What’s the Best Way to Store Your Snus?
What’s the Best Way to Store Your Snus? Could storing your snus in the refrigerator be the answer to extending its shelf life?
Originating in Scandinavia, snus is a tobacco product with a long history. For people local to Scandinavia, storing snus in the refrigerator is something that’s well-known. Even when you walk into a store to purchase snus, you’ll notice it’s kept cold and ready for sale.
In the following article, we’ll look at the best way to store your snus at home to extend its shelf life and ensure that you’re getting the most out of it.
What Is Snus?
All snus products, including nicotine pouches produced in Sweden, are subject to strict food laws ensuring they are highly regulated. The traditional ingredients for snus include tobacco, flavors, salt, and water.
The tobacco found in the snus is sourced from the tobacco plant before being ground up into a finer consistency. Because tobacco naturally contains nicotine, snus is a nicotine product.
Snus is available in both portioned servings and as loose snus. When you purchase loose snus, the snus is loose in the tin. You take your desired amount between your fingers and place it under your upper lip. This is known as a prilla, pris, prell, or pinch.
On the other hand, portioned snus comes pre-packed in small pouches. The portioned snus in the pouches means you won’t end up with loose snus in your mouth.
Original portions of snus have a moistened pouch surface, making the pouch look darker, and the release of nicotine is more powerful and intense. White portions have a dry pouch surface and lighter coloring, and the effects are more prolonged. White Dry portions are completely dry. This is how they’re manufactured, and it’s not a product defect.
How to Correctly Store Your Snus
If you want to maximize the shelf life of your snus, then it must be stored in the refrigerator. The ideal temperature to store your snus is between 4-8 degrees Celsius.
So, why should snus be kept refrigerated? Snus naturally contains moisture, and storing it in the refrigerator retains that moisture preventing it from drying out.
If you regularly use loose snus, it benefits the most from being kept refrigerated because it has the shortest life span and will typically only last 3-4 months.
Original snus portions can be stored for up to twenty weeks, and White Portions or snus, which are tobacco-free Nicotine Pouches, can be stored for almost fifty weeks.
If you can’t store your snus in a refrigerator, it should ideally be stored in a cool dark location. Try to avoid storing your snus anywhere that it’s in direct sunlight or heat, as it will negatively impact the shelf life of the product.
While White Portions and White Dry Portions are less prone to drying out and have a longer shelf life than the original snus.
Why Should You Store Your Snus In the Refrigerator?
While snus won’t go moldy because of the salt content, the moisture level in the snus can change, affecting the quality. When you place your snus under your upper lip, the effects of the nicotine are released as it’s moistened by your saliva. The nicotine is then absorbed into the body via the mucus membrane in your mouth.
This means that Original Portions have a fast release, while White Portions release slowly over time, but the effects last longer. If your snus gets dried out, not only will the taste and consistency change, but the quality, strength, flavor, and aroma will also be reduced.
How Can You Extend the Shelf Life of Your Snus?
The best way to extend the shelf life of your snus is by storing it in the refrigerator. Another tip is to keep your snus sealed in a zip lock bag while removing as much air as possible. If you make a bulk purchase of snus in advance, you can also freeze your snus for up to 1 year, but make sure it’s packed well and sealed in zip-lock bags before freezing.
Before you use your stored loose snus that’s been in the freezer, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. If you have stored portioned snus in the freezer, you can allow it to thaw at room temperature before use.
Why Does Snus Have An Expiration Date?
All snus products that are made in Sweden are subject to the Swedish Food Act, just like any other fruits or vegetables, and all ingredients must be listed and given an appropriate expiration date. The reason for this is the moisture level of the product and also the salt, which can crystalize if it gets too warm.
What’s the Shelf Life of Snus?
The shelf life of snus is directly influenced by how you store it and look after it. Another factor that influences the shelf life of snus is the type of snus you purchase. Loose snus is much moister compared to portioned snus and has the lowest shelf life.
