Wondering about the differences between sun-curing and flue-curing. Specifically: does the sunlight itself play a part in the particular characteristics of sun-cured tobacco, or is it all down to heat, humidity, and time (and the leaf itself, of course)? I know that light has a significant impact on the degradation of many phytochemicals (why you dry and store medicinal and culinary herbs in the dark) - but what effect does it have on curing tobacco? Or, in short: if one lives in a land where the Sun is generally considered a mythical beast, would it be possible to roughly duplicate a sun-cure with a flue cure designed to simulate the heat/humidity/duration conditions?
Role of light in curing process?
- Thread starter Sigmund
- Start date
I can't answer your question directly. A few years ago, my summer consisted almost entirely of very cloudy, overcast days. I performed what I consider a "cloud-cure" with my Orientals. They came out better than if just air-cured, but not as bright as a sun-cure. By contrast, I have run a standard flue-cure on a number of Oriental varieties. Many were, in my opinion, noticeably better than if sun-cured, while a few were mediocre. The best just tasted like tobacco candy.
Bob
Bob
Good to hear that, Bob! Might try doing a bit of cloud-cure as well as some flue-cure on part of this year's Samsun harvest (what doesn't go in for fire-curing experimentation - for the Irish Peat-Fired, I'm thinking of a little bit from each strain to see which works best), and see which comes out better. But now I know that I shan't suffer if I have to stick with flue-curing. Wonder if Istanbulin has any thoughts on the issue?...He strikes me as a man who is Likely To Know, given his background.
MIA