Plastic bag storage

[JRS22]

Hot water and PC = BPA

I meant the actual inside of the can: they are commonly lined with plastic

If you're referring to my post, what I meant was that the only plastic in any of my tins is the plastic inner lid in 2 of them. I'm familiar with the bpa lining in food tins. Maybe there is tea sold packed in lined tins, but not in the ones I buy separately. But you're not in the US so maybe it's different where you are (HK?)

[jayinhk]

Tea is often sold in tins here, but plastic/paper bags are more common at the places I frequent. In China they tend to use cardboard containers with a plastic/mylar bag on the inside. I'm going to jar up everything in glass from now on I think!

[JRS22]

Tea is often sold in tins here, but plastic/paper bags are more common at the places I frequent. In China they tend to use cardboard containers with a plastic/mylar bag on the inside. I'm going to jar up everything in glass from now on I think!

I've received several of those as gifts. I always assumed that the plastic bags were used just for tea aimed at western tourists, but apparently I was wrong. The boxes are pretty so I've saved them.

[jayinhk]

The boxes are often poorly glued together: I get my tea out of them ASAP.
Chinese printing companies use some pretty funky chemicals.

As for tins, I'd only use stainless myself!

[needaTEAcher]

Moral of the story here: drink you tea as quickly as possible, so you don't have to worry about storage!

[dzrogers]

These days, I tend to transfer tea (my currently drinking) to mason jars that I wrap in brown paper and keep in a closed cabinet.

I've got one of those foodsaver things with the mason jar attachment, so I vacuum seal the teas I don't drink as often. Works pretty well, especially for green teas.

[jayinhk]

These days, I tend to transfer tea (my currently drinking) to mason jars that I wrap in brown paper and keep in a closed cabinet.

I've got one of those foodsaver things with the mason jar attachment, so I vacuum seal the teas I don't drink as often. Works pretty well, especially for green teas.

That, sir, is about as good as it gets without refrigeration! I wouldn't vacuum seal anything but greens and yellows since the rest need some oxygen to age.

[needaTEAcher]

When I taught kids I would use construction paper to wrap around glass jars. The kids loved it when they got to decorate them and see them up. A guy in the staff room had some decent green tea he left in a glass jar on his desk, and it killed me, so I wrapped it for him. Super masculine P.E. teacher-type, with a pink construction paper tea caddy on his desk!

[jayinhk]

I found an octagonal glass jar with a nicely worked silver sleeve at home: apparently it was a gift from my aunt a few years ago. It was just the right size for my Baimudan.

[Vermont Cathy]

Hi there. I hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread (better than starting a new one, right?). I was reading through Adagio's site, and came across the following statement:

Please carefully close the zippers atop the pouches in which our teas are packaged to ensure that that last cup is as fresh as the first. Should you prefer others means of storage, we recommend either metal canisters or glass jars. Both offer an air-tight seal to keep tea dry and insulated from external scents. Both also offer protection from UV rays, allowing you to display tea in the open, without worrying about damage from the sun.

This is from: http://www.teavivre.com/info/proper-storage-of-tea/

This idea (the glass blocks UV) seems to be against what all other sites and people are saying. Thoughts?

[GARCH]

Hi there. I hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread (better than starting a new one, right?). I was reading through Adagio's site, and came across the following statement:

Please carefully close the zippers atop the pouches in which our teas are packaged to ensure that that last cup is as fresh as the first. Should you prefer others means of storage, we recommend either metal canisters or glass jars. Both offer an air-tight seal to keep tea dry and insulated from external scents. Both also offer protection from UV rays, allowing you to display tea in the open, without worrying about damage from the sun.

This is from: http://www.teavivre.com/info/proper-storage-of-tea/

This idea (the glass blocks UV) seems to be against what all other sites and people are saying. Thoughts?

Well this is what I found,

"Question 1: What percentage of UV light is blocked out by glass?
Normal glass (as used in windows) is transparent to UV radiation up to a wavelength of about 330 nm (or UV-A light). The transparency is quite high so almost all UV-A light will pass through glass. Below 330 nm (UV-B and UV-C), almost 100% is block by normal glass."

UV-A rays are those that causes wrinkles and such, UV-B rays causes sunburns. UV-C, I think it doesn't make it through the Earth's atmosphere.
I would think if using a glass jar, best to keep it out of the sun or your tea leaves might just bake/simmer inside

[ImmortaliTEA]

Hi there. I hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread (better than starting a new one, right?). I was reading through Adagio's site, and came across the following statement:

Please carefully close the zippers atop the pouches in which our teas are packaged to ensure that that last cup is as fresh as the first. Should you prefer others means of storage, we recommend either metal canisters or glass jars. Both offer an air-tight seal to keep tea dry and insulated from external scents. Both also offer protection from UV rays, allowing you to display tea in the open, without worrying about damage from the sun.

This is from: http://www.teavivre.com/info/proper-storage-of-tea/

This idea (the glass blocks UV) seems to be against what all other sites and people are saying. Thoughts?

I believe they made a typo on that "both" statement because I was of the opinion that its fairly common knowledge that "clear" glass jars definitely allow UV rays to enter the container.

[Vermont Cathy]

Thanks for your thoughts. Now, is this concern over UV only for when in direct sunlight? At work, I have the good luck of being able to see a window from my desk (not nearby), but sunlight would never land on my desk area. The room is lit with standard office florescent lights. So... if my choices for now are the bags tea comes in from Adagio, or a small jar, which should I choose? I can squeeze more air from the bags, and they block light, but some people have concerns over the plastic, and the jars are prettier.

[GARCH]

Thanks for your thoughts. Now, is this concern over UV only for when in direct sunlight? At work, I have the good luck of being able to see a window from my desk (not nearby), but sunlight would never land on my desk area. The room is lit with standard office florescent lights. So... if my choices for now are the bags tea comes in from Adagio, or a small jar, which should I choose? I can squeeze more air from the bags, and they block light, but some people have concerns over the plastic, and the jars are prettier.

Well if the sunlight will never land on your desk I think you're good to go with a glass jar! Although I do know of people who say that UV rays from the sun can affect the whole room etc, but intuitively I think it's probably minute at best if you're far away from windows.

My personal preference tends toward glass jars. Looking pretty on an office desk is always preferable

[Chip]

Thanks for your thoughts. Now, is this concern over UV only for when in direct sunlight? At work, I have the good luck of being able to see a window from my desk (not nearby), but sunlight would never land on my desk area. The room is lit with standard office florescent lights. So... if my choices for now are the bags tea comes in from Adagio, or a small jar, which should I choose? I can squeeze more air from the bags, and they block light, but some people have concerns over the plastic, and the jars are prettier.

I think the zip mechanism is plastic but the rest of the bag is foil? At least the smaller sample bags are like this.

I know someone who uses glass mason jars, and he is always having Japanese greens go bad long before I do for the exact same tea ... he even wrapped them in foil to block out light as I recall. But I have no personal experience with glass jars.

I personally use either smaller foil lined zip bags such as the Adagio ones you mention, or I use Upton's small sample tin which holds usually around 25-50 grams of tea (50 of most sencha). So it is small and does not allow too much air in each time I open the tin. I actually then place that into a 2X Japanese Washi tin. Kind of like triple protection ...