Curing

The curing process brings out the flavor and smell of tobacco. The sticks, full of tobacco, are loaded into bulk containers. The containers are then put into the curing barns. A curing barn is a closed building that has a heat source. It uses a flue to let smoke in and out. For this reason it is called flue curing. The process usually takes about one week.

To learn more about the Steps of Curing.

Flue curing is the most popular method for curing tobacco in Virginia, North Carolina, and the Coastal Plains regions of the United States. In other parts of the world, different methods are used.

In South and Central America, as well as Tennessee and Kentucky, air curing is used. In this process the tobacco is allowed to dry in the open air. This can be done on the whole plant or on individual leaves.

In some of these same areas, fire curing is also used. During fire curing the tobacco is hung over low temperature fire. This process lets the tobacco dry slowly. This process can take up to a month.