How to rehydrate your Cuban cigar
Cuban cigars, just like any cigars, dry up after a certain amount of time in less than favorable conditions. Maybe you got a box of Cuban cigars, placed it in the closet and forgot about it. Several weeks down the road when you started cleaning your closet, out pops that box. The sad part is, your Cuban cigars look totally dried out.
Although you did place them in a humidor like a good boy, you didn’t re-energize your humidor that is essential for your cigars to stay in good shape. You realize all you have is a bunch of dried out cigars. You begin to wonder if your cigars will every be smokable again.
If you are looking for a how to rehydrate cigar process so that you are able to smoke it properly, there are actually several different methods that you can use. Some of them, however, work much better as a result of them working for a longer period of time. One of the things that you don’t want to do whenever you are rehydrating a cigar is allow it to take on moisture to quickly. If it has been completely dried out, you need to make sure that you reintroduce it to a hydrated level slowly so that it does not crack or peel in the process. Of course, a totally dry cigar may never actually be able to be rehydrated to the point where it is smokable. Unfortunately, there is little that you can do in these cases.
A fast way to get the right amount of moisture in your cigar is to put it in a plastic bag with some cedar linings out of a cigar box. You know those thin sheets on top of each cigar box, those cedar sheets. Leave the bag sealed for a few days and run a check to see how hydrated they’ve become. Don’t get too excited as this is not the cure for Cuban cigars left in the dark for quite sometime, but this will definitely get the ball rolling.
If they are totally dried out, than don’t worry. Try the method of using Tupperware container (Make sure the base of this container is flat) where you put some water at the bottom and place the cigar on top of cedar sticks. Make sure the water never touches the Cuban cigars or your precious beauties will be destroyed. Cuban cigars can stay fresh for up to 15 years so be patient when you are doing this process.
Recharge a portable humidor or table one and place the Tupperware in the humidor. Make sure the top is healed off completely. You can leave a little bit of opening in it but not too much. It is probably going to take you a month before your cigars get back in shape again so you can enjoy them.