Canning Your DIY Blends

[RSteve]

A lot of canned fruits and vegetables come with a pull tab top, so you can open them without a can opener. Because my grandchildren love them, I go through three to five cans of mandarin oranges a week. The ones I buy have a pull tab top. When I open them, I open the bottom with an Oxo smooth edge can opener.
As you can see in the video, at 40 seconds, the cut is along the sides of the can, allowing you to replace the portion you've cut. I leave the pull tab top intact.
After thoroughly cleaning the can and removing the label, I press about 8 oz. of tobacco into a fluid 12 oz. can. After the can is packed to the top, I cover the pressed tobacco carefully with a paper coffee filter. Then I run a bead of Clear non-expanding Gorilla Glue along the rim of the bottom disc that will fit right back into the can. I carefully turn the can over onto a paper towel with the pull tab top facing up and the glued bottom down. Lastly, I weigh the can down with a heavy canister on top. Caution: If you do this, remember the paper towel under the can! You don't want to glue the can to your counter if there's any expansion or dripped glue.

Added: Wouldn't it be easier just to use jars? The answer, of course, is yes it would. But, I know that I wouldn't be able to resist opening the jars and to see how the tobacco is melding. I want to resist that temptation.

 

[D.L.Ruth]

That is a really good idea! Does the glue hold up good enough?

 

[Rob_In_MO]

I'm lazy, I store my bulk or multi-ounce tobaccos in Mason Jars.

Cool idea though!

 

[Hunter5117]

I just use the 8oz jam-sized mason jars. They hold about 100gm of tobacco right on the money. Not sure how many I have stuck away in different places, mostly with the old favorite of McClelland 5100 red va plus 5105 stoved va. I really need to dig those out they are going on 10-15 years now.

 

[Mikem]

I really don't have much in DIY blends but probably have a good 40+ pounds of bulk blends in mason jars. A lot of which is ten plus years old. My 2021 goal is to see how much of the aging has affected those blends. Most of which are Virginia's and English blends.

 

[RSteve]

My 2021 goal is to see how much of the aging has affected those blends. Most of which are Virginia's and English blends.

In my experience unstoved Virginias age very well. Because English blends have a high percentage of Virginia, you'll notice some significant changes.