Bulk Storage and Reconstitution

That style of jar is not for long term storage as the seal is porous enough for air transfer. Its a low density material that will allow air and moisture exchange usually air in and evaporation of any moisture out. If you can smell your baccy from outside the container its a bad sign for longer term storage. I really like canning jars.. a lot. They're fairly cheap and can be found everywhere, best of all they are reusable.

Edit: I have some vintage syrian that was stored in the bag since 2009 and it is significantly dryer than the recent stuff I have, but a few breaths like your trying to warm up your hands while holding a bowls worth works wonders and it tastes mighty fine.

Wow.  So they actually seem to be fashioned for the exact opposite purpose I was using them for. haha  Thank you.  Most of my bulks are in standard Mason jars.  I need to buy some more it seems.  I only had the two large 'apothecary jars' and liked them for their aesthetics. Maybe I'll buy a couple of those bags of cigarette tobacco and fill them with that just for decoration.

Also, I know this obviously varies as blends are all different with moisture content as well as how they are cased, but is there an average to how long I have to finish a tin before it's in danger? I almost feel like I should be transferring the tin directly to a jar after opening.

As has been said, Mason jars with new lids are the best bet. Although, the bail type jars are not so bad if you put new gaskets on them occasionally. I have a few of the bail-type jars and pick up some of them in thrift stores stores, but I always change out the gaskets with new ones that I buy from Ace Hardware or Amazon. The bail type jars are good for storage of blends that you will be accessing more often and not for long-term aging.

Peter has given excellent advice, to add to that is this excellent article that adds to the conversation.

I had a pound of flake from 1944 that had spent decades drying out, so in that particular case l, I didn't want to spritz flakes and tumble them... I surely would have had mummy dust. I carefully laid out small stacks of flakes and slowly rehydrated portions at a time. Slow to dry out, slow to hydrate.. it took a couple days using the damp towel method, but they rehydrated nicely.... after that long though, the tobacco had been compromised. It is always good to have hydration discs for small amounts they work like a charm... sometimes use two or three in a sealed mason jar.

pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-tobacco/pipe-tobacco-rehydration/

Jonathan Winters in it's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

I think flip tops have their place if one desires short to medium range storage and more immediate access than Mason jars provide, say between 3-6 months. I use little ones which will hold a single tin on a regular basis. They allow for a sufficient amount of oxygen to help the tobacco breath fresh out of the tin without excessive drying for a moderate period of time. This process is completely unnecessary if you're going to pop a tin and smoke it in two weeks; however, a little time under glass in a flip top jar has helped many a tobacco on my end.

Use of processed food jars for the same purpose is more controversial and I'm admittedly in the minority on this one. While I wouldn't recommend using anything tomato or garlic based, quesa jars clean up quite easily with a few minutes in boiling water. The lids, which are the primary issue, are not tainted and can be sanitized with a little alcohol to kill any nasties. I've kept tobacco in these out in the work barn for up to two years without issue; however, our climate here is relatively humid.

If that scares you, another suggestion is some food jars will accept the same new lids and rings as Mason jars due to standard thread.

Otherwise, I agree with others here there's no substitute for Mason jars, fresh lids and rings for long tern storage of more substantial amounts of tobacco.

I do this, too.  Jam and honey jars, and sanitize lids with alcohol.  I've also used coconut oil jars.  

I've even used an olive jar after swapping out the lid for a mason jar one.  I think if you do that, there can be no difference at all between a real mason jar and a pre-used food jar with an identical thread.  I've had no problems at all with either kind of lid (except for user error, not getting a good seal) - though I do find that the food jar lids can get really, really tight as aging goes along.  I guess it's something to do with creating an anaerobic environment.

Not to hijack, but does anyone steam the mason lids shut, or just screw down tight while pressing down the middle part for a good seal?

Good point.  I will probably switch most things over, but keep a couple flip-tops for my daily smokes.

I have read that excluding air from the container retards aging. That said, vacuum sealing jars is easy if you have a vacuum sealer and attachment for sealing jars. I even have a hand operated vacuum pump for that, from my 'survivalist' days. Don't need to survive much longer though... LOL

I just wrench the hell out of the lid, give it a day and try wrenching it again before it heads to the cellar...going forward though I am going to press the disc down, makes sense...this is the first I have ever heard on that advice.

I do hear lids going "bing" as the cellaring magic takes place.

In my opinion the best long term storage can be obtained with Mason (Ball) Jars.

Regarding rehydrating, for me, instead of spraying the tobacco directly, I use G.L. Pease's method of placing a damp towel over a bowl containing the tobacco to be rehydrated. You can find many references regarding this technique via a Google search. Check on the moisture level of the tobacco in a few hours and make a judgement call at that point how much longer you want to keep it under the towel. You will need to dampen the towel again more than likely. This could be an overnight process - not that you need to keep checking it but it depends on how much moisture needs to be reabsorbed - but it has worked wonderfully for me and the tobacco, while it probably does loose some of its original allure, it will still be more than enjoyable.

Good luck!

Lou