How Do You Store Your Teas?

[AndyO]

Asking for suggestions on how I should store my loose teas. I have a few selections in small glass jars, but many I keep in the original zip-lock bags that Adagio packages their teas. All my teas are kept in a closed pantry in the kitchen and are not exposed to light, but I'm still unsure about best way to store my teas, and would appreciate any advice you can send my way. Thanks!

[strickmr]

I keep all my Japanese greens that I'm currently drinking in washi tea tins. I only have about three that I drink at one time, that way they stay fresh. The other tea I have, I keep sealed and refrigerated.

[IPT]

What types of Loose teas are you talking about? Different teas require different storage techniques.

[AndyO]

Strickmr, thanks for advice. I haven't been storing any teas in the refrigerator, and never thought about that...hmmm, you've given me food for thought.

To answer IPT's question, my present tea favorites include green teas, (Jasmine Phoenix Pearls, Pi lo chun, Gunpowder, Dragonwell); Black Tea favorite is currently Black Dragon Pearls.

[strickmr]

I'm not very educated on anything but greens (and compared to a few members here, I'm a complete novice), but for greens, make sure that when you refrigerate you let the teas come to room temperature before you open them.

[debunix]

I'm not very educated on anything but greens (and compared to a few members here, I'm a complete novice), but for greens, make sure that when you refrigerate you let the teas come to room temperature before you open them.

I think this applies to all teas: otherwise moisture may condense on the leaves when you open the bag and the teas can lose flavor rapidly.

I think it is fine to open a package of tea, divide it in half or quarters, seal up the extra portions, and put those in the refrigerator or freezer, then keep the open part of the package at room temperature and use that up first. Then you can take another sealed portion out of the cold, let it come to room temperature--overnight, preferably, and start using that. I've only done this once or twice but it seemed to help extend the life of the tea.

[strickmr]

I'm not very educated on anything but greens (and compared to a few members here, I'm a complete novice), but for greens, make sure that when you refrigerate you let the teas come to room temperature before you open them.

I think this applies to all teas: otherwise moisture may condense on the leaves when you open the bag and the teas can lose flavor rapidly.

I think it is fine to open a package of tea, divide it in half or quarters, seal up the extra portions, and put those in the refrigerator or freezer, then keep the open part of the package at room temperature and use that up first. Then you can take another sealed portion out of the cold, let it come to room temperature--overnight, preferably, and start using that. I've only done this once or twice but it seemed to help extend the life of the tea.

+1 on that. And be careful to seal them up really well before you put them in a refrigerator. Especially if your refrigerator has food in it.

[Chip]

I have a TeaFridge, dedicated to TEAS only.

[debunix]

A TeaFridge would be nice. As it is, I've used heavy-duty seal-a-meal type bags with good results. And I'm going to use them the next time I open a 100g bag of sencha--I can use the 50g bags before they start to lose much, but the 100g bag of Aio sencha I just finished definitely lost a little by the end.

[strickmr]

A TeaFridge would be nice. As it is, I've used heavy-duty seal-a-meal type bags with good results. And I'm going to use them the next time I open a 100g bag of sencha--I can use the 50g bags before they start to lose much, but the 100g bag of Aio sencha I just finished definitely lost a little by the end.

My Aoi did the same. That was before I had a TeaFridge. Now I'm even building a stock!

[David R.]

I don't keep my japanese greens in a fridge. I could but I already vacuum-seal them after I have opened them and taken a portion from it.

Maybe I should... But I keep thinking that as they were not kept at a low temperature during transport, even exposed to very low temperature during the flight, it is not necessary if you just avoid more temperature-shock.

But I'll be thinking about it.

[strickmr]

Well, at the same time, keeping it in the fridge will ensure it stays at a constant temperature and humidity if you're storing it for longer periods of time.

[rockmonaco]

Asking for suggestions on how I should store my loose teas. I have a few selections in small glass jars, but many I keep in the original zip-lock bags that Adagio packages their teas. All my teas are kept in a closed pantry in the kitchen and are not exposed to light, but I'm still unsure about best way to store my teas, and would appreciate any advice you can send my way. Thanks!

I think it really depends on the type of tea you are storing and how long it needs to be stored for.

[Oni]

I keep my teas in an airtight container in a cupboard at a constant temperature, I will invest in porcelain containers later the one`s the are sold at Dragon teahouse.
http://stores.ebay.com/Dragon-Tea-House ... 34.c0.m322
Take a look at these... I don`t recomend storing tea in a cold fridge, store it at room temperature, the drastic temperature changes adversly affect tea.

[Mintaka]

I store my teas in airtight zipbags (e.g. Adagio's bags, other local tea shop's, etc.), in metal tins, glass bottles, sometimes thick metallic bags. Depends on the tea though. All are kept in a closed cabinet. Finer green and white teas I'll make sure are very tightly sealed/kept out of light. But some, like this amazing gunpowder I have, have survived multiple transfers (I've had like a pound plus of it for a long while) to smaller baggies when I gave some to various people. It has an astounding keeping quality--still as sweet and honey-woody as ever. But I guess tightly curled/balled teas have better keeping quality in general...less exposed surface area.

The only teas I habitually keep refrigerated are some high grade matchas. My former boss, a local tea company owner, also kept a super special early spring mao jian lightly refrigerated. It stayed fresh and delicious for a few years (it was also very well sealed).