Tea is a traditional drink of Chinese and a health food with multiple effects. But, you know what?The quality and taste of tea will change with time and environment, and if not stored correctly, tea will lose its original aroma and nutrients, or even deteriorate. So, how do you properly preserve your tea leaves?This article will introduce you to the methods and precautions for storing tea to keep your tea fresh and delicious.
The principle of tea storage is:Avoid light, moisture, gas and odor。This is because:
Protect from light: Chlorophyll, carotenoids and other pigments contained in tea will oxidize and decompose under light, resulting in a lighter color, weaker aroma, and lower nutrients in tea.
Protect from moisture: The moisture contained in the tea will affect the shelf life of the tea, too high moisture will make the tea moldy, and too low moisture will make the tea dry and inactive. Generally speaking, the moisture content of tea should be controlled between 5% and 8%, preferably no more than 10%.
Avoid gas: The volatile oil contained in the tea will escape in the air, resulting in a decrease in the aroma of the tea and a deterioration in the taste. At the same time, the oxygen in the air will also promote the oxidation of tea and affect the quality of tea.
Avoid odors: Tea has strong adsorption, will absorb the surrounding environment of odors, such as fumes, perfumes, chemicals, etc., so that the aroma of tea deteriorates, the taste varies.
According to the principle of tea storage, we can choose the following methods to preserve tea leaves:
Use a sealed tea pot or tea box: This is the most common and easiest way to effectively block light, air and odors and maintain the freshness of the tea. The material of the tea can or tea box should be not easy to rust and not easy to absorb odors, such as stainless steel, ceramics, glass, etc. The size of the tea pot or tea box should be suitable for the number of tea leaves, not too large or too small, so as not to cause a waste of air or moisture.
Use vacuum packaging: This is a more advanced method that completely isolates the tea from the outside world, preventing oxidation and deterioration of the tea leaves. Vacuum-packed tea leaves can be stored for a longer period of time, but once opened, they should be drunk as soon as possible, otherwise the tea leaves will quickly lose their aroma and activity.
Refrigerate: This is a suitable method for preserving high-grade tea, which can effectively delay the aging of tea and maintain the freshness and fragrance of tea. Refrigerated tea leaves should be packed in sealed tea cans or tea boxes first, and then placed in the drying area of the refrigerator to avoid mixing with other foods to avoid odors. The refrigerated tea should be placed at room temperature for a period of time before taking it out and using it to avoid moisture or condensation of the tea.
In addition to choosing the right method, the following points should be paid attention to when preserving tea leaves:
Different kinds of tea should be stored separately: Different kinds of tea have different aromas and characteristics, and if they are mixed and stored, they will affect each other, causing the deterioration or taste of the tea. For example, unfermented tea leaves such as green tea and white tea are more delicate and prone to moisture deterioration, so they should be stored separatelyFermented teas such as black tea and Pu'er tea are relatively resistant to storage, and can be appropriately placed in a ventilated and dry place to facilitate the aging of tea.
Do not store too much tea leaves: Tea is a perishable food and should not be stored too much to avoid waste or loss. Generally speaking, the best drinking period of tea is one year, and the quality and taste of tea leaves beyond one year will be greatly reduced, and there is even the possibility of spoilage. Therefore, we should purchase and store tea reasonably according to our drinking Xi habits and preferences to avoid expiration or excess.
Do not open or move the tea leaves frequently: Every time the tea leaves are opened or moved, the tea leaves will be exposed to the light, air and temperature of the outside world, affecting the preservation state of the tea leaves. Therefore, we should minimize the disturbance to the tea and keep the tea stable and quiet. If tea leaves need to be used, the required amount should be removed as soon as possible, and the tea leaves should be immediately sealed and put back in their original place.
The above is an introduction to the methods and precautions for tea storage, I hope it will help you. Tea is a precious natural resource and a beautiful enjoyment of life, we should cherish and care for it, so that it can bring us more health and happiness. If you have any questions or suggestions about this article, please leave a message below and we will reply to you as soon as possible. Thank you for reading and supporting!