I got my Den's Tea sample (delicious) and I'm going to order from them soon. I notice that they sell only 2 ounce packets and 1 pound packets. 1 pound (454 g) seems like a huge amount of green tea to buy at one time, because of freshness. I don't think I ever had more than 150 g of green tea at once, so I was wondering: how long does sencha actually last in an open package? Does it really last long enough that you could finish a pound of it before it got stale?
Also, is it OK to separate part of a package to drink, then put the rest in the freezer after it's been opened?
Aug 25th, '10, 22:10
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Aug 25th, '10, 22:16
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Re: Sencha packaging and storage
2 ouncers unless you are making it by the gallon on a daily basis.
Seriously, it will go stale before you use a pound, sencha does not have a long shelf life after opening.
I do seperate packages upon opening, but never on the scale of a pound unless I am conducting a large online sampling/tasting.
Seriously, it will go stale before you use a pound, sencha does not have a long shelf life after opening.
I do seperate packages upon opening, but never on the scale of a pound unless I am conducting a large online sampling/tasting.
Aug 25th, '10, 22:27
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Re: Sencha packaging and storage
I'm definitely not going to buy a pound, especially since I want to sample multiple kinds of tea from them (and I already have other tea, of course). I was just wondering if them selling a pound meant it lasted a long time. I guess not.
So there's no need to worry about condensation on the inside of the bag, when that warm humid air goes into the freezer?
So there's no need to worry about condensation on the inside of the bag, when that warm humid air goes into the freezer?
Aug 25th, '10, 23:33
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Re: Sencha packaging and storage
If I were trying to store a large volume of sencha or other more delicate tea for the long term, I would separate that pound at one time into smaller packets of about 2 ounces each, seal them well, like in a home seal-a-meal setup, and put those immediately into cold storage, only keeping 2 ounces at a time out for daily use.
Re: Sencha packaging and storage
There are 5 factors which has negative impact to tea's freshness.
1. Oxidation
2. Heat
3. UV
4. Odor
5. Humidity
Among these, oxidation has the strongest impact to tea leaves. Once you open a package, oxidation starts and even you use a air-tight container, tea gradually looses its freshness as time passes. I think a month is the longest time tea can keep its freshness even if you store the tea in the ideal condition.
1. Oxidation
2. Heat
3. UV
4. Odor
5. Humidity
Among these, oxidation has the strongest impact to tea leaves. Once you open a package, oxidation starts and even you use a air-tight container, tea gradually looses its freshness as time passes. I think a month is the longest time tea can keep its freshness even if you store the tea in the ideal condition.