Tea storage

[Ltltony]

I have been storing my tea in a variety of ways for awhile. Ziplock in tupperware, metal tins, etc.

I have been thinking about buying a bunch of these tea tins for all of my tea.

http://www.strandtea.com/shop/images/uploads/misc/A608.jpg


What do you guys use?

[expatCanuck]

The tea I buy is typically in either ziplocs or metal containers.
Already labelled.
No need to augment.

[burningdarkness]

I use these:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=411

The ones you are looking at look really nice. Where do you find them?

[Howard Newell]

Grace Rare Tea packages all their teas in tins like that. It might be worthwhile to buy some of their teas (they're not bad and reasonably priced) and save the tins for future use.

[Hobbesoxon]

Who needs boxes? Just pile it up! :chinese:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/HobbesOxon/Volume2/2008-Nada-02b.jpg


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Suzuki]

Who needs boxes? Just pile it up! :chinese:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/HobbesOxon/Volume2/2008-Nada-02b.jpg


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

I hope you never have to move house - you'd need a second truck just for the tea!

:ouch1::ouch1::ouch1:

[Hobbesoxon]

Coincidentally enough, we just bought our first house two days ago and will be moving in two weeks - moving the tea without damaging it has been taxing my mind!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Wisdom]

I've asked a few times, but haven't heard of anyone using any type of vacuum sealer to store tea. My tea tends to go bad rather quickly and was wondering if anyone has an "airtight" solution.

Is it even the exposure to Oxygen that causes the tea to foul or is it more of a humidity issue?
-\Visdom

[David in Boston]

For tea a "BALL MASON JAR" works fine. Just keep the tea away from heat and sunlight.

David

[_JP_]

Who needs boxes? Just pile it up! :chinese:

Hobbes

Are each of those stacks a single type of tea, or are they mixed? I would think that when mixed the flavors might mingle.

[Ltltony]

I use these:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=411

The ones you are looking at look really nice. Where do you find them?

The pic is from here.

I do like specialtybottle.com I may look into those as well. How many oz of tea do those usually hold?

[Hobbesoxon]

Are each of those stacks a single type of tea, or are they mixed? I would think that when mixed the flavors might mingle.

They're usually mixed up shengpu. You'd be right to keep the shupu separate, but shengpu is fine. :chinese:


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[R-James]

I just stack my beengs and tuocha in original wrapping, for loose teas I have some small ceramic jars. Works for me

[TacoBell]

I have been warned against completely air-tight such as zip-lock bags. But I benefit from being in an arid environment.

I am also reluctant to store tea or coffee in a freezer. I have found food absorbs the odors more in freezers.

[_JP_]

Well now, that is interesting. If vacuum sealing is bad, then what about the teas sold in those foil packets? Is it a matter of the type of tea being stored?

[ouch]

But I benefit from being in an arid environment.


When it comes to pu'er, that's not a benefit.

[TacoBell]

When it comes to pu'er, that's not a benefit.

Hmmm...so the 'oxidation' is benifited by humidity?

[ouch]

Hmmm...so the 'oxidation' is benifited by humidity?

"Dry storage" is considered in the range of 60-65%.

[thirdeye]

So from what I gathered here thus far, 60 to 65% humidity, cool, dark an not air tight is the way to store tea..Correct?

[Proinsias]

Depends on the tea.

Fresh greenish stuff wants to be kept air tight, away from light and at a low temp to preserve it - one of the guys on Teachat has a tea fridge for unopened greens. Unless you've got a vacuum sealer you don't want to refrigerate the tea once opened, moisture condenses and the tea doesn't like that. Even if you refrigerated you should wait till it hits room temperature again before opening it.

Different processing requires different storage as does differing palates. A good few years in and my tea storage is still a haphazard experiment.

Do you want to keep the tea as close as possible to what it was when it arrived or do you want to experiment with the effects of time and environment is the question.

I think no matter what the tea avoidance of light is a good thing.

I'm personally hoping the faint scent of guinea pig and cat will lend itself nicely to pu-erh.

[R-James]

There is someone on Teachat who as made a puer-dor, a humidor designed to store their tea...

[merkurguy]

I use bodum glass containers. The top has a seal and the glass is better than plastic for the environment and people.Here is what I use and they work great for me. I have looseleaf green tea mostly.

http://www.bodumusa.com/shop/group_lines.asp?MD=2&GID=12&CHK=&SLT=&mscssid=3DJJP819PHMD9NEBQ0GTL6D25TNK1LN5

[Hobbesoxon]

I've asked a few times, but haven't heard of anyone using any type of vacuum sealer to store tea. My tea tends to go bad rather quickly and was wondering if anyone has an "airtight" solution.

Is it even the exposure to Oxygen that causes the tea to foul or is it more of a humidity issue?
-\Visdom

We use airtight plastic containers for red tea, green tea and wulong - the "click down" small lunchbox things. We don't keep these for very long, and so such storage is ideal. Pretty much any air-tight container will do the trick for these, including the "tea caddies" that seem to sell for quite high prices.

For multi-year storage (perhaps you re-roast your own wulong), don't use plastic - some sort of heavy ceramic with a gentle internal seal is decent.

Storaing pu'er maocha isn't easy - I have several old maocha which have really lost their oomph due to airy storage.

For shengpu, the classic suggestion is somewhere that the air gets changed fairly regularly (perhaps a quiet sideroom in your house), but away from odours, excessive dampness (especially rising damp), and direct breezes.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

[Lynchmeister]

So from what I gathered here thus far, 60 to 65% humidity, cool, dark an not air tight is the way to store tea..Correct?

In other words, you should set up another humidor with some Heartfelt beads. :biggrin:

[TacoBell]

There is someone on Teachat who as made a puer-dor, a humidor designed to store their tea...

A tea humidor. I like that. Imagining something made out of teak with intricate carved figures....:blush:

[Wisdom]

We use airtight plastic containers for red tea, green tea and wulong - the "click down" small lunchbox things. We don't keep these for very long, and so such storage is ideal. Pretty much any air-tight container will do the trick for these, including the "tea caddies" that seem to sell for quite high prices.

For multi-year storage (perhaps you re-roast your own wulong), don't use plastic - some sort of heavy ceramic with a gentle internal seal is decent.

Storaing pu'er maocha isn't easy - I have several old maocha which have really lost their oomph due to airy storage.

For shengpu, the classic suggestion is somewhere that the air gets changed fairly regularly (perhaps a quiet sideroom in your house), but away from odours, excessive dampness (especially rising damp), and direct breezes.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Hello, Hobbes!

Just happened upon your post after neglecting this thread for some time.. thank you for the informative response!

-\Visdom

[Doc4]

I get some bamboo tea containers from my local chinese store. They're basically just a section of bamboo stalk, hollowed out a bit, and the bottom is the actual natural section closure that occurs in bamboo.

[Ltltony]

I get some bamboo tea containers from my local chinese store. They're basically just a section of bamboo stalk, hollowed out a bit, and the bottom is the actual natural section closure that occurs in bamboo.

I'm going to keep my eye's peeled for those. They sound very interesting.

[jtoddaz]

When you order from Adagio online, you get them in an airtight tin that I have found as great storage.....and their free.