Best Way to Store Concentrates

There’s nothing worse than investing money in good quality concentrates only for them to go bad. The best way to avoid this is to store your concentrates properly. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about storing your concentrates, including:

• Why Is It Important to Store Concentrates Properly?
• What Types of Storage Containers Should You Use?
• How Do You Store Specific Concentrates?
• Where Should You Store Concentrates?
• FAQs About Storing Concentrates
  
  

All cannabis products, like anything else that expires, need to be stored properly. There’s nothing worse than consuming your marijuana and discovering that it tastes bad, the potency has weakened, or it has turned into a mess in its container. 

The same is true for concentrates. Marijuana concentrates break down if they’re not stored correctly. Anything from light to heat and even humidity can make your concentrates degrade faster than they would naturally. At best, they’ll be stale and less potent when they hit your endocannabinoid system. At worst, they’ll get moldy or develop a bacteria infestation, and those can both become serious health hazards. 

In general, you want your container to protect your concentrate from heat, light, and air. That said, there are certain concentrates that do better with certain storage containers, so we’ve outlined the most common ways to keep your concentrates both short-term and long-term.

• Parchment Paper: If you love concentrates like shatter and rosin, parchment paper is a great short-term storage option. Cut a large enough square of parchment paper and wrap your concentrate in it. Then, keep it in a cool place away from heat and light. If you want to keep it for longer than a couple of days, tuck your wrapped concentrate into a sealable bag and as you seal it, push the air out of the bag. This will give your concentrate an extra layer of protection.
  
  
• Glass Jar: If you enjoy resinous concentrates that can be a little wetter in consistency, get yourself a small selection of glass jars. You want your glass jar to be only slightly larger than the amount of concentrate you intend to store to avoid exposing the concentrate to more air. Once you have your jar, scoop your concentrate into it and close it up. If you have the option to vacuum seal your jar, do it. Then, store it in a cool, dry, dark place until you’re ready to enjoy it.
  
  
• Silicone Jar: Silicone jars are some of the most versatile storage containers for concentrates because you can store just about any type of concentrate, no matter the consistency, inside it. That said, they’re not the best option for long-term storage. This is because you can’t make a silicone jar airtight, so if you’re using a silicone jar, be sure you can finish your concentrate within a week of purchasing it.
  
  
• Plastic Jar: Full disclosure: plastic jars aren’t our favorite, but they can be a good, temporary option for concentrates with a wet consistency—like hash oil. Anything other than that, and the concentrate will probably stick to the plastic and be impossible to get off. That said, if a plastic jar is all you have, it’s better to use it than nothing.

With the right container, storing concentrates is easy. We set up this guide to help you learn the best ways to store our five most popular concentrates:

Kief, or the dried trichomes from marijuana, is prized for its flavor and potency, so obviously, you want to store it properly. The most popular way to store kief is in a glass jar—preferably one that is only slightly larger than the amount of kief you want to store. When you’re ready to enjoy your kief, just use a small spatula to scoop out what you want to use. If your kief is sticking to the glass walls of the jar, tuck the jar in the freezer to chill the kief. This will make it easier to get the kief out of the jar without damaging the trichomes.

Shatter is popular for its glass-like consistency, but that consistency can be ruined if you don’t store it properly. When storing shatter, wrap it in parchment and tuck it into an airtight container. If your container isn’t lightproof, make sure to put it into a dark spot in your house to avoid degrading your shatter.

The best way to store wax is a glass jar, but if you have silicone jars handy, they can also be a great, short-term storage option for you. Because the silicone is flexible, you can easily collect the wax when you’re ready to consume it. No matter which type of jar you pick, just make sure it’s only big enough to hold your wax and not much bigger. This will keep air from degrading your wax while it sits in the jar.

The soft, dry consistency of crumble can only be preserved by storing it properly. If you plan on consuming your crumble within a week of purchasing it, you can store your crumble in a silicone jar that’s, ideally, lightproof. If you want your crumble to stay fresh for longer than a week, opt for a glass jar.

Rosin is a delicious concentrate, but it’s also delicate. Storing it properly ensures that you preserve its flavor, aroma, and potency. While you can use a silicone container, we recommend sticking with glass. Whatever you do, avoid plastic because it can ruin the flavor of your rosin. If you are able to, vacuum seal your glass jar to keep it airtight until you plan on enjoying its contents.

Once you have the right container for your favorite concentrate, keep it out of heat and light in a cool, dry location. This is the best practice for all concentrates.

The place you store your concentrates is wholly dependent on how long you want to preserve your concentrates. Follow this guide for where to store your concentrates:

• Short-term storage: If you plan on enjoying your concentrate over a couple days, you only need to keep it wrapped in parchment and stored in a cool, dry, dark place.
  
  
• Medium-term storage: If you want to keep your concentrates for a couple of weeks, you’ll need to put your parchment-wrapped concentrate into a sealed bag. This lets you squeeze the air out of the bag before tucking it into an airtight container. Then, put it in a cool, dry, dark place.
  
  
• Long-term storage: If you want to keep your concentrates for a while, or if you just live in a hot location with no AC, you’ll want to keep your concentrates refrigerated or even frozen. Wrap your concentrate in parchment, place it into a sealed bag, squeeze the air out, and then tuck that into an airtight container. Then, put it in the fridge if you plan to use it over a couple of months, or put it in the freezer if you want it to last even longer. Just remember, when you take it out, let it come to room temperature before you open the container. This will help to keep moisture out of your concentrate.
  
  

There are two primary things cannabis enthusiasts want to know about concentrates: how to consume them and how to store them. Here are a few questions we get about storing concentrates:

Can dabs get moldy?
Yes. Dabs that have not been stored in a cool, dry place can be exposed to moisture. Moist dabs can become moldy dabs. If you notice mold on your concentrates, toss them. Consuming moldy concentrates can be dangerous.

Do concentrates lose potency over time?
Yes. Over time, concentrates will start to degrade, which causes them to lose their flavor and potency, and change color.

Can you freeze concentrates?
You can freeze concentrates if you are looking to preserve your concentrates for longer periods of time or if you just don’t have a good, cool spot in your house to keep them. Just make sure that you wrap them up and vacuum seal them.

Dispensaries don’t just sell delicious cannabis products, we also sell the products that you need to consume and store your cannabis. If you’re interested in high-quality containers for your concentrates, talk to your budtender next time you visit. They’ll show you the containers they have in stock and make recommendations for the correct container for your concentrate.