Am I jarring my tobacco correctly?

[pipedreams86]

Hey guys! Just want to pick your brains a bit regarding jarring/storing my tobacco...over here in Romania I can't get normal Mason jars, but I bought a few different brands versions of mason jars...they look just like the ones you guys are using in the pics I've seen on here...
My process for storing has been:

1. Washed/sterilized/dried properly the jars

2. Filled the jars with tobacco

3. Closed lids as tight as I can

4. First round of jars, I didn't try putting them in hot water, etc...just left them and waited to see...the lids were still clicking even weeks later, and I opened up one jar and the tobacco seemed way drier...even to the point of perhaps being too dry to hydrate well

5. So second round I tried putting the jars in boiling water and waited to see, and for the lids still didn't 'pop'...
My question is: Am I doing something wrong/is there something wrong with the jars? i.e. should the lids pop either naturally or via boiling, and is it normal that the tobacco was way drier after a few weeks?
I have a lot of tobaccos to store, but I'm worried about ruining my TAD investments with jarring improperly!
I can also get bailtop jars here, but a few people seemed to not rate them very highly for long term use...
Thanks!

 

[newbroom]

My approach is much lazier and less attentive to long term storage.

Each new day is a gift and I don't have a 5 year plan.

I've got a couple of coolers that I store bulks in their original shipping bags, and several re-purposed lunch meat containers holding my 'rotation'.

I'm new at all this, but I think that if you're buying relatively pure and dry cured tobacco, it's hard to ruin it.

Aromatic smokers really probably should just complete their opened tins before they lose their punch, if not their propylene glycol.

 

[davet]

Fill the jar, tighten the lid, put it away and leave it alone.

 

[fitzy]

I'm with Davet. Just make sure there's no tobacco around the rim of the jar as it can keep the it from sealing properly.
I don't even wash the new jars but then again I'm using new Ball jars. I only wash them when I go to reuse them.

 

[alexnorth]

As i understand it you don't need to boil up a vacuum, just seal and tuck away..

 

[oldreddog]

Agree with the above. I have tobacco in some jars for over two years and it's grand. Incidentally I have a tin of Potlatch that I opened in October 15 and it's in perfect condition even tough I forgot to jar it.

 

[woodsroad]

Good advice here. Keep it simple, t isn't rocket science. No need to sterilize or heat seal the lids. But you can make it more complicated, if you so desire!

 

[pipedreams86]

@woodsroad that's awesome love it! I've been interested in the idea of trying to make my own blends...I might have to give that more serious thought...once I master jarring other people's blends!
so i shouldn't be worried about the fact the tobacco felt way drier weeks later? is that part of the normal process?

 

[stickframer]

I've never heated the jars, and they've sealed naturally. By that I mean the lid doesn't click. Make sure there aren't any tobacco bits around the seal.
I've had problems with 2 or 3 jars where I would tighten the lid as much as possible and it would not seal properly. It's hard to explain, maybe the lids were crappy or something. Anyway now I just tighten the lid so that it's snug, not as tight as I can possibly get it, and I've had no problems.

 

[snowyowl]

You are not canning tomatoes here, so botulism (etc) is not an issue.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

As several others have said already; just put the tobacco in the jar, put it on the shelf and leave it alone. I've got tobacco that's been sitting in my cabinet for 2-4 years and when I open the jar the tobacco is still in smoking condition. Don't over think the process.

 

[jkrug]

If you are sure the tobacco is dryer/too dry then that is a concern that needs to be addressed. Try to determine why that is happening, poor seal, tobacco bits on the jar rim preventing seal, nick in the glass jar rim?
Other than that issue it is a simple process as others have mentioned. Fill the jars, snug up the lids and set aside for future enjoyment. Good luck to you. ::

 

[pipedreams86]

thanks guys for your input...from what you're all saying i think I'm over thinking this a bit...one final question...do you guys rate the bail top jars iwth the metal spring mechanisms to seal? i've seen mixed reviews for tobacco storage but I can get those cheap and easy here and they may be the way to go? I'm headed home to England soon so i'll be looking there for options too...

 

[madox07]

I use pharmacy jars ... due to the heavy lid, they keep the tobacco pretty air tight. You can find them in Romania in various antique shops, or even online. Try okazii.ro, you should find plenty over there, and quite inexpensive.

 

[andrew]

I find the lids are the main thing, like there's these cheap jars I can get at the dollarstore, the masonjar style and the lids really suck, they look just like every other lid but alot of times the button on top won't pop in which means it's sealed. However there's alot of jars I open that haven't had that button pop in and the tobacco has aged and is perfect. Then there's times I'll open a jar and it hasn't sealed and it's dried out. I find quality lids make a difference, and I can get them quite cheap. Really I just throw the tobacco in and put the lid on, at first I really obsessed with heating up the jars but then while I was doing it a jar tipped over in the pot, filling up with water and it was full of tobacco. So I dried it out and it still smoked okay, but after that it was too much trouble to bother and more often than not the seals pop on their own.

 

[woodsroad]

a few months ago, I had bought 3 dozen half-pint jars when they were on sale at WallyWhirled, and left them on the back seat of the car for a while. Whenever I was driving, there would come a point when the car had warmed up sufficiently that all the lids would start to pop at the same time. In the space of 30 seconds, they'd all ping in one big chain reaction, like a string of firecrackers.

 

[oldreddog]

Woods could you not of used air con or some strategic window opening to conduct your jar orchestra and play some music?

A little something by Philip Glass perhaps?

 

[didimauw]

If your putting tobacco in the jar, and closing the lid, you are doing it right!

 

[woodsroad]

A little something by Philip Glass perhaps?

I find his music to be quite jarring.

 

[retrogasm]

At least the sound isn't tinny. Just play it back tobacco.