Tea has hygroscopicity and strong adsorption, and can easily absorb moisture and odors in the air. If the storage method is slightly improper, it will lose its fragrance in a short period of time.
Why do tea leaves go bad?
Generally speaking, the aroma and taste of tea will change after storage. If exposed to high temperature, high humidity and sunlight at the same time, it will accelerate the changes in the ingredients in the tea leaves, causing the tea leaves to age and deteriorate in a short period of time. Especially green tea picked every year should be properly stored.
The main factors causing tea to deteriorate are:
1. light;
2. Temperature;
3. Moisture content of tea;
4. Air humidity;
5. Oxygen;
6. Microorganisms;
7. Odor pollution;
Among them, deterioration caused by microorganisms is limited by factors such as temperature, humidity, and oxygen, while odor pollution is related to the storage environment.
The key to storing tea is to prevent pressure, moisture, airtightness, light and odor.
Tea conventional storage containers
Generally speaking, tinplate cans, jars, and colored glass bottles are the best containers for storing tea.
Secondly, iron cans, wooden boxes, bamboo boxes, etc. should be used. Bamboo boxes are not suitable in the dry north.
Plastic bags and cardboard boxes are last.
Many teahouses will choose a vat made of purple sand, wrap the tea leaves in film paper, and then seal them for storage.
How should tea be stored?
Theoretically, the storage and storage of tea should be dry (moisture content is about 6%), refrigerated, oxygen-free (vacuum or nitrogen-filled), and protected from light.
However, due to various objective conditions, it is often impossible to achieve both. We can grasp the necessary requirements for tea drying and then take some other measures, but it must also be analyzed based on specific tea types.
Different tea leaves have different storage methods based on their aging and tea properties.
green tea and yellow tea
Of all the teas, green tea is best kept in the refrigerator, especially teas with strong aromas like Longjing tea. Since the process of yellow tea is similar to that of green tea, it can generally be stored.
If the storage time is short and you need to drink it at any time, you can put the green tea in the refrigerator and adjust the temperature to about 5 degrees Celsius; if it is unopened tea and you want to store it for more than a year, you should put it in the refrigerator.
If you buy a large amount of tea at one time, you should first divide it into small bags (cans) and then put it in the refrigerator. Take out the required brewing amount each time. It is not recommended to freeze and thaw the same tea bag repeatedly.
If the quantity is large, it can be stored in a special warehouse; if the quantity is small, it can be stored personally at home, or in clay pots. Remove the outer packaging of the Pu'er tea, put it directly into the vat, and seal the vat mouth.
Cake tea, pumpkin tea, and Tuo tea should be placed on wooden shelves for ventilation.
Tips: The most important thing to prevent when storing tea is odor and mildew. Tea leaves have a special smell. Once Pu'er tea inhales odor during the aging process, its original aging color will be destroyed.
If you have good tea in your hand, it must be stored correctly to maximize the color, aroma, and flavor of the tea.
Different types of tea include dark tea and Pu'er tea, which can be stored under the right conditions to maximize their collection value. Therefore, to drink good tea, you must also store good tea.
