Nov 24th 10 9:05 am
Posts: 149
Joined: Nov 8th 10 2:21 pm
Location: Basel (Switzerland), Slovakia
How the tea vendors store their tea?
Do you have some idea how the tea vendors store large amount of sensitive green, white and oolong tea to have it fresh during all the year?
Nov 25th 10 1:07 am
Vendor Member
Posts: 1518
Joined: Nov 13th 09 3:16 pm
Location: Guilin, Guangxi China
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
We freeze it. I have huge freezers for my green, white, yellow, and wulong teas. The trick is to keep the teas in the freezer. Even when I'm measuring out tea for a customer, I keep the bag in the freezer. If the tea warms up it can get condensation, which will hurt the tea if it is refrozen. Once I remove tea I never refreeze it. Freezing the tea will help it keep its flavor and aroma much longer than just keeping it cold and it does not alter the taste, believe me, I've tested it.
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
At a tea shop here, they said to vacuum seal it and keep it in the refrigerator (not freezer).
After removing it from the refrigerator, let it cool down for 24 hours before opening.
According to them, when it is vacuum and stored in fridge, the quality will not drop and in vacuum, the leaves will stay dry in it.
I don't now how true is it...
After removing it from the refrigerator, let it cool down for 24 hours before opening.
According to them, when it is vacuum and stored in fridge, the quality will not drop and in vacuum, the leaves will stay dry in it.
I don't now how true is it...
Nov 25th 10 4:22 am
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 23rd 06 12:52 am
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
The vast majority of USA vendors do not cold store their teas. To do so would give them a competitive disadvantage, in terms of added cost.
Too bad they fail to see the competitive advantage in offering fresher teas that would be worth an added cost.
Too bad they fail to see the competitive advantage in offering fresher teas that would be worth an added cost.
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
"At MaikoTea, we store tea in refrigerators used specifically for this purpose. Please be assured that we provide you with the finest tea throughout the year by preserving its superior quality. In addition to refrigerators at MaikoTea, we also store tea in refrigerators at JA Kyoto Tea Market (Chaichiba) and Kyoto Prefecture Tea Producers' Cooperative (Kyoto Cha Kyoudoukumiai)."
5 Celsius constant, I assume even when measuring out tea.
http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/preservation.htm
5 Celsius constant, I assume even when measuring out tea.
http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/preservation.htm
Nov 25th 10 8:06 am
Posts: 149
Joined: Nov 8th 10 2:21 pm
Location: Basel (Switzerland), Slovakia
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
thanks guys. So the optimal solution would be to have a cold room where all the tea is stored and in the same room the tea is measured and packed to small packages. We have such a thing in our research center for labile reagents 
.
By the way it is interesting that the people here at teachat have different opinion about the storing tea at low temp.
.By the way it is interesting that the people here at teachat have different opinion about the storing tea at low temp.
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
Cold room? Hmmm... Sounds like my office's server room which has full blast air con (16c) on 24/7solitude wrote:thanks guys. So the optimal solution would be to have a cold room where all the tea is stored and in the same room the tea is measured and packed to small packages. We have such a thing in our research center for labile reagents
By the way it is interesting that the people here at teachat have different opinion about the storing tea at low temp.
Maybe that is a good place to store my greens.
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
It makes sense that the freshness is helped by keeping the tea cold, but only if doing so doesn't involve the condensation and moisture you'd get with removing the tea from a cold dry storage to moist warmer room temperature environment and then putting it back in the cold--as happens if it is taken in & out of a home refrigerator after opening.
But perhaps I should put my sealed pouches of sencha and green oolongs in the refrigerator until the day before I am ready to use them....which would free up some space in the tea cabinet for MORE TEA!
But perhaps I should put my sealed pouches of sencha and green oolongs in the refrigerator until the day before I am ready to use them....which would free up some space in the tea cabinet for MORE TEA!
Nov 25th 10 9:28 am
Vendor Member
Posts: 1518
Joined: Nov 13th 09 3:16 pm
Location: Guilin, Guangxi China
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
Refrigerators are good for storing unopened vacuum sealed bags because they will keep longer, but once you open them, there is a really good chance refrigerator smells will be absorbed by the tea and ruin the tea. If possible, it's better to get your teas sent to you in many small vacuum sealed bags instead of one, that way you can keep them in the fridge until you wish to open them, then keep the open one out of the fridge while the rest stay cool.
Nov 25th 10 4:46 pm
Vendor Member
Posts: 2084
Joined: Sep 24th 08 10:38 pm
Location: Boston, MA
Re: how the tea vendors store their tea?
I never freeze my tea. I know many people prefer to do it for green tea and greener oolong. But I just don't like it.
I reluctantly refrigerate green tea. "Reluctantly" because if I have the space and the equipment, I would rather use large jars and desiccants in a cool enough warehouse. I never like fridge.
I agree with IPT that putting tea in smaller packs is a best way of storage for green tea. And I agree with what many people said many times that it's extremely important to have tea packs well sealed before putting it in fridge. Otherwise, it's worse than not fridging. Also, not all mylar bags are impermeable to moisture. If you hold it against light and can see through it even a little bit, then maybe it's not moisture proof. Some mylar bags look silver but can be seen through under light. Overall, I think control of humidity is always important than control of temperature. But I've been a northerner all the time and can't say for guys to the south of D. C.
Well, this green tea board. For oolong, if it's traditional style, either traditional greener style or darker style, I never fridge it and I beg people not to fridge it
I reluctantly refrigerate green tea. "Reluctantly" because if I have the space and the equipment, I would rather use large jars and desiccants in a cool enough warehouse. I never like fridge.
I agree with IPT that putting tea in smaller packs is a best way of storage for green tea. And I agree with what many people said many times that it's extremely important to have tea packs well sealed before putting it in fridge. Otherwise, it's worse than not fridging. Also, not all mylar bags are impermeable to moisture. If you hold it against light and can see through it even a little bit, then maybe it's not moisture proof. Some mylar bags look silver but can be seen through under light. Overall, I think control of humidity is always important than control of temperature. But I've been a northerner all the time and can't say for guys to the south of D. C.
Well, this green tea board. For oolong, if it's traditional style, either traditional greener style or darker style, I never fridge it and I beg people not to fridge it
Re: How the tea vendors store their tea?
i was opening a topic regarding this and i can leave this informations, evry site have different positions and this may cause a little confusion
FROM MAIKO TEA
Storing Large Quantities of Tea
If you have many packages of tea at home, it is best to store them in the freezer without breaking the seals. This is to preserve the original tea flavor and to prevent it from absorbing unwanted odors.
However, before opening the package for consumption, defrost in normal temperature first, without breaking the seal. In this manner you avoid condensation, which would damage the tea, within the package.
▼ Storage inside the Refrigerator
We do not recommend storing opened packages of tea for daily use inside refrigerators. The odor in the refrigerator would permeate the tea. Also, when moving the tea in and out of the refrigerator repeatedly, rapid temperature changes would cause condensation inside the package, moistening the tea.
AND THIS FROM HOJO
Keep tea away from moisture
Once a bag of tea is opened, please finish it within 3 months if you wish to enjoy its freshness. From the medical point of view, it is safe to consume the tea even if it is kept for a few years. However the freshness disappears if it is kept for too long. Tea must be tightly sealed before it is kept. Tea should be kept in ambient and dry conditions such as in the living room, but it must be completely away from humidity. Tea should not be kept in the kitchen as the environment is very humid. Avoid enclosed area such as inside the cupboard or drawer as these places are damp. Also avoid opening the bag of tea in humid atmosphere. It is recommended to open the bag during a sunny day or under air-conditioned atmosphere. Once tea leaves absorb moisture, deterioration of tea will be triggered within a few days. Tea will then give an astringent taste, sometime it tastes sour. The fresh aroma also becomes weaker.
Beware of keeping the tea in the fridge
The quality of tea lasts longer if it is kept in the fridge. However we strongly recommend you not to keep tea in the fridge. When tea is withdrawn from the fridge, there is usually condensation. Once tea is exposed to moisture during condensation, the quality will deteriorate within a few days. The higher moisture content in the tea leaves will trigger oxidation and it will completely destroy the quality of tea.
Here’s one frequently asked question: what happens if bag is sealed using tape or tea is packed in zipper bag and kept inside the fridge?
For your information, these simple sealing methods are not sufficient. When the bag is withdrawn from the fridge, it is cold inside the bag and therefore causes negative pressure. Air will be drawn from outside and condensation will occur. In addition, if the bag is taken in and out from the fridge very often, this will cause heat stress to the tea leaves as temperature is increased and decreased very frequently. If tea is kept in the fridge, when it is withdrawn from the fridge, it is necessary to leave it in ambient atmosphere for more than 24 hours in order to warm up the tea leaves. Based on our experience, 12 hours is not long enough. We may think tea is warmed up, but inside the bag, the tea leaves are still cold due to insulation effect.
FROM MAIKO TEA
Storing Large Quantities of Tea
If you have many packages of tea at home, it is best to store them in the freezer without breaking the seals. This is to preserve the original tea flavor and to prevent it from absorbing unwanted odors.
However, before opening the package for consumption, defrost in normal temperature first, without breaking the seal. In this manner you avoid condensation, which would damage the tea, within the package.
▼ Storage inside the Refrigerator
We do not recommend storing opened packages of tea for daily use inside refrigerators. The odor in the refrigerator would permeate the tea. Also, when moving the tea in and out of the refrigerator repeatedly, rapid temperature changes would cause condensation inside the package, moistening the tea.
AND THIS FROM HOJO
Keep tea away from moisture
Once a bag of tea is opened, please finish it within 3 months if you wish to enjoy its freshness. From the medical point of view, it is safe to consume the tea even if it is kept for a few years. However the freshness disappears if it is kept for too long. Tea must be tightly sealed before it is kept. Tea should be kept in ambient and dry conditions such as in the living room, but it must be completely away from humidity. Tea should not be kept in the kitchen as the environment is very humid. Avoid enclosed area such as inside the cupboard or drawer as these places are damp. Also avoid opening the bag of tea in humid atmosphere. It is recommended to open the bag during a sunny day or under air-conditioned atmosphere. Once tea leaves absorb moisture, deterioration of tea will be triggered within a few days. Tea will then give an astringent taste, sometime it tastes sour. The fresh aroma also becomes weaker.
Beware of keeping the tea in the fridge
The quality of tea lasts longer if it is kept in the fridge. However we strongly recommend you not to keep tea in the fridge. When tea is withdrawn from the fridge, there is usually condensation. Once tea is exposed to moisture during condensation, the quality will deteriorate within a few days. The higher moisture content in the tea leaves will trigger oxidation and it will completely destroy the quality of tea.
Here’s one frequently asked question: what happens if bag is sealed using tape or tea is packed in zipper bag and kept inside the fridge?
For your information, these simple sealing methods are not sufficient. When the bag is withdrawn from the fridge, it is cold inside the bag and therefore causes negative pressure. Air will be drawn from outside and condensation will occur. In addition, if the bag is taken in and out from the fridge very often, this will cause heat stress to the tea leaves as temperature is increased and decreased very frequently. If tea is kept in the fridge, when it is withdrawn from the fridge, it is necessary to leave it in ambient atmosphere for more than 24 hours in order to warm up the tea leaves. Based on our experience, 12 hours is not long enough. We may think tea is warmed up, but inside the bag, the tea leaves are still cold due to insulation effect.