Hemp wraps offer a fantastic way to wrap your favorite hemp or tobacco products, being super durable, flexible, great-tasting, and better for you than any number of synthetic or overly treated alternatives. Made naturally from hemp’s leaves, they are becoming more and more popular as the hemp industry keeps on growing.
But, if you’ve purchased a hemp wrap yourself, you will want to make sure that you don’t let it go bad on your watch, before you get to use it. Being an organic product, it can go bad in a few different ways, and we’re going to talk all about that in this article.
How Long Does a Hemp Wrap Last?
Hemp wraps can last for several months to a year if they’re stored properly, and if they were fresh when you bought them. The exact length of time is going to vary depending on how it’s packaged, how it’s been stored, its size, thickness, whether or not it’s been treated, and other factors.
When a Hemp Wrap Has Dried Out
At some point, you may go to reach for a hemp wrap, only to find that it’s brittle, dry to the touch, and generally unusable. A hemp wrap should never be so dry that rolling it puts it at risk of cracking. If this does happen, you may be able to salvage it, however, depending on how dry it’s gotten. The best trick is to put the wrap in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware along with a fresh slice of lettuce. The hemp wrap will absorb some of the lettuce’s moisture, essentially rehydrating itself so that it can be used again.
When a Hemp Wrap Has Gotten Too Moist
Alternatively, a hemp wrap can get too moist if it’s not being stored in a dry environment. It’s supposed to be somewhat oily and pliable, but it’s not supposed to be spongy, floppy, or plain wet – or have beads of condensation on it which tell you that it’s simply gotten too moist. Again, you can try to remedy this by the same method above, only using a paper towel rather than a lettuce leaf, as the paper towel will actually absorb excess moisture. An exception is if the wrap has gotten moist enough to develop mildew or mold, in which case, you’ll need to throw it out, as this can be harmful to breathe in – not to mention pretty gross, flavor-wise.
When a Hemp Wrap Has Lots its Flavor
Another thing that can happen to a hemp wrap as it ages is a loss of flavor. Maybe it’s not dry or too moist, but it simply isn’t giving you the herbal taste that you’re looking forward to. You can tell if this has happened just by the aroma, which may be stale, nonexistent, or plain “off.” Either way, this isn’t something that you can really remedy, unfortunately. So, if flavor is important to you, it’s best to just replace the hemp wrap instead.
When a Hemp Wrap Has Gotten Contaminated
Of course, there’s another risk with hemp wraps, which is contamination. Again, since you’re dealing with an organic product, bacteria and other unwanted microbes can, in rare cases, do damage to the product. However, this is super rare, and only happens if the hemp wrap has been exposed to a contaminant at some point, in which case you’ll probably be able to tell right away by the appearance or smell of the wrap.
Keeping Your Hemp Wrap Fresh for as Long as Possible
Hemp wraps do have a shelf life, but if you’re not storing them properly, they’ll go bad sooner than that shelf life has been reached. That’s why you want to always follow certain tips to avoid them going bad before you get to actually enjoy them.
- Keep your hemp wraps in a dry environment, which means avoiding keeping them outdoors or in the bathroom, where the regular use of the shower or bath can cause the wraps to get too moist.
- Keep your hemp wraps away from bright lights, as this can degrade the product.
- Keep your hemp wraps at a cool but not cold temperature – like the temperature you’d find in a closet, cabinet, or drawer.
- Keep your hemp wraps sealed at all times (when not in use, of course), as oxygen will dry them out quickly.
- Only buy as many hemp wraps as you’ll use in a short period of time.