Jarring your tobacco

I like the 4 ounce jelly jars, as they are the perfect size to jar a tin and have a couple of sample bowls before sealing the lid.

I think haebar has the right recipe. This is basically what I do. We had an interesting discussion at our last pipe club meeting on the best way to fill the jar, loose or tight, add some air space depending on aro or non, etc. There were many differing opinions here. My feeling is to pack reasonably tight and forget about air space. Leave it sealed if you want to have it age, that is an anaerobic process. If you open the jar, the newly introduced air has to be consumed again before the anaerobic processes will begin again. Put daily use quantities in smaller jars for regular use. Aging is largely dependent on the sugar content of the tobacco with Virginias having the most, Burley much less. Of course, they should be kept in a cool, dark location. A few months to a few years can do wonders.

Once i crack open a tin it immediately gets jarred. Rarely do i finish off a tin in a weeks time or less, so in a Mason jar it goes... and cellar is so broad wide n deep I just go from one to the next ad infinitum... my jars are always closed wrenchingly tight, even though I may reopen it soon... never had any go bad or moldy... just vintage goodness and always fresh... t'aint rocket science from my experience... I either use a Sharpie to label the lid or tape a pretty factory label to the glass. Don't really rely on Mylar bagging for long term, but that's just me.

Various sizes of jars here too
don't do much pre- cleaning of the jars if they are new
 but do wipe them off inside and out with a little rum and let them air out before filling them up

looking for jars today as a matter of fact and i found these anchor hocking  large sized jars which will work for my favorite blends that i order in larger weights

the smaller ones are 2 quart capacity
the two larger jars are 1 gallon size

i cut the top off of my coffee can lids to make better seals for these compared to to cardboard seals they came with

 

I jar bulks and tins once opened. I use the wide mouth Ball jars in quart and pint sizes.

I pretty much follow the advice given in the first two posts.




90% of my blends are in half pint jars because it allows me to work through a jar I like pretty easily in a five or six jar rotation. I started out buying the wide mouth versions, but being stackable (which the wide mout isn't), takes a back seat to being stackable. I cut down my crumble cakes to fit the jars...I do use larger jars for some bulk long term storage...people say that Burley's don't really age well but an old timer I know only smokes five years or older burleys and Va-burs and swears by them.

All my pouch blends share a same half gallon jar.

One thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep the rim of a jar scrupulously clean, just a small piece of tobacco can compromise that very thin seal, and if it is any amount of time between smokes, you can have some dried sagebrush to smoke. Buy extra lids, they are cheap.


For labels, I was using the brother label maker, but they can be a pain to take off when the jar is empty, and they are more time consuming than just picking up Kerr mason labels at Wal-mart.




Easier to peel to apply than brother, and they accept a fine point pen well, so it is easy to write the blend and date, and they peel off cleanly when you empty a jar.

I am sure that Mylar is fine for long term, but I like the glass jar, silicone seal, and metal lid...they just give me more confidence over the long haul.

I use one of these:




with one of these:




and stuff them in these:

UPDATE on my above post ^^^^
The large 1 gallon anchor hocking jars (USA Glass) do not have the good quality lids that they once did back in the day.... the company is now using Imported Metal Lids

These things do not seal worth a _ _ _ _
the thread on the glass do not match up with threads on the cheap / loose / flimsy metal lids

The 1/2 gallon jars the lids sealed a little better but still not good quality

Shame on You Anchor Hocking for using imported parts on a once good USA brand name

Aging will take place, or not... regardless, jarring is the way to go. Store in dark cool environ. If aging is not desired, vacuum seal and cross fingers.

Ball jars here. I find that jarring the Samuel Gawith and G-H flakes after opening the tin is essential as they dry out pretty quickly. I d buy very little in bulk and it depends where I get the bulk from. The bags that Uhle's use are very good for long time storage. Heavier gauge than others seem to use.

Large Mason jars for my long term aging and large amounts to stay unopened the longest. Small-medium jars for go-to jars or smaller amounts of let's say, a small tin worth to store mid to long term.

I label Mason jars and lids on top the lid and directly on the glass with  a Sharpie.  Just use a little rubbing alcohol to take it off.
When I wash a mason jar out to put a different blend into it, I wash them out with only hot water and baking soda. Baking soda works well to not leave a soap scent or residue, to sterilize and deodorize.

Ditto!

I don't believe those Foodsaver machines have a high enough heat to seal the Mylar. I have heard some people just use a clothing iron, or you can purchase various heat sealers.

I wish I had read this thread before I began purchasing tobacco last Fall. I have a dozen blends in pint jars that are now flavorless.