When the sweltering summer arrives, many tea enthusiasts often overlook small details during storage due to the unique summer climate, inadvertently ruining fine tea. So, do you know what precautions should be taken when storing tea in the summer? How can you avoid common mistakes to ensure your tea grows more fragrant with age?
Pitfall 1: Storing large quantities of loose leaf tea instead of compressed tea
Experienced tea enthusiasts know that compared to loose leaf tea, Pu-erh compressed tea has natural advantages such as smaller volume, better durability, and higher stability against spoilage. Therefore, for long-term preservation, it is recommended to prioritize compressed types such as brick, cake, or tuo cha. Conversely, if the purpose is short-term consumption, storing small amounts of loose leaf tea is acceptable.
2021 Yongde Silver Tuo
Pitfall 2: Exposing tea leaves to direct sunlight
Summer often brings heavy rain and storms. Some enthusiasts, fearing that their tea might absorb moisture, may place the tea directly under intense sunlight to evaporate any residual moisture. However, they may not realize that intense sunlight causes oxidation and browning in the tea (experiments show that for every 10°C increase in temperature, the rate of browning increases by 3 to 5 times), leading to a “sun-scorched” flavor, which ultimately affects the tea’s taste and character. Therefore, it is crucial to store Pu-erh tea away from light.
Pitfall 3: Blindly using tea canisters for storage
Storage methods should be adapted to your local environment. Cities in southern coastal regions, due to their geographical location, are more susceptible to the plum rain season, heavy rains, and typhoons during summer. Combined with high summer humidity, tea can easily become damp, moldy, or spoiled. Consequently, in these areas, it is not recommended to use highly breathable canisters; instead, tea should be stored in relatively sealed environments and kept off the ground.
For those storing tea at home, you can use plastic bags, vacuum bags, cardboard boxes, or even the original packaging (e.g., bamboo leaves) for storage.
2006 Menghai Ripe Tea – Warm
Pitfall 4: Storing Pu-erh in the refrigerator or cold storage
Some enthusiasts treat Pu-erh like green tea or light oolong by storing it in the refrigerator. However, the true value of Pu-erh lies in its ability to grow more fragrant with age. To fully realize this characteristic, it is recommended to store it in a room-temperature environment (around 25°C with humidity maintained at approximately 75%). Storing tea at too low a temperature inhibits enzymatic activity, which can hinder or even halt the efficiency of the later aging process, making it difficult to achieve the full drinking and collectible value of Pu-erh.
Pitfall 5: Mixing raw and ripe tea together
Sometimes during storage, we neglect the distinction between the raw and ripe properties of the tea and place both types together. Little do we know that overlooking this small detail can put the tea at risk of absorbing external odors and cross-contamination of flavors.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
ZENTEA MANOR
Alliance Supply Chain Services Limited
Unit 902-3, 9/F, Mini Cube, 10 Sam Chuk Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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