Metal tins, plastic tubs and vacuum sealed bags; hookah tobacco seems to come in every form of packaging imaginable and some of them are better than others. I appreciate the push that is currently happening to get tobacco in containers that are food safe and actually seal, but there are still some more traditional brands that are set in their ways and aren’t looking to invest in new packaging and the associated machinery. For those brands I have come up with a few techniques that will help to keep the tobacco fresh for longer and avoid messes. It all starts with a butter knife…
Well, not really. The first step is simply transferring the majority of the tobacco into a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware container. I suggest the cheap and disposable Tupperware containers because they are easily cleaned and stack well. Some tobaccos benefit from a little oxygen, like Tangiers, so those brands do well in containers with a little less perfect of a seal. For these, I like using plastic Chinese food take out containers. You can buy them for pennies at some markets and in food industry supply stores if you have one near you.
It’s finally time for the butter knife. I use the back edge of the knife to scrape down the plastic wrapping or the bag that held the tobacco to make sure that I get every last bit of molasses and flavoring. I don’t like wasting any of that precious juice.
That’s it. It’s a simple process, but it will help extend the shelf life of your tobacco, maintain the flavor and make your collection easier to organize. It cost a little extra money, but it’s better than throwing away otherwise perfect tobacco. Try it out and let us know what you think.