Those who are habitual drinkers often find themselves drinking loose leaf tea because of the incredible flavors created by terroir. One of the factors that greatly influence the production and taste of tea leaves is the weather. In tropical areas, tea leaves are usually of large size and come with bigger harvests. However, in dry seasons, tea leaves are of strong flavors occurring in smaller harvests. Same goes with the wine as the rainy season can greatly influence the production of plump grapes.
There is a tea for every mood and gathering since there are many flavors of tea available. You can not only choose your desired flavor, but you can also opt for a certain level of caffeine you would like to enjoy. There is only one problem with being a crazy drinker of tea. You cannot get the most of its taste if you do not store it properly.
To avoid your tea reserves from going stale, you need to make sure it is properly stored. To enjoy a good cup of tea, you need to make sure you are storing the tea in a proper way. Here are some of the ways to store tea:
How to Store Tea Properly
1) Store Tea in Room Temperature
The best way to store tea is to keep it in room temperature which ranges from 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C) in normal conditions. It is a comfortable range of temperature and is suitable for many products.
You should never store tea in the refrigerator as it can damage you the flavor and aroma through moisture. The fact is that your fridge has a relatively high humidity, and it does not help in keeping your tea safe for a long time.
But if you get your hands on tightly sealed canisters of Japanese green teas, then you must store them in the fridge as they can go bad in room temperature. Also, make sure to use that tea soon after they are opened.
2) Store Tea in a Dry Environment
Most of the people know that any interaction with moisture can change drastically so refrigerating your tea reserves is not the best solution. You should rather go for a dry storing environment.
Never store tea around areas in your kitchen that can be usually moist and can damage the aroma of your tea. For example:
● Near the stove where pots boil and the steam causes moisture
● Near the sink, where dishwater splashes and can affect tea container
● Near the dishwasher, which vents moisture during its washing cycles
3) Store Tea in Odor-Free Environment
If you already do not know this, your tea can absorb the aroma of anything it is stored near to hence, you need to be careful about where are you storing your tea. Keep your tea away from things with strong aroma such as spices and herbs.
The question arises here is where exactly you can store then? The answer is cupboards or bookshelves in living rooms and clean linen closets if they are not any close to bathrooms.
Needless to mention but you need to make sure your tea is not stored anywhere close to places such as toilets, refrigerators, trash cans, spice cabinets, etc.
4) Store Tea Away from Light
We all have learned in primary grades that light is a form of energy and it surely affects the taste of your tea. If anything matters the most here is ultra-violet rays that can generate heat and cause chemical changes which will affect your tea.
You need to keep your tea storage containers away from strong indoor lightings and direct sunlight. One thing that can turn your tea into yellowish brown and can affect its aroma is high-grade green light.
5) Store Tea in Air-Tight Canister
As it goes with everything else, the same rule of storing your edibles and food in air-tight canister also applies on tea reserves. Just like many people, if you are fond of tea bags, you can store them in a plastic container or bin to retain their taste and aroma for a long time.
If you are a fan of loose tea then you need to be extra careful about it as it needs to be stored in an airtight container made of stainless steel or ceramic. Experts do not recommend storing in glass jars unless you store them in a dark cupboard or drawer.
These precautions and expert advice are only to ensure your tea is stored safely for a longer period of time and retains its original aroma and taste. If you adopt these methods and precautions, then you can keep enjoying the best cups of tea longer.
How to Organize Tea
1) By Variety
Although it is a fact that all types of tea leaves come from the same plant called the Camellia sinensis. But, there are hundreds of kinds of teas which have their own variety of taste and aroma and are used around the world for their specific tastes. However, the most favorite categories used today among the tea lovers around the world are green, white, oolong, black, and fermented.
You can always pick a few main categories from leaves, flowers and herbs to choose from and then you can make an organization on your own.
White teas are the minimum prepared all things considered, with flavors that are near the core of the tea plant. The detour of oxidation enables green tea to hold the vast majority of its normal dim green color, tannins, nutrient C, chlorophyll and minerals. Oolong teas are semi-oxidized which gives them the body and multifaceted nature of a dark tea along with the splendor and freshness of a green tea. Needless to say, black tea owns the strongest flavor.
2) By Time of Day and Effect
There are many ways to arrange your tea reserves and one way is to do that by caffeine and preferred drinking time. There can be one class with solid caffeine for the additional wake-up required if you are a fan of strong caffeine. You can also classify green assortments to help traverse the 3 p.m. droop with simply the appropriate measure of caffeine without keeping you up during the evening. The last one is for the whites, herbals, and lethargic time tisanes to help unwind toward the day’s end.
Although there are many reasons people love drinking green tea but the fact that polyphenol in green tea helps combat anxiety and stress. But note that green tea contains lots of caffeine compared to other varieties, it keeps you awake and calm enough without making you feel sleepy. Or you can try Peppermint Tea or Chamomile Tea, both of them also have great benefits in reducing pressure and relaxing the muscles, and they are caffeine-free.
3) By Scent or Flavor
Orchestrating your collection along these lines isn’t useful for touchy consumers, yet additionally on the off chance that you have a tendency to float towards buying a wide range of enhanced assortments.
Orchestrate them in comparative fragrance gatherings, and you’ll have the capacity to discover whatever you’re wanting effortlessly. Strong tea must be kept isolated as it tends to affect the flavor of every other tea.
4) By Date
Many people do not know this but the date mentioned on the packing always comes with a best before date. Even when the date has passed, you can consume the tea but it must have lost its taste and aroma and you won’t enjoy your cup of tea. The reason is natural oils and flavors in the tea evaporate over time and result in tea losing its charm and taste.If you are a tea lover, you need to make sure you store your tea the right way to retain its taste and aroma. Many of the tea lovers encounter problems with keeping leaves fresh and flavorful. Tell us about your problems, your favorite varieties of the tea and your methods of storing tea in the comments!
