Step-by-step instructions for fermenting tobacco in the microwave for beginners

In modern cigarettes, natural tobacco is contained in almost minimal quantities, since they have learned to replace it with cheaper chemical additives. Some connoisseurs of cigars and smoking mixtures have already begun to grow the culture themselves. However, it is not enough just to plant plants and collect raw materials - you will have to learn the rules of fermentation at home.

What is tobacco fermentation

Fermentation is a process in which the composition of a product changes due to chemical reactions occurring in it. Changes require adherence to a certain technology from collection to drying.

Why is it needed?

Due to the effects of temperature and humidity, the following changes occur in the plant:

• taste improves;
• the aroma of smoke becomes more rich and fragrant;
• bitterness disappears, strength decreases;
• the resin content decreases;
• essential oils change structure and properties;
• the leaves almost do not absorb moisture and become more resistant to mold;
• greens are painted in tones of brown, brown and olive shades;
• the flammability of raw materials increases.

For making tobacco at home this stage is final. It is dried using different methods, each of which affects the properties and quality of the product.

How to ferment tobacco in the microwave

Fermenting tobacco in the microwave is becoming an increasingly popular method. This is due to the simplicity and ease of the method.

Different cooking modes allow you to obtain several varieties of the final product.

Preparation

Mature, timely collected leaves are suitable for making smoking tobacco. They ripen in tiers, from bottom to top.

The first harvest is harvested on day 40–45 after planting the crop in the ground. When the same period of time has passed, collect next level. 4–8 harvests are harvested from each bush.

The ripeness of foliage is determined by the following criteria:

• color changes from green to light yellow;
• the plate becomes rougher and acquires a sticky coating;
• light spots of starch sometimes appear at the end;
• the sheet is easily separated when you press on the base;
• At night, the greens, ready for harvest, do not curl up or press against the stem, but remain in place.

Collect tobacco in the evening of a dry sunny day, before dew falls.

Preparation stages:

1. Leaves are sorted, damaged, dirty, with signs of rot and other diseases are discarded.
2. Rinse under running water.
3. The raw materials are evenly laid out and moistened with a spray bottle.
4. Place in bags or bags and leave in a dark place for 15–24 hours at a temperature of +23…+30°C. It is permissible to simply fold the leaves into small piles and cover with a wet cloth for 3-4 hours. Such languor is primarily aimed at ridding the foliage of chlorophyll. Additionally, it will wither the leaves and soften them so that they do not break or crumble.

Afterwards, it is recommended to remove the central vein from each plate, since it is almost impossible to ferment and spoils the aroma and taste of tobacco.

Important! If there are even a few infected leaves in a batch, the entire mass will become unusable.

As an experiment, a suitable method tobacco flavoring wine.To do this, before processing in the microwave, it is moistened with alcoholic beverage and dried for 2-3 days in a bag over a heating device. The leaves will acquire a richer aroma with tart fruity notes.

Pre-drying

Before processing, the leaves are cut into strips or left whole. If they look wet, dry them a little away from sunlight.

Step-by-step instructions for fermentation

For fermentation, it is extremely important to maintain the temperature within +50...+55°C, and humidity at 60–70%.

The microwave is excellent for processing raw materials with high water content.

Step by step steps:

1. Prepare clean glass jars of suitable size.
2. The leaves are cut into thin strips (1-2 mm) and placed tightly in a container.
3. Cover the jars with glass lids or saucers and place in the microwave for half an hour. First, the power is set to maximum for 5–10 minutes so that the moisture quickly evaporates. Then they sharply reduce it to minimum.
4. After heating is completed, the raw materials are removed from the oven and left until completely cooled.
5. This is repeated 3-4 more times.

After completing the last stage, the tobacco is ready for use. Its strength will decrease several times.

If condensation forms on the walls of the jars during the first drying, the foliage is removed and dried in air. The container is wiped dry.

Important points

To ensure fermentation is successful, pay attention to some points:

1. The smell of honey emanating from the leaves 3-4 days after fermentation indicates the correct implementation of the technology.
2. A well-prepared tobacco leaf is elastic, without green spots. After clenching in a fist, it restores its shape.
3. Suitable raw materials are golden brown in color.

Drying the tobacco for 24 hours at room temperature will further reduce the strength and bitterness of the tobacco.

Storing finished tobacco

When the tobacco has cooled completely, take it out of the container and transfer it to a container. for storage. Glass jars with lids, tin boxes, special wooden boxes or zip bags are suitable. Any container must be hermetically sealed. Ceramic or glass jars with a rubber rim and a latch on the lid are available. The mixture is kept in them for more than 6 months, but is periodically checked for preservation of properties.

Store tobacco in a dry and dark place. Do not keep it near strong-smelling products or substances to prevent foreign odors from being absorbed.

Glass jars are washed with hot water and sterilized over steam for 15 minutes. When they are completely dry and cool, pour in the tobacco mixture and roll up. Each one is labeled with a date.

Important! The longer fermented tobacco is stored, the stronger its smell and taste.

If desired, tea bags with various additives, vanilla bean or ready-made flavors are placed in the container with the smoking mixture.

Reviews about this fermentation method

The microwave speeds up the fermentation of tobacco and replaces the stove or oven. Users share their impressions of fermentation in this way:

Galina, Tver: “I experimented with dozens of fermentation methods. I tried drying it in the microwave once, but the tobacco was still strong. I decided to pour boiling water over it for 2 minutes, put it on a sieve and dry it again. This helped bring the leaves to the desired state.”

Andrey, Moscow: “Microwave fermentation will speed up the aging of tobacco by 10 years.I put it in small jars and keep it at 600 W for 2 minutes in the “Grill” mode. Then I take it out, cool it and dry it again. The tobacco smokes smoothly and pleasantly.”

Sergey, Khabarovsk: “I prepare tobacco for a pipe or mini-hookah using a microwave. I pour boiling water over it, squeeze it out and dry it. It’s important to guess with warm-up time and humidity.”

Conclusion

A microwave oven allows you to conduct experiments on small portions of tobacco and gain experience for beginners. The leaves undergo accelerated fermentation without loss of flavor characteristics. Before processing, raw materials are carefully selected, prepared and dried.