boveda packs work best in air-tight containers and will last longer when void of air. Using more packs than recommended will also allow for longer shelf life because the time release agent has to respond less.
Integra boost Moisture Packs
Integra Boost is another product that regulates moisture. Just like Boveda, these packs work to adjust the relative humidity in the room while automatically releasing for long usage times. Testing shows that there is no clear advantage of using one over another but you need to try both for yourself. Some customers have reported that their favorites lock in taste a bit better than others.
Here Are The Best Ways To Store Your Tobacco To Keep It Fresh.
Areas with lower than normal humidity can be a hindrance to freshness. Storing tobacco in less than airtight containers and baggies often allow moisture to escape. For the short term, this is unnoticed. But if you need to store product for longer than a few weeks, glass canning jars or special containers are needed.
One of or favorite storing containers happens to be MedTainer! Medtainer has the unique patent of keeping an airtight seal while also sporting a handy grinder design built right into the cylinder. They also come in a wide array of colors and are relatively cheap when compared to other options. You can even pair this product with our Zeppelins Blimpifiers for maximum freshness.
We also have c-vault containers. These containers are stainless steel, food-grade storage cylinders. Boveda actually designed the pack holder so humidity regulation is made easy. If you are looking for something a bit more flexible, we also carry Mylar bags. Mylar bags are traditionally used in food-service to tightly pack contents against outside light, oxygen or other unwanted particulates. The material is strong and puncture resistant which makes them a great choice for storage.
Jars that top our list!
The Time Capsule polymer storage device was first used as a way to store items securely underground for future recovery. However, smoking enthusiasts quickly learned that the airtight seal, UV blocking coating, and durable material could also protect their favorite herb and keep it fresh for later. Inspired by NASA research, this little cup is a great choice.
The Bakers Bank Roll is a nice product when you need protection! The weapons grade material is a stylish jar that is air-tight and virtually crush-proof under most circumstances. We wouldn’t recommend running it over with a semi but besides that you won’t be disappointed.
If you are looking to stash multiple herbs in a single location, look no further. The Juicy Jars are great because they are stackable! They are also airtight and coated with UV protective paint to safeguard against sunlight.
Most of the products listed here will hide your herb in an airtight container. What if you want to show off your prized possession? The Smokus Focus Jar is the perfect display option. Crafted with a sleek transparent design, this jar has a focusing magnifying glass built in to the container for an up close and personal look at your stash. It also has a dope LED light to wow your smoking circle.