Snus Storage Questions

[daruckis]

i have never used freezer bags. i just throw em in the freezer. though the ph dropping does make sense.

[snusjus]

Refrigeration: snus will stay fine until the expiration date. If past the expiration, the tobacco will dry out and the pH level will decrease over time.

Freezing: snus will remain in it's ideal state for several years. Make sure to thaw out paperboard (General Los, Ettan Los, etc.) cans in the refrigerator for 48 hours before using.

[redsfan1005]

Freezing: snus will remain in it's ideal state for several years. Make sure to thaw out paperboard (General Los, Ettan Los, etc.) cans in the refrigerator for 48 hours before using.

And why is it important to thaw paperboard cans out? Just curious

[Old Frothingslosh]

I still vacuum seal 'em by the roll in the freezer.

[snusjus]

Freezing: snus will remain in it's ideal state for several years. Make sure to thaw out paperboard (General Los, Ettan Los, etc.) cans in the refrigerator for 48 hours before using.

And why is it important to thaw paperboard cans out? Just curious

The distribution of moisture will take a couple of days to return to its original state. As well, the frozen snus will erode the wax sealant in the can if not thawed. Remember, this ONLY applies to Swedish Match Los varieties.

[PassedPawn]

I've got cans of Ettan los in my freezer since 6/09 and they're fine with no zip bags. I do thaw them for about 24 hours (usually less) in the fridge before using.

[Mohave]

...but due to needing to keep food for the family, there is no more room in the freezer or fridge for the new additions...

Several months ago I picked up a little two and a half foot high refer/freezer at a Big Lots store for about seventy bucks, or around the cost of ordering two rolls. It is the kind of thing designed to fit easily into a den or rec room for a home bar or something, and I find that it has no problem storing twenty rolls frozen in Pringle's tubes. If I didn't put them in the 'tater chip tubes for ease of access (and because I'm anally controlling) I suppose it would handle a bunch more. I'd also guess someone could prolly pick up one second hand at a garage sale or something for less.

[Mohave]

Somewhere along the way I got the impression that white portions may tend to freeze & store better than others. I don't know where I got that idea. Maybe it's something I once read here, or maybe there's nothing to it at all. Any thoughts?

[MojoQuestor]

Somewhere along the way I got the impression that white portions may tend to freeze & store better than others. I don't know where I got that idea. Maybe it's something I once read here, or maybe there's nothing to it at all. Any thoughts?

I can see where a piece of paper that's impregnated with moisture might suffer a slightly greater change from freezing and thawing, as compared to one which is dry. I doubt that in itself is enough to make much difference. I can't see, at the moment, anything else that would make a difference. Maybe freezing and/or thawing affects the flavor or composition of the juice in the OP paper, but I kind of doubt it would be enough to matter.

[Mohave]

This was very interesting new information to me:

One thing people don't talk about is what effect long term storage does to the pH of the snus.

Swedish snus includes finely ground tobacco with a total nicotine content of about 1.5 to 2.5 percent and it has a pH target value of about 8.5. These levels are traditional for Swedish snus and have remained unchanged for years. However, the pH level of the products declines as they age, meaning concurrently with the storage time. The pH level never increases. In Sweden, snus is stored in coolers before it is sold, which means that the pH levels are more stable than, for example, those of American snuff, which is fermented and is not stored in coolers. For reasons related to process engineering, pH levels are also allowed to vary somewhat in the finished product.

Source

2 year old snus might taste fine, but it won't have the same nicotine kick that fresh snus has. I freeze my snus in freezer bags and try not to have more than one years worth in the freezer.

I wonder what differences, if any, there might be for the so-called "purified" snus now sold under the label Oomph, which I understand normally doesn't get refrigerated if you aren't storing it. I do have a bunch of that in my stash, and I did freeze it along with the other snus since I do see a "bast fore" date in small print on the back and I don't know what time will do to it.

[Jonnymh1]

Snus Expiration Dates and Storage

Snus is brand new to me. I didn't even know it existed until the 60 Minutes story that aired about a month ago and I love it! I've finally been able to quit smoking after 15 years!

So, I just got my first order of various snus brands and I've been searching for information on shelf life and storage and I've found many different answers some of which conflict. So here's my question...

I've noticed that most of the cans have expiration dates of June or July. I am keeping the cans in the fridge. Should it last unopened in the fridge until the date on the can? Is this different if the can is opened? I see a lot of people freeze their orders. I have about 20 cans and I have about 5 of them open. I go through about 1/2 a can a day. So the entire order is about 4-8 weeks worth for me. I'm just not entirely sure how to handle this issue and I don't want any of my tasty snus to go to waste.

Should I put the open cans back in the fridge every night? So many questions...

What's the best answer? Thanks guys and gals for all your help!

[GoVegan]

You are going to get 100 different answers to your question but in general keep it in the fridge if you are going to use it right away and in the freezer if you plan on saving it for a later day. I wouldn't worry about expiration dates too much if your snus is in the freezer. Again this is just opinion. I am sure somebody will tell you it's fine to keep a can of snus in the sock drawer for 6 months and others will say to deep freeze it in a triple layer vacuumed sealed bag.

[texasmade]

whichever cans im using i leave out of the fridge. the only time i put em back in is if im grabbing a different can. i used to put my cans in the freezer but leaving them in the fridge is the norm now. its all down to personal preference. the amount you have should be fine in the fridge


congrats and welcome

[Jonnymh1]

Drying effects...

whichever cans im using i leave out of the fridge. the only time i put em back in is if im grabbing a different can. i used to put my cans in the freezer but leaving them in the fridge is the norm now. its all down to personal preference. the amount you have should be fine in the fridge


congrats and welcome

Thanks for that info! I think they should last in the fridge through the expiration dates... I would think that time in the freezer or even an opened can left too long in the fridge would have some drying effects. I personally like the drip from snus and I'm not fond of the idea of the portions drying out too much, but I have no experience with this. I'm finding I like regular portions better than the whites because the portions are obviously moister, so I'm not planning to have so much snus on hand that I have to freeze it. I guess my real issue is not to over order, but right now I want to go nutz with all the different types and flavors! I think I have 4 or 5 more cans on the way with one can of nasal snuff (I'm curious to try this).

[Owens187]

The best before dates really don't mean much. Most of us keep all of our snus frozen, and what we currently have open and are using keep in the fridge.

Personally, I just freeze ALL my snus in freezer bags, opened or not, and whatever can I'm using daily gets taken out and never sees the fridge/freezer again until it's gone.

People here have had snus frozen over a year, and it's still good as the day it was purchased. Most of us are currently hoarding due to PACT, I myself have over 200 cans in the freezer, so freezing is the best option. Some say it will be good indefinately as long as its kept frozen. I have some cans that I use only once-in-a-hella-great-while that have been opened and in the freezer since like october that still taste fine.

As said above, you'll get 1000 different answers, but doing a search on the subject will bring up a gang of threads on the subject. 8)

EDIT: I see you are worried about the drying effects of the fridge/freezer. The fridge will definately dry out your snus. And as for the freezer, thats why alot of us use Ziplock freezer bags for the extra protection. Some will say this is unneccessary, but it gives me peace of mind, so fu*k it. Just be sure to let it thaw for a few hours to let the moisture re-distribute. :wink: