Curing of tobacco

Curing and subsequent aging allow for the slow oxidation and degradation of carotenoids in the tobacco leaf.

Non-aged[citation needed] or low quality tobacco is often artificially flavored with these otherwise naturally occurring compounds.

In brightleaf tobacco regions, prizing was replaced by stacking wrapped "hands" into loose piles to be sold at auction.

Cut plants or pulled leaves are immediately transferred to tobacco barns (kiln houses), where they will be cured.

[2] Air-cured tobacco is hung in well-ventilated barns and allowed to dry over a period of four to eight weeks.

These barns have flues which run from externally fed fire boxes, heat-curing the tobacco without exposing it to smoke, slowly raising the temperature over the course of the curing.

[7] Sun-curing tobacco involves simply drying the leaves uncovered in the sun until they are brown and withered.

[12] Cavendish tobacco undergoes a process of fermentation under great pressure (often in a large press) and steam.