Can rust or corrosion be a problem for metal containers when cellaring over the long-term?
The short answer is “yes”. I recently opened a jar of tobacco that I had canned last year. I had an impossible time getting the outer ring to unscrew, and eventually had to cut it off with wire snips. When I did, I discovered that the reason it wouldn’t come off was because it and the inner lid had rusted together. I guess there had been some water left inside the ring from when I washed it beforehand. The lid had not rusted all the way through, since it had been sealed only 12 months or so. Had I been more patient, however, and let it sit for several years, I suspect the rust might have eventually eaten through the lid. I always dip the top of my jars in paraffin, though, so I guess even then it wouldn’t have done too much damage. A good point to remember in the “to wax or not to wax” debate, I suppose. Joe00637, 2004-12-10 My tins are internally coated, as are most tobacco tins. The rust problem is generally a result of the tins being stored in a humid environment; they rust from the
