How to Store Cigars Without a Humidor

Humidors are often regarded as essential for keeping your cigars fresh during storage. However, if you don’t have access to one, it’s not the end of the world.

Learning how to store cigars without a humidor is simple. Using products such as Tupperware and Ziploc bags, you can create an alternative.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the essentials of storing cigars without a humidor. We’ll also outline the importance of proper storage in keeping your cigars fresh.

What is a Humidor?

A humidor is a storage container that helps to keep cigars fresh during storage. It does so by regulating the temperature and humidity levels that the cigars are exposed to.

Cigars are extremely vulnerable to their surroundings, readily absorbing and releasing moisture. Storing cigars correctly is vital for retaining flavor, aroma, and structure.

If a cigar becomes too dry, it will taste bitter and burn too quickly. If it becomes too moist it will burn unevenly and become difficult to smoke. It may even start to grow mold if left for too long. A humidor creates an airtight, dark, and regulated environment for the cigars to thrive in.

However, if you don’t have access to a humidor, you shouldn’t worry. There are plenty of DIY methods to store your cigars using items found around your home.

The Best Ways to Store Cigars Without a Humidor

If you want to know the best way to store cigars without a humidor, consider the following options:

Tupperware

Affectionately known as a ‘Tupperdor’, Tupperware provides an alternative to using a humidor. While it lacks the nuance of a dedicated cigar humidor, it’s cost-effective and airtight. Tupperware humidors can help to keep your cigars fresh for over a year if you maintain them well.

Here’s how to set up your own Tupperdor:

1. Find a Tupperware box large enough to store your cigars
2. Wash it thoroughly and leave it to dry out before placing your cigars inside
3. Make sure to leave around 25% of the box empty for air circulation
4. Place a damp sponge in the box to add humidity. Only use distilled water when dampening the sponge. Untreated water contains bacteria that can encourage mold growth.
5. Leave the Tupperdor in a dark place out of direct sunlight.

Additional tips:

• For even better results, switch out the damp sponge for a humidity pack. These will create stable humidity levels and only need replacing every three months.
• Every few weeks, be sure to unseal the lid and expose your cigars to air.
• Rotate your cigars in the box every few weeks for even moisture distribution.
• Adding cedar sheets can create the fragrance of a traditional humidor

Ziploc Bag

If you’re looking for a short-term alternative to a humidor, a Ziploc bag will do the trick.

The method with Ziploc bags is simple. All you have to do is place your cigars in the bag along with a cigar humidity pack and make sure it is sealed correctly. When storing the cigars, keep the bag in a dark place out of direct sunlight. This method will keep your cigars fresh for several weeks.

Of course, there is the issue of space to contend with. If you want to store an entire box of cigars, you’ll need multiple bags and humidity packs.

Sealed Glass Jar

Similar to Tupperware, a sealed glass jar can act as an effective alternative to a humidor. It will create an airtight environment, maintaining humidity and keeping your cigars fresh.

The method is almost identical to creating a Tupperdor. Place your cigars in the jar along with a humidity device, and store it in a dark place. The humidity device can either be a humidity pack or a damp sponge soaked in distilled water.

You won’t want to overcrowd the jar, as it can affect the distribution of humidity. To help measure humidity levels, you can use a hygrometer. This will allow you to accurately adjust humidity to the optimum level of 65-70%.

Small Cooler (Coolidor)

Storing cigars in a small cooler is a common, cost-effective practice. It involves modifying the cooler to work like a humidor, creating an airtight seal.

If you modify the cooler well, you will be able to keep your cigars fresh for months rather than weeks.

Setting the cooler (or ‘coolidor’) up is simple. Thoroughly wash the cooler, before placing your cigars inside. Insert either a sponge soaked in distilled water or a Boveda humidity pack. Make sure to leave around 25% space in the coolidor to ensure even airflow.

To imitate a humidor further, you can line the cooler with Spanish cedar wood strips. These are great at absorbing moisture and retaining humidity in the coolidor.

Vacuum Sealed Storage

Vacuum sealing your cigars can prevent them from drying out when you don’t have a humidor at hand. It prevents air from getting into the cigars and drying them out, keeping flavors intact. This makes it a viable option for when you’re on the go.

However, it is only a short-term option as vacuum seals don’t expose cigars to the moisture they need. Cigars sealed in a vacuum pack will stay good for around eight weeks.

If you do decide to go down this route, you’ll have to pre-prepare the cigars. Always ensure that the cigars you are sealing are in peak condition and not too moist or too dry. Otherwise, you risk mold growth or wrapper cracking.

Why Proper Storage Matters

Storing your cigars properly is essential if you want them to retain their quality. Here is what will happen to your cigars if you fail to store them properly:

• Drying out: Cigars will dry out if the environment is too warm, not humid enough, or if they’re left in direct sunlight. This will evaporate the cigar’s essential oils, causing a bitter taste.
• Becoming too moist: Equally, if the environment is too humid, the cigar will become too moist. This will disrupt the ease of the draw, and cause the cigar to burn unevenly.
• Cracking: Moisture causes tobacco leaves to swell and expand. This can damage the structure of your cigar, causing it to crack.
• Mold growth: Mold thrives in moisture. If your cigar absorbs too much, it can develop a blue/green fuzzy mold. This can cause illness and contaminate your other cigars.

How Long Do Cigars Last Without a Humidor?

If they’re not kept in a humidor, cigars can go bad within two to three days. This decline can be sped up depending on where you store the unprotected cigars.

If you were to leave any type of cigar in direct sunlight, it would dry out very quickly. If you were to leave it in a cool, dark cupboard, you’d extend its longevity slightly. It will also go bad quickly if the environment you’re leaving it in is too cold.

Cigars are too vulnerable to their surroundings to cope outside of a humidor. It’s very rare that a room in your home will be able to sustain a cigar’s correct moisture and temperature needs.

How to Keep Cigars Fresh: Additional Storage Tips

Storing cigars isn’t as simple as putting them in a box and leaving them. If you want to know how to keep cigars fresh without a humidor, here are some measures you can take:

• Keep cigars in a dark, cool place: Cigars don’t thrive in direct sunlight. It dries them out, evaporating their essential oils and creating a poor taste. You should always store your cigars in a dark place.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes: Temperature fluctuations can cause cigars to crack due to tobacco swelling. If you’re trying to rehydrate a dried-out cigar, you should do it over a few days. Otherwise, you risk filling the cigar with too much moisture, promoting mold growth.
• Regularly check humidity levels: Always try to keep an eye on humidity levels when storing cigars. This way, you’ll be able to keep an optimum environment for your cigars, keeping them fresh for longer.
• Store cigars away from strong odors: Much like they absorb moisture, cigars also absorb strong odors. This can have a negative impact on their taste when you smoke them.
• Rotate cigars occasionally for even aging: Rotating your cigars every 1-3 months will ensure an even distribution of moisture. It will also improve air circulation, which is important in the aging process.

Cuban Cigars for Your Humidor (or Alternatives)

We’ve covered how to store cigars without a humidor to get the best smoking experience. Of course, that experience also depends on your choice of cigars. Premium Cuban cigars offer the best flavor and aromas. They will also improve with age when stored correctly!

At Swiss Cuban Cigars, we stock the most sought-after Cuban sticks. We are dedicated to quality, ensuring every cigar delivered to you is of the highest standard.

So, browse our collection today and find your new favorite smoke.