How to Store Cigars for a Short Time

Cigars are becoming more popular and there are specialty shops that specialize in all things cigars, from the cigars themselves to every accessory known to help a cigar smoker enjoy their purchase.

Now that you have the cigars at home, you want to keep them as fresh as the day you purchased them. It should be remembered that cigars are the mature products from items (tobacco) that had been carefully controlled in both moisture and temperature (during the fermentation process), thus the cigar must also maintain the same conditions in order to keep the same taste, but how can you keep your cigars and make them last?

The ultimate answer to preserve the flavor of your cigars is a humidor, but there are a few ways to keep them for a few days (it should be noted that these are only temporary remedies. If you truly want to keep your cigars for any longer, then a humidor is a must):

1. In a pinch you can store your cigars in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, just make sure that the towel does not touch the cigars. You can also place that paper towel in an open small size plastic bag and place that inside the larger plastic bag so the cigars to do not touch the towel (Source: Cigar Aficionado).

2. Purchase Tubos, which are nothing more than cigars that are sold in tubes. The tubes help keep the cigar fresh for a short period of time.

3. You can purchase tubes made from either wood or silver and they will keep a cigar fresh for up to seventy-two hours.

4. For a day trip, purchase a leather cigar case the will hold the cigars snugly and further make sure that it is lined, otherwise your cigars could end up with a leathery taste. You will have to return any unsmoked cigars to their storage container at days end.

But for longer storage, it is best to purchase a humidor as it keeps the cigar in an atmosphere that it was produced in and because of this, a humidor can keep a cigar for years. The humidor is not an airtight container and helps keep the temperature between 68 and 70 degrees as well as keeping a humidity content of 70 to 75 degrees (Source: Cigar Diary). It is interesting to note that humidors are lined with a non-aromatic cedar such as Spanish cedar because cedar will absorb moisture and then re-emit the same moisture to help the cigars age and mature.

There are some things that one should not do to store cigars or "re-hydrate" them (Source: Cigar Aficionado):

1. For dry cigars - do not: (a) place cigars in bathroom and run a hot shower until the hot water runs out; (b) place the cigars on the upper rack of a dishwasher (in a plastic bag) in a steam cycle; or (c) sneak your cigars into a steam room. The reason for these don'ts is that the layers of a cigar dry at a different rate, thus it is possible to split a cigar which will make the cigar unable to be smoked (also looks unsightly).

2. For storage of cigars - do not place them in a refrigerator or freeze. The coldness of the interior will actually rob the cigar of moisture which in turn will make the cigar harsh tasting and burn hotter than normal.

These are only a few simple short term solutions for storing a cigar, but it is best to purchase a quality humidor and your cigar shop can help you determine which is best for you.