Extend the Life of Your Tea Through Proper Storage
If you want to extend the life of your tea—and ensure that you preserve its flavor, color, and aroma—you will need to store it properly. Just as with other foods, poorly stored tea runs the risk of being completely ruined, or at minimum, losing its appetizing taste. In order to get the best shelf life out of your tea, avoid the following things.
Oxygen. Exposure to oxygen can degrade the integrity of your tea, so it’s best to store it in an airtight container. Keep in mind that you don’t just want to protect the tea from air outside of the container—you also want to minimize the amount of air inside the container by keeping it filled.
Light. Light can also degrade your tea, so you want to avoid containers that are made from glass and other clear materials. If you must use these types of containers, be sure to store them in a dark place to protect your tea from light exposure.
Odors. Tea leaves can easily absorb odors, so they should be stored away from areas that have strong scents—such as near trash cans and spice racks. Also, avoid storing different types of teas together to prevent their flavors from getting combined.
Moisture. Another good reason to store your tea in an airtight container is because exposure to water causes the leaves to release their flavor. Also, be sure to keep tea away from humidity, as it can cause tea to become moldy. Storing tea in areas close to dishwashers and stoves, or even inside of a refrigerator or freezer, can introduce moisture that will ruin your tea.
Heat. Avoid storing tea near sources of heat, such as direct sunlight, stoves, and ovens. If you don’t, the warmth will cause the tea’s flavor and aroma to degrade, and increase the chances of moisture being added.
A simple way to store tea which I use is to put your tea in a plastic bag, place in a plastic “burp-able” storage container and keep in… the freezer! That’s right, the freezer. The amount of moisture in tea is very low usually 4 – 6%. The air in a freezer is VERY dry and there is no light and few odors. In fact, it’s a great place for your high end, leafy teas . (Note: this should NOT be used for Pu’Erh tea.)
Storing tea in the right way may take a little bit more effort, but ultimately you’ll end up saving money and your taste buds will thank you for it as they enjoy your favorite teas for longer periods of time!
2 Daughters Tea Company
6 年Priceless gems being taught! May I ask if storing my tea in glass is the right thing to do and the room temperature and lighting? The room I keep all my tea, is cold and dark. The winter here in Ohio keeps the room bone chilling while in the summer, I keep the central air on.
Deputy General Manager at Hunan Xiaoxiang Tea Industry Co.,Ltd
7 年Exactly !
Group Sales Manager at The K Club - Tea Sommelier & tea educator.
7 年Thanks for the information about freezing the tea leaves, I didn't know about that. In my case I have everything in tea caddies and normally, nothing last too long ??????
Tea Taster, Cricket Commentator, Buisness Leader.
7 年Good stuff Peter..
Office Manager at Friedman Chiropractic Inc.
7 年As a consumer, I have found the worst thing for tea storage is to put the teas on a shelf alongside the herbal teas. When I visit a home and black tea is served, I can always tell when they have stored it too close to an herbal tea as the flavor is affected.