Steam-cured snuff from homegrown dark leaf

You'll need Tick as you go

• 100 g cured and aged dark tobacco leaf
• 3.5 g sea salt
• 1 g sodium bicarbonate
• 25 to 30 g distilled water
• Extra water with a little salt in it, for the steamer

Equipment

Method

1. Step 1 of 8Dissolve the salt and bicarbonate in the distilled water and pour it into a spray bottle.
2. Step 2 of 8Spray each leaf on both sides and put them in a bowl. Leave them for about an hour, stirring now and then so every leaf gets damp. They should be very moist but not falling apart.
3. Step 3 of 8Put about 2 inches (5 cm) of lightly salted water in the bottom of a large steamer pot, load the leaf into the steamer tray and put the lid on.
4. Step 4 of 8Steam it in the oven at 170°F (about 77°C) for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. It gives off a strong smell of ammonia.
5. Step 5 of 8Lift the tray out of the pot and put it back in the oven on its own, with a baking tray underneath, in 15-minute spells. Each time, take out the leaf that's dry and crisp, pull out the larger midribs and crumble the rest through the holes in the tray.
6. Step 6 of 8Grind the crumbled leaf in small batches in a blade coffee grinder, using short pulses and shaking it gently.
7. Step 7 of 8Put the powder in a glass bowl with an airtight lid.
8. Step 8 of 8Leave the bowl in strong sunshine for a day or two to drive off the ammonia. A car dashboard on a sunny day works well.

Rest time

A couple of days, plus one or two days in the sun.

Tasting notes

After the sun, a sweet raisin and honey note with some wood underneath. Medium-strong and fluffy, a deep reddish brown.

Notes

Don't try it straight from the grinder: fresh, the ammonia burns badly. The steaming fumes sting your eyes and nose, so keep the kitchen well aired. The sunshine step makes the biggest difference. Grind in short bursts, because a blade grinder run for long starts to smell.