Your favorite way to store tea

[Crafty_Mom]

For quite some time now, I've been storing my tea in small mason jars and keeping them out of the light. Now that I'm buying larger amounts of tea at a time and intend on getting larger jars, I have to wonder if I'm storing them in the best way possible.

What are your favorite ways?

[TIM]

For quite some time now, I've been storing my tea in small mason jars and keeping them out of the light. Now that I'm buying larger amounts of tea at a time and intend on getting larger jars, I have to wonder if I'm storing them in the best way possible.

What are your favorite ways?

Big jar for me on anything which could be age:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rNl5VRNLz_s/S ... G_6442.JPG

[tortoise]

When I have inexpensive black teas on hand, I usually use the tins they came in or glass jars -- out of the light, like you say.

But I usually drink Japanese greens, and Chinese oolong. For those, I've begun slowly collecting airtight jars. I like ceramic for oolong. For Japanese greens, I use either washi containers, any number of canisters sold from Japanese vendor websites, or, the one sakura canister I own, which is handmade from Sakura bark and very nice. I hope to collect a few more sakura canisters over the years, but they are quite expensive, so I'm going slowly.

[solitude]

I use also high quality glass jars, those are air tight and made of neutral material. I have many of them with different volumes.
An other possibility is to keep the tea in the bag, squeeze out the air and use a clip, then put the closed bag in an airtight tin.
Like always the goal is to store the tea in an airtight vessel, with minimum air inside, you can use whatever what fulfill this criteria

[Chip]

This is an oft discussed topic ... some helpful topics:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... hi#p163994

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... ashi+upton

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... hi#p149955

My fave way for fave type of tea, greens ...
I use the small sample tins for 95% of all open tea, place the post em on the top, then for most I place them into a decorative Japanese washi style canister ... and there are many styles. So, I know what is in each canister basically. I am quite AR/OCD about this ... deep steamed is in a black one, mid steamed in a mid tone one, and light steamed in a light colored one.

Each canister holds, 1, 2, or 3 of these sample tins depending on which washi tin I use. Works for me since I like to use washi, but don't like to dump tea into the oft too large washi canister. I also like these sample tins because they are completely seamless and small!

Here is a camera photo ...

[Crafty_Mom]

Ooh, those are lovely, Chip! But I worry about containers that are mostly metal. I live in a very humid climate, and if it possibly can rust at all, it does. But maybe it's not a problem with those containers?

And I knew there had to be some threads about is somewhere but I had trouble locating them. I must be a bit tired or something. Maybe I need more tea.

[whatsinaname]

A vacuum sealer and ball jars is a worthwhile investment, imho.

Unless we're talking about the puerh I have stashed in boxes and boxes and boxes...

Cheers!

[Chip]

Ooh, those are lovely, Chip! But I worry about containers that are mostly metal. I live in a very humid climate, and if it possibly can rust at all, it does. But maybe it's not a problem with those containers?

And I knew there had to be some threads about is somewhere but I had trouble locating them. I must be a bit tired or something. Maybe I need more tea.

The Upton sample tins are great ... I have been using them 10 years or more, not a speck of rust. They still sell them, and the price is better than most other sites if you buy a case of 24 I think. It is the only thing I would still buy from them.

Japanese canisters, no rust there either.

Living in a very humid area and an old stone house ...

[ChinesePottery]

The other day I was out again on a mission for a teachat member and picked up a little something for myself which hopefully will soon fit this threads topic.

The place where I found this little beauty specializes in clay storage jars for tea and so it's not too much of a surprise that I found this:

higher resolution here http://teaandpottery.files.wordpress.co ... guan-1.jpg

higher resolution here http://teaandpottery.files.wordpress.co ... guan-2.jpg

higher resolution here http://teaandpottery.files.wordpress.co ... guan-3.jpg

higher resolution here http://teaandpottery.files.wordpress.co ... guan-4.jpg

Once i grabbed it and asked how much the owner wanted for it he answered. Ahh, those
double-walled jars! We don't make those anymore since a very long time. It's just too much work and these days people prefer different styles anyways......

I still didn't get an answer how much he wanted for it or if he'd even sell... in the end he said since they don't really make those anymore and this one is probably the last one left anyways he didn't want any money. He said I should just pay whatever i think is ok for it and take it.

hehehehe

I paid and was a happy man

[Drax]

I still didn't get an answer how much he wanted for it or if he'd even sell... in the end he said since they don't really make those anymore and this one is probably the last one left anyways he didn't want any money. He said I should just pay whatever i think is ok for it and take it.

hehehehe

I paid and was a happy man

Wow, what a great find, it looks beautiful. I'm glad you were able to get something out of that trip!

It reminds me of those soapstone items you can get that are usually made in India....

[tortoise]

Chinesepottery, what is that container meant to store? Pu'er?

[ChinesePottery]

Chinesepottery, what is that container meant to store? Pu'er?

In my case homemade Yixing hongcha.
I got my mom-in-law and my grandma-in-law as well as my wife to help picking tea
which resulted in a bit more volume now. Also because this time of year the buds and leafs getting bigger and easier to pick.

I shall make a posting soon about where we picked it as well as how we made it and which side-effects where caused by making it.

[Crafty_Mom]

Thanks, everyone! You all have given me quite a bit to think about.

I think I need to add that these are for my daily teas. Simple ones like Earl Grey and English Breakfast, not puerh. That has its own special shelf.

Chip, I've never tried anything from Upton. For curiosity's sake, whey don't you buy tea from them anymore?

[Chip]

Chip, I've never tried anything from Upton. For curiosity's sake, whey don't you buy tea from them anymore?

One of the very few disagreements I have had with management of a TeaVendor. Their philosophy is incongruous with mine and many other TCers I suspect.

Upton (comically their anagram is UTI) will list as many teas as possible with little info or regard to harvest info nor freshness. Since they would not change, I did and simply moved on to vendors who shared similar philosophies as mine in this and other regards.

[Crafty_Mom]

Chip, I've never tried anything from Upton. For curiosity's sake, whey don't you buy tea from them anymore?

One of the very few disagreements I have had with management of a TeaVendor. Their philosophy is incongruous with mine and many other TCers I suspect.

Upton (comically their anagram is UTI) will list as many teas as possible with little info or regard to harvest info nor freshness. Since they would not change, I did and simply moved on to vendors who shared similar philosophies as mine in this and other regards.

Of interest! Thanks! Unfortunately, I'm not far enough in my tea journey to understand the different harvests and whatnot, but I'll get there.