Tea Storage

Except for Pu Erh tea (a specialty of Yunnan province which is purposely aged), all teas have a finite shelf life. As a general rule, more oxidized (i.e. darker) teas keep longer than greener varieties. Once green tea is opened, it is best consumed on a daily basis (or at least somewhat regularly) until it is gone, since trying to ration it out over a prolonged period inevitably results in the leaves losing their fresh aroma and flavor.

Oolong tea lasts slightly longer–two to four months if stored, while black tea can remain in good condition for a year or more. Even green tea can retain its freshness for up to a year if vacuum-packed and stored unopened in a cool, dry place, until ready to drink.

Most teas are best consumed when it is fresh. It is not something you want to save for a long time. The best advice is to finish a tea product sooner rather than later. Keeping tea too long simply turns good tea into average tea. Proper storage will definitely help keep the teas fresh for as long as possible.

Tea has many enemies, the most significant of which are: light, air, moisture, odors, and, time. To guard against these negative influences, tea should always be kept sealed in a clean, odor-free, airtight container, and opened as little as possible to minimize the leaves’ exposure to air. The container itself should be as small as possible to keep the amount of air in contact with the leaves to a minimum and should be kept away from light, heat and strong odors. (The flavor of tea is easily influenced by the smell of anything in its vicinity... this is desirable with Jasmine flowers, but quite the opposite in the case of fish or curry powder.)

If possible, the original packaging in which the tea is purchased should be retained and used to keep it wrapped as tightly as possible.