About a month ago I got a 100g bag of Straubinger Schmalzler and upon arrival I transferred it into a freshly washed large baby food jar, well today when I grabbed it to take a pinch I discovered mold growing in the snuff, is it possible that it could have been contaminated from the factory? I have since moved all of my Schmalzler’s into the refrigerator hoping to discourage mold, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Yes it’s possible that it could have picked up the spores from the factory. It’s also possible that it could have picked them up from the environment in which the snuff was transferred. I don’t doubt your jar was clean and sterile, but if the environment in which you transferred the snuff into the jar or if the clean jar sat open in an environment it could have picked it up there.
Yeah, I don’t know, all I know is that it sucks to have to throw away 100g of snuff 
I feel your pain…sorry to hear about the snuff dumpage…and to a Schmalzler no less…
#-o
I think that if you had left the snuff in the bag and had put the bag into a jar it would have been fine.
Always boil jars before use.
I would be tempted to slow roast the snuff rather than throw it away. For example if you ‘toasted’ it for a few hours at say 110C the I would think that would kill anything living there. Mind you I am no expert, so don’t listen to me and risk poisoning yourself.
Too late, I all ready tossed it, besides it wasn’t just on the surface, it was all through it, so it probably would have still had a mustiness to it, yuck, thank for the suggestion though.
Mold is pretty tough stuff and once it’s in it’s pretty much in I would think. Definatly best to toss it I would say. Mold is pretty much almost everywhere in spore form. Also a nose full of the wrong mold would be no fun.
Well…now I don’t know what to think. I just found my Mettaijer all clumped up with mold. I only used it a few times and left it in its original container put in a plastic bag. I suppose I should let the other Dutch snuffs dry out a little now.
that is disturbing Juxtaposer, I’ve got one that is all clumped and I figured it was something more benign, going to go check it now.
OK, just checked–the Mettaijer is clumped, but as far as I can tell it is not moldy, no moldy smell and vigorous shaking declumped it. Not to say that your batch isn’t moldy, but maybe it’s the additions that are making it tend to clump up.
@ Juxtaposer and Mouse: Mettaijer and Bon Bon are prepared without added salt which makes this snuffs more prone to mold growth on prolonged storage than other snuffs.
If you contact me I’ll be happy to replace or refund.
Jaap Bes.
luckily the Bon Bon is even better when it is completely dried out. Oddly it is the only snuff I’ve tried that the scent is stronger when dried out. Great snuff by the way.
I would say that oxygen absorbers added to the storage jar would or could guarantee no mold, but that would be what would make it happen… me saying it wouldn’t.
When I got on fire about the oxygen absorbers and bought another batch of them a few weeks back, a moldy batch of F&T Bordeaux (250 grams worth in 10 tins of them) had spurred me to not let that happen again. The Bordeaux had gone from something beautiful to smell to something horrific…I’m still trying to get over the loss.
No worries Jaap, I’ll consider it a donation towards the molens. It is good to know the others do have salt because I would like to keep them in bags and moist.