My friends and I are always looking for better ways to store our buds. Keeping in those terpenes with the fresh taste, and keep out unwanted pollutants as long as possible is something we all want to maintain. So I was quite excited to review this product. After several methods of testing, I found that the BudVac vacuum storage jar system measures up to that goal and more!
These jars and lids are made with good quality thick glass, making them even better than your standard mason glass jars. They have a nice shape and look great wherever you decide to put them. The jars come in a range of sizes from 1/2 oz. (220ml) to 1lb (1 liter). They are not treated, so what you put in the jar is not affected by BPA’s or other pollutants that might leech into your goods.
The first thing I decided to do was to test out the lids, which are equipped with an air vacuum valve to draw out every bit of air from the jar. They are a good tight fit and lock down with ease. The rubber seals are nicely made and fit the tops perfectly. Should it ever start losing pressure, from dirt or debris getting in there, you can just remove the rubber seal, rinse under warm water and let dry. They have replacement seals and top rubber valves available if something should happen. It will be great to have a spare or two on hand just in case.
The vacuum pump test came next. You can use either use the manual pump that comes with each jar, or they have available a rechargeable automatic vacuum pump featuring a one-touch vacuum and seal button to make the job faster and easier!
I used the manual pump to draw the air completely from the jar until there was an audible “click” to let me know it was done. Nice feature there! BudVac says “You can expect to reach a vacuum level between -25 and -29 in.Hg. (outer space is -30 in.Hg).
After using the manual vacuum pump, I tried repeatedly to get that top to lift off and just could not do it. It was sealed up as tight as super glue. The only way I could release it was by pushing the little nipple on the lid valve sideways to release the pressure and I felt the lid pop up. You aren’t going to have humidity or environmental odors seeping into that jar! That’s the way it’s supposed to work, and it certainly accomplishes that. The BudVac folks say their jars have been tested to hold a vacuum for a full year. I do not doubt that at all.
I went a step farther and performed a balloon test by partially blowing up a small balloon and placed it in the jar. I removed the air via the manual pump and watched the balloon get pulled to the top of the jar. I left that sit for two weeks, and the balloon did not budge. Once I released the pressure using the rubber valve on the lid, the balloon dropped to the bottom. There was no loss of pressure at all during the two week test.
The final test was “the nose knows”. I put some pretty stinky buds in several of the BudVac jars, and some in Mason jars. I put the BudVac jars in one closet and the Mason in another. After a week, I opened the doors and let my nose roam. There was no aroma whatsoever in the closet with the BudVac. With the other closet, as soon as I opened the door I got a slight stinky whiff. It was clear to me that when they say “BudVac’s glass jars are entirely impermeable”, they are spot on.
Another nice feature about this jar system is an accessory they call Bud Koozie’s that stretch fit tightly over the jars to keep direct light away from the contents, or just for keeping what’s in there private from roaming eyes. The 1lb (1 liter) jar even has a zippered sleeve available making it easy to put on the jar and remove.
With my testing all accomplished, and being completely satisfied with the results, I began to explore other uses for these awesome jars. I have a relative that loves his pipe tobacco. We used one of the jars for about a week for his rather pricey tobacco that he buys in bulk, and we found that the tobacco stayed much fresher. His usual method of storage dried out the tobacco noticeably within a week. He is now sold on this, and wants to keep one of the jars.
Other uses I personally found are dehydrated items storage, such as mushrooms and dried herbs for cooking, or dried flowers for potpourri in large quantities, freshly ground coffee, teas, spices…. and so much more. These will have more than one permanent place in my home for sure.
I see some nice Christmas gifts in store for those special “bud” friends!
420 Magazine Product Review by: Lady Cannafan
For more information: BudVac
