DIY Maduro leaves

[Bruce T.]

I read this somewhere on this forum. To darken leaves you can dampen them and wrap in foil. Then bake at 220 deg. for 2 1/2 hours. I tried this and it worked. Maybe it would get darker if roasted longer but maybe not since the leaves dry out. The leaves baked very dry and were difficult to separate after they were roasted. You have to rehydrate them in the foil before trying to remove them. Thought I'd post a photo to let you see the results.

 

[Hopduro]

Interesting, what leaf were you using?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Bruce T.]

Interesting, what leaf were you using?

It's CT wrapper leaf from FX Smith that was generously provided to me from a BOTL.

 

[Gdaddy]

Good to see some experimentation. I posted this a while back, it's called "stoved" tobacco. The method is 220 for 2:20. You can get it almost black. Wrap it in aluminium foil to keep the moisture in. It also changes the flavor profile a bit and seems to remove some of the nicotine and makes it smoother, which I like. This method is frequently used to darken pipe tobacco but will work on any leaf.

Please post your results. Good luck!

 

[Marc L]

2:03:38
"We at The Cigar Authority love a little controversy and today, we go dark and reveal THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT MADURO CIGARS… we are going to pull the curtain back and tell you the processes, good and bad."

 

[Marc L]

I do this in a sealed container without an oven. I keep the leaf moist and change the air in the container once or twice a day. It can take as much as a week depending on the leaf.
The leaf is best served when it is thick. It will turn to mush eventually so knowing when that is and pulling it and using it right away is essential.