Nowadays, many Tea enthusiasts enjoy collecting Pu'er tea. But how should it be stored and preserved to ensure its flavor improves over time? As a post-Fermented tea, Pu'er contains rich substances that evolve with age. Many fans of Pu'er tea have substantial collections at home.

To achieve good transformation effects at home, the storage conditions must meet basic requirements such as cleanliness, coolness, dryness, ventilation, light avoidance, freedom from odors and pollution, prevention of excessive dampness, and suitable temperature.

Dry storage is the fundamental condition for keeping tea at home.

1. Dry storage prevents mold and allows for slower, more authentic transformation of the Pu'er tea.

2. Dry storage means keeping the tea in an environment with moderate humidity and temperature, allowing natural post-fermentation. Avoid storing the tea in poorly ventilated or excessively humid areas, which can accelerate aging artificially.

Clean and uncontaminated space

1. If you're in the south, try to store your Pu'er tea on the second or third floor. When storing individual cakes, do not place them directly on the ground. For full cases, use wooden racks or place boards on the floor, and avoid placing them directly against walls.

2. If you don't have a dedicated room for storing tea, choose a cabinet in the living room or a shaded, cool balcony.

Avoiding odors and extraneous scents

Tea is highly absorbent of smells. For example, if you leave dried tea in a room where someone smokes, it will quickly absorb the “second-hand smoke.”

Therefore, avoid smoking in the room where you store tea, and never keep tea in kitchen cabinets. Ensure the location does not contain items like perfumes, cosmetics, or air fresheners, which can be easily absorbed by the tea.

Avoiding light and maintaining coolness

Leaving tea exposed to direct sunlight can damage the polyphenols, amino acids, and other components within the tea, leading to off-flavors and weakened quality.

A cool environment protects the tea from direct sunlight and high temperatures, especially in the southern regions with high humidity. Long-term exposure to high temperatures can diminish the tea's vitality, hindering its transformation.

Dry and well-ventilated

Ventilation is crucial for storing Pu'er tea at home. A well-ventilated area ensures a steady flow of air, which is essential for the oxygen and moisture needed during the tea's transformation process. Therefore, the storage location for Pu'er tea should be both dry and well-ventilated.

The circulating air contains oxygen and moisture, particularly abundant amounts of oxygen, which supports the proliferation of microorganisms in Pu'er tea, promoting its beneficial transformation.