When storing Tea, pay attention to sealing, avoiding light, temperature, humidity, and preventing odors. For most teas (excluding Pu'er and dark teas), they should be sealed and stored in clean containers such as tin cans, Ceramic cans, or purple clay pots. Then, store them at room temperature or refrigerated based on the type of tea. The storage area should be clean and free from any odors.

What Should Be Considered When Storing Tea?

1. Avoid high temperatures. Under high temperatures, tea can easily turn brown. As the temperature rises, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, and aromatic substances in the tea may decompose and degrade to varying degrees, reducing quality, aroma, and taste. Different types of tea have different temperature requirements, so it's best to consult with the seller when purchasing tea.

2. Avoid moisture. Tea is a porous, hygroscopic plant material. In humid conditions, tea can easily absorb moisture from the air, leading to mold and spoilage. Therefore, tea must be stored under dry conditions.

3. Avoid sunlight. Under strong sunlight, chlorophyll and alcohol compounds in tea can oxidize and decompose, affecting the quality of the tea and potentially rendering it unsuitable for consumption.

4. Avoid odors. All types of tea should not be stored together with items that have strong odors. The unique properties of tea make it very susceptible to absorbing surrounding odors. If stored with products that have a strong smell, the tea will absorb these odors and lose its original fragrance.

6 Mistakes in Storing Pu'er Tea

One: Storing Pu'er Tea in Glass Jars

All tea storage requires protection from light and airtight conditions. Glass jars do not meet the standards and requirements for storing Pu'er tea.

Not protected from light: The transparent material allows direct exposure to sunlight during storage, causing oxidation due to light, which damages the color, aroma, and taste of Pu'er tea, compromising its quality.

Not airtight: This is a common issue with glass jars, making it difficult to achieve an airtight seal. Over time, the seals around the lids can age, allowing moisture and odors from the air to penetrate, spoiling good tea.

Two: Frequent Opening of Storage Containers While Storing Pu'er Tea

Frequent opening of storage containers can disrupt the internal environment's stability, which is detrimental to storing and transforming Pu'er tea.

Repeated opening and closing of containers, or neglecting to seal them properly, can allow moisture and odors from the outside to enter the container. Over time, this can lead to significant changes in the tea's quality, causing it to spoil.

If you need to regularly check the condition of your Pu'er tea, choose a day with moderate temperature and humidity, which will have a smaller impact on the internal environment.

When storing Pu'er tea, distinguish between teas for long-term storage and those for short-term drinking. Separate the short-term Drinking Tea into smaller packages, so as not to interfere with the transformation of the long-term storage tea.

Three: Storing Pu'er Tea Directly in a Home Refrigerator

Home refrigerators are primarily used for storing various foods, not specifically for tea. Pu'er tea has a strong adsorption capacity and can absorb odors from food, leading to flavor contamination.

The low temperature inside the refrigerator can disrupt the small environmental stability, hindering the later transformation of Pu'er tea. High humidity and water vapor can cause Pu'er tea to become damp and moldy.

Four: Mixing Different Types of Pu'er Tea Together

Categorizing and separating storage is a detail often overlooked in tea storage. Although raw and ripe Pu'er teas both belong to the Pu'er category, their production processes differ, resulting in significant differences in tea character, aroma, and taste.

If raw and ripe Pu'er teas are mixed and stored in the same container, they will interfere with each other, losing their purest aromas and tastes, reducing their drinking value and affecting later transformations.

Of course, apart from not mixing raw and ripe teas, Pu'er teas with different aromas, flavors, storage conditions, and ages should also be categorized and separated for storage.

Five: Breaking Up Entire Pu'er Tea Cakes for Storage

Pressing Pu'er tea into cakes is done to concentrate its aroma and flavor, which is beneficial for later transformations. Breaking up the tea cake is done before brewing to promote oxidation, thereby awakening the tea's intrinsic qualities and allowing its aroma and flavor to be better expressed.

However, for long-term storage of Pu'er tea, it is not advisable to break it all up for storage. This can lead to excessive oxidation, which is not conducive to preserving aroma and flavor, impacting the quality of the Pu'er tea.

Six: Storing Pu'er Tea Cakes Unwrapped

After receiving Pu'er tea cakes, directly removing the outer packaging and leaving only the unwrapped cakes on shelves or in boxes without any protective measures is not recommended.

Even in dry weather, there is no guarantee that the air is completely free of moisture and odors. Storing unwrapped cakes can lead to good tea absorbing odors and becoming damp, spoiling the tea.

When storing tea, it is crucial to ensure proper sealing. Do not remove the inner wrapper from individual cakes, nor the bamboo shell from bundles. Place the tea in a storage bag and then another airtight bag before sealing it in a cardboard box. Only by layering these protective measures can you properly safeguard stored Pu'er tea.