Many tea enthusiasts know that green tea is best consumed fresh, and Pu'er can be stored for a long time, but is fully fermented black tea worth collecting and storing long-term?

Black tea has a shelf life and is not worth collecting.

1. Black tea is fully fermented and does not undergo further fermentation or transformation over time.

2. Regardless of how well you store it, to enjoy the mellow taste of black tea, it must be consumed within its shelf life. Expired black tea: loses its aroma and may develop a musty or stale flavor; the tea soup becomes dull, with reduced astringency and freshness.

What is the shelf life of black tea?

Generally, the shelf life of black tea is not long, usually about one year. Black tea from the second harvest and autumn harvest has a shelf life of 1-2 years, while Ceylon black tea has a longer shelf life of about 2 years.

The shelf life varies with different packaging. It is generally accepted that loose black tea has a shelf life of 18 months, sealed bagged black tea has a shelf life of 24 months, and canned black tea also has a shelf life of 24 months.

Storing black tea: Keep away from light, sealed, at room temperature, and moisture-proof.

Black tea contains a large amount of amino acids, sugars, polyphenols, vitamins, aromatic substances, and other nutrients. However, the storage of tea is affected by many factors, such as sunlight, temperature, moisture, air, etc...

1. Direct sunlight will destroy the vitamin C in tea and change the color and taste of the tea, so tea must be stored in opaque containers.

2. An increase in temperature accelerates chemical reactions, promoting the decomposition of the active ingredients in tea and reducing its nutritional value. Therefore, tea should be stored at low temperatures.

3. The presence of moisture is a necessary condition for the decomposition of many organic compounds and for bacterial activity. Therefore, if the tea has too much moisture, it not only loses nutrients but is also prone to mold and spoilage. Thus, tea must be stored dry.

4. If tea is directly exposed to air, it can be oxidized by oxygen in the air, losing its original flavor. Therefore, tea containers must be sealed.

Common methods for storing black tea

Bag storage method:

Using plastic bags to store tea is one of the simplest and most economical methods for home storage. When choosing plastic bags for home tea storage, the following points should be considered: First, the bags must be food-grade; second, choose high-density plastic bags, i.e., low-pressure materials are better than high-pressure ones; third, the plastic bags should be strong and thick; fourth, the plastic bags themselves should have no holes or odors.

Can storage method:

This is currently the most popular and commonly used method for home tea storage. Simply put the purchased black tea into a clean ceramic can. If it is a new ceramic can or one that has stored other foods, you can first put a small amount of tea leaves inside, cover it, and store it for a few days to absorb any odors; alternatively, washing the ceramic can with tea leaves can also remove odors.