"By the cigars they smoke, and the composers they love, ye shall know the texture of men's souls."
-- John Galsworthy
Perhaps you enjoy purchasing and smoking cigars, but you lack a humidor at the present time. Although many cigar aficionados choose to use a humidor for keeping their cigars in good condition with ease, they can still be kept fresh without the use of this product. By simply using a few different items that are commonly found around the house, you will be well on your way to making your very own "humidor" that will preserve your cigars for a certain period of time. These top 10 options are not only easy to make yourself, but they are also very affordable.
Visit a premium cigar shop in your area to see if they carry disposable bags for storing your cigars and for keeping them fresh. These bags are designed to hold up to 25 cigars at a time and guaranteed to keep them fresh for 6 months. Typically, one of these bags goes for around $20 USD.
Find an empty jar from around your house, such as a jelly jar, and fill about 10 percent of its capacity with cool water. Cut up a sponge and insert several large pieces in the jar. Put a piece of plastic over the sponge pieces and then place your cigars into the jar. Store the jar with the cigars in the refrigerator. This method will keep your cigars fresh for about 10 days.
Find a cooler or purchase one at your local retail store. Simply soak a sponge in water, place it inside the cooler and add in your box of cigars. The moisture and humidity of the cooler will keep your cigars fresh.
Similar to the storing-in-a-jar method, you may opt to store your cigars in a mason jar filled with water. Instead of a sponge, add in a round disk filled with moisture beads that can be purchased at most hardware stores. For just $10, you will be creating your very own humidor.
Place your cigars inside of a zip-lock bag with a damp napkin to preserve the freshness without a humidor.
At your local tobacco shop or online, you can find a boveda pack. Soak the package in water and place it in a Tupperware container. Keep the container at anywhere from 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit to keep your cigars fresh.
Purchase a Humi-Pouch for your tobacco shop or cigar retailer, and store the cigars in this pouch at 65 to 70 degrees for ultimate freshness.
If you are planning to smoke all of your cigars within a month, simply keep them in the box that they came in and store them in a cool, dark space. In these conditions, they should last for about a month.
If you do not have a humidor or any of the items listed above, you may choose to smoke your cigars to take advantage of their current freshness. They should stay fresh in their original wrapper for up to a month.