I was looking at Wilsons of Sharrows site and came across this;
_ Q : How do I store snuff? _
_ A : Treat the snuff as if it were a vegetable is the general rule. Keep it airtight until opened and then store in the refrigerator, in the dark. The vegetable box at the bottom is ideal if you are allowed! _
Is that right, or is all that snuff in the mills having an effect on their minds?
I do have to say a few of my flavours have gone in strength and I keep them in an airtight jar so I’m going to try this. Cold snuff will be an interesting experience at the very least.
I’d say that the container being air tight is still the biggest criteria. Otherwise a refrigerator does act as a desiccant on anything in it. But who am I to suggest that Wilson’s doesn’t know about keeping snuff?
I think it might be because bacteria can grow on tobacco, and there’s a lot of flavourings in snuff, and some only offer snuffs with natural ingredients so it does make sense. I’ve noticed some flavours fade and some not at all. I’ll try it from now on though I think it’s a minor issue just for preserving quality.
WoS tins are not airtight - even with the tape seal, that’s why they are usually dry if you buy them from stores that have them on the shelves for ages - so an extra layer of protection is a good idea, but you don’t need anything other than an airtight container.
I would have thought that the potential for cross contamination from any smellies in the fridge might change the character of the snuff .Also as Snuff is an aromatic pleasure it might take longer for the fractions to cook off in your nose if the snuff was cold. How about the effect on the pinch itsself?
ref the smellies thing, we were not allowed to store certain products in the same fridges at my old job , and other products were not allowed in the proximity of each other in ambient stores, ie Tea, Bananas, Strawberries, Apples, Crisps and Biscuits
Shouldn’t keep potatoes in the fridge anyway. Keep them in a dark place with good air cirulation. I have a root cabinet in my kitchen with basket style drawers. Works a charm.
Fridges in general are very dry places. Freezers even more so. The freezer is most probably the driest place in one’s home, If you don’t live in a desert, that is. Also, there’s a lot of fluctuation. I understand that the realtive humidity in a fridge can vary vildly depending on how often one opens it. When opening a fridge on a hot day the relative humidity can shoot from rather low 30-40% relative humidity to 100%. I don’t think this would be advantageous for snuff storage.
If the snuff is airtight, the humidity in fridge, or freezer or even ambient room or outdoor humidity will have no effect. Temperature control is much less a critical issue, though it can add to the preservation. I would imagine that freshness will be 95% dependent on airtightness, 3% on temperature, and 2% on UV protection. Clearly the air by far is the greatest threat. I keep my bulk snuff in a dark cellar where the temperature stays relatively constant cool, but not cold, both summer and winter.
Incidentally the 2% and 3% may both be overestimations. I just want to stress how important airtightness is. The other two factors are inconsequential without the prime one contolled.
Some of you must have seen the recommendation of an old fridge for a large cigar humidor. The important part is if I remember correctly to get a non frost-free model, from a yard sale or something, which doesn’t remove humidity from the interior. Although this I suppose is more important for cigars, it could be good to know for snuff storage.
It won’t do anything at all if the container you keep the snuff in is airtight - fridge, humidor or whatever. It’s simple physics, no air in, no moisture out. Or think of another way - do you need to keep tubed cigars in a humidor? You might but it won’t do anything if the cigar tube has never been opened. If I had enough left I would send everyone a sample of one of my 30+ year old snuffs that have just been kept airtight.
