Original Title: How to properly store tea at home?
When encountering good tea, tea lovers often buy some to store at home; these teas include both those for daily drinking and those for long-term storage.
Therefore, “storing tea” is something that requires careful attention. If stored improperly, you might find the flavor completely different when brewing it later\u2014what a great pity.
Today, I have compiled several methods for storing tea at home to share with everyone.
I. Seven major factors affecting tea quality
To talk about storing tea, one must first understand the seven essential factors that lead to tea degradation:
1. Light;
2. Temperature;
3. Tea moisture content;
4. Air humidity;
5. Oxygen;
6. Microorganisms;
7. Odor contamination;
Among these, degradation caused by microorganisms is limited by factors such as temperature, moisture, and oxygen, while odor contamination is related to the storage environment.
The key to tea storage is protection against pressure, moisture, sealing, avoiding light, and preventing odors.<\/p>\n
II. Four major tea storage methods
1. Canister storage (Black tea, Oolong tea, loose-leaf Pu-erh tea, Citrus Pu-erh)
Canister storage is one of the most common methods for home tea storage today. It provides moisture resistance and oxidation protection while being easy to access. Materials used are primarily ceramic, iron, wood, and Zisha (double-layered canisters offer better moisture resistance). When storing, choose a cool place and avoid humidity and direct sunlight. If the canned tea is not to be consumed for a while, the lid can be sealed with transparent tape to prevent moist air from entering.<\/p>\n
2. Jar storage (Tea cakes, Yellow tea)
Containers used for jar storage must be dry, odorless, and tightly sealed. Common containers include clay jars, Zisha jars, and rust-free iron drums, etc. In jar storage, one must be careful not to mix different types of tea; each jar should contain only one variety.<\/p>\n
3. Bag storage (Applicable to various types of daily drinking teas)
Bag storage is one of the simplest and most economical methods for home tea storage. It should be noted that plastic bags must be food-grade packaging, preferably high-density and high-strength plastic bags. Dark tea and white tea are not suitable for long-term sealing in plastic bags.<\/p>\n
Daily drinking teas can be placed in resealable bags for later use, with clear labels for each variety.<\/p>\n
Broken Citrus Pu-erh tea can be wrapped in tissue paper and placed into storage bags.
To avoid flavor contamination and for easy access.
4. Warehouse construction method (Pu-erh tea, White tea)
Tea lovers with the means often dedicate a specialized room for tea storage, setting up shelves, classifying and stacking, and implementing constant temperature and dehumidification treatments. This method has relatively high requirements for both environment and professionalism.<\/p>\n
III. Can raw and ripe Pu-erh teas be stored together?
Raw Pu-erh and ripe Pu-erh are two types of tea with completely different qualities and styles; they should not be stored together for long periods.
First, due to the different types of aroma. If raw Pu-erh and ripe Pu-erh are stored together, aromatic substances will inevitably undergo cross-adsorption, masking or altering each other. This makes it difficult to obtain a pure and natural aroma, resulting in a tea that is “nothing like itself,” thereby reducing its drinking or collection value.
Second, if raw and ripe tea are stored together, loose leaves will become mixed, causing the tea residue to be “disordered,” which also affects the value and taste of the stored tea; therefore, they should be stored separately.<\/p>\n
For tea lovers who possess large quantities of tea (especially Pu-erh tea), the tea can be stored in professional brand tea warehouses. By classifying the tea and applying constant temperature and humidity treatments, the quality of aging can be optimized to ensure both value retention and quality preservation.<\/p>\n
If you have good tea at home, it must be stored under the correct conditions to maximize its collection value. If you are currently struggling with how to store your tea at home, why not try the methods mentioned above?<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
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
www.zentea-shop.com Email:info@zentea-shop.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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