Storage Question
I know tea hates light and air.
But what “tea” are we talking about?
Black yes, green yes… right?
White? yes?
What about herbals tho? Or spice tea like masala Chai?
Should I put my Foxtrot in an air-tight tin or is it safe enough in the lidded jar I have it in (inside my cupboard so still safe from light)?
Which kinds of tea need saving from air and light? Which ones only need to be away from one or the other?
I keep all my tea sealed airtight and in a dark cupboard….away from spices. Tea can easily take on other flavors, even from neighboring teas.
If I could afford enough air-tight tins I’d surely do the same. That’s just not the case with me >_< I wonder if my samples drawer is suspect. I mean I have a ton of samples in a drawer together… some are in “safe” pouches, but most are in plastic sample baggies of some kind or another. Eek. I hope they’re not all just slowly ruining each other.
All teas hate light and need to be stored away from each other, even herbals. The only exception to the “air” rule is raw puerh because it needs to be exposed to air in order to age properly.
I keep all my teas in airtight containers, however, I am less ‘picky’ when it comes to blacks… they tend to keep longer, 2-3 years.
My main curiosity is with herbals and spice teas.
My Foxtrot is kept in a big cannister with a screw-on lid. I keep it in the cupboard so it’s safe from light. it’s not an “air-tight” lid tho.
The Masala Chai I have is in a holiday tin with a press-down lid. I haven’t noticed any loss in flavor on it, but I don’t know if it will lose flavor eventually. It’s not air-tight, but does keep it closed from regular airflow.
All botanicals, like herbs and spices, need to be kept away from light and air in order for their optimum freshness and flavour to be preserved. I use 4oz jam jars for my spices, and store them in a cupboard. I use tins for my teas – they aren’t completely air tight, but they’re good enough for me.
Puerh cakes that are actively aging need at least some circulation, depending upon the air around it, to continue the aging but not so wet as to develop unwanted molds. If the cake is meant to be kept in its current state and not change any more, then a drier storage with less air is probably better to preserve it.
I use tins and canning/jelly jars that I keep in a dark cupboard. They come in a variety of sizes and have a nice tight lid. They are one of the cheapest containers I’ve found.
Just to be on a safe side, you would want to keep all your teas in air-tight tins and away from light. That is what we do here at The Persimmon Tree.
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