First, set aside a clean, Odor-free, dark, and relatively dry area in your home, such as a Tea room or study. Organize the tea cakes you wish to store, then wrap them in their outer cotton layer. Next, prepare a clean, odor-free cardboard box and place the same batch and type of Pu'er tea inside, storing them off the ground and away from walls.

How to Properly Store Pu'er Tea at Home

1. Avoid Direct Sunlight Exposure

Light can promote the oxidation of tea pigments, causing the tea to change color and some components within it to undergo chemical reactions, leading to off-flavors.

2. Prevent Moisture Damage

In high-humidity and high-temperature areas like Fujian and Guangdong, take extra care to prevent moisture damage. Moisture can cause mold and spoilage, making the tea unsafe to drink. During the rainy season, seal the tea in self-seal bags or plastic bags for storage.

For smaller quantities of tea stored at home, Ceramic jars or clay pots are ideal. You can remove the wrapping paper from the tea cakes or break them into smaller pieces and store them in these containers.

3. Avoid Strong Odors in the Storage Environment

Pu'er tea is highly absorbent of odors, so ensure the storage environment is completely odor-free. If you don't have a suitable container, a cardboard box can also be used for storing tea.

Place the tea in a self-seal bag inside a dry, odor-free cardboard box. Keep whole bundles unopened in their bamboo shells. For individual tea cakes, use a self-seal bag. Place the box in a dark and dry location to avoid direct sunlight and moisture.

When using self-seal bags for storage, replace the bags every six months. Additionally, store raw and ripe teas separately in different containers to avoid cross-contamination of flavors.

Tea intended for consumption in the near future should be stored in sealed aluminum bags. When breaking open the tea, do so only when you need to take some out, and return any unused portion to the sealed bag. Storing single tea cakes in sealed aluminum bags made of kraft paper helps protect against light, moisture, and unwanted odors, preserving the original aroma and flavor during the period of consumption. In addition to aluminum bags, non-permeable glazed porcelain jars, tightly sealed tin cans, and purple clay pots can be used as long as they maintain a good seal to prevent excessive oxidation.

Some people prefer to break up the tea and store it in a clay pot, but this can lead to excessive oxidation and diminish the flavor of the tea. Short-term airing is acceptable. For older teas with off-flavors, new raw teas with pronounced astringency, or teas that have developed an acidic taste, storing them in a clay pot can help resolve these issues.

When tea is exposed to oxygen in a clay pot, it can neutralize the compounds responsible for off-flavors, astringency, and acidity. However, if left too long, it can result in a loss of body and significant degradation of active compounds. Therefore, it's not recommended to store Pu'er tea in a clay pot for extended periods.

For long-term storage, wrap the Pu'er tea in kraft paper bags or finished bamboo shells and seal them in a cardboard box. Store them in a tea room or a cool, well-ventilated, and dry area, keeping them off the ground and away from walls.