During the hot summer days, it's easy to feel irritable. Many people buy Tea for brewing, which can help calm the mind. However, with such high temperatures, storing tea becomes a challenge. Here are some tips on how to store your tea!

How to Store Green Tea Best in Summer

As summer arrives and temperatures rise, spring green teas become particularly prone to accelerated oxidation.

Oxidized tea turns yellow, losing its aroma, and when brewed, it lacks flavor. Therefore, proper storage is crucial at this time.

The best method for home storage is to keep it in the refrigerator, well-sealed, and away from vegetables to avoid flavor contamination. Low temperatures slow down the oxidation process of green tea, allowing you to enjoy fresh tea consistently. (If you don't plan to drink it for a long time, you can also store it in the freezer.)

What about daily consumption?

You can take out a portion and store it in a tea jar, refilling as needed. This way, it's convenient and remains fresh!

Four Things to Avoid When Storing Green Tea During Hot Weather

While drinking green tea is beneficial, it is not easy to store during hot weather. Here are some points to keep in mind when storing it:

1. Avoid High Temperatures

High temperatures accelerate the degradation of chlorophyll in green tea, causing it to convert into de-magnesium chlorophyll, changing from a bright green to a dark brown color. The auto-oxidation of polyphenols also increases at higher temperatures. Research shows that for every 10°C increase in temperature, the rate of browning in green tea accelerates three to five times, making the tea more susceptible to aging and deterioration.

2. Avoid Light

The light in summer and autumn is stronger than in other seasons. Plant pigments and lipids in green tea can undergo photochemical reactions, producing many off-flavors, leading to a sun-dried or stale taste in the tea.

3. Avoid Off-Flavors

In summer and autumn, items tend to emit their own odors in high temperatures, making green tea more susceptible to absorbing off-flavors and spoiling. Tea leaves are porous and loose, easily absorbing odors. Chewing tea leaves can eliminate odors, demonstrating this principle. Therefore, green tea should not be stored alongside other items with strong odors during these seasons.

4. Avoid Oxygen

The polyphenols in green tea are potent antioxidants, making them highly susceptible to oxidation. Once oxidized, the brewed tea will turn a dark yellow and lose its characteristic green tea fragrance.

Therefore, when storing green tea in summer, it is best to seal the tea in containers and refrigerate it at low temperatures.