After we talk about a tea deteriorating, we’re largely talking about oxidation. Teas that are prevented from oxidizing all through manufacturing and teas that are not carefully oxidized all through processing will proceed to oxidize over time. Because of these teas are generally prized for his or her vitality and lack of oxidation, this ongoing oxidation is taken into consideration a harmful kind of degradation. That’s the case for inexperienced teas, yellow teas and some white teas.
For teas that are allowed to oxidize all through manufacturing, significantly these that are purposely carefully oxidized, there’s lots a lot much less potential for oxidation to proceed. If it does, extra oxidation of these teas is way more durable to notice inside the cup. That’s the case for black teas and carefully oxidized wulongs.
What about aged teas? Isn’t {{that a}} explicit case for tea storage? Briefly, positive. The target of rising older a tea is to allow the tea to change over time to have the ability to enhance its palatability. The way in which during which whereby these teas are aged will depend upon how we retailer them; rising older tea is synonymous with storing tea.
Hermetic Seal Storage
When teas are saved in an airtight vessel, the ambient oxygen left inside the container permits the tea to slowly oxidize over time. Wulong teas are generally sealed in a container with an airtight seal, they usually’re often left to age for just a few years.
Non-Hermetic Seal Rising older
Puer (and completely different fermented teas) are often not generally shielded from moisture. Instead, a managed stage of moisture is employed to have an effect on the rising older all through storage. On this case, over time, the tea leaves bear a mix of fermentation and oxidation. Truly, the raw leaves that flip into Puer are generally mounted at a lower temperature so that the oxidative enzymes contained in the leaves are often not completely denatured. This system of fixing permits for added oxidation at a later stage.
So if we’re not actively making an attempt to age our tea and we merely want to guard the current nature of it, what ought to we do? There are six authorized pointers of tea storage that will assist you:
1. Tea needs to be saved free from oxygen
Tea leaves proceed to oxidize over time with publicity to oxygen. Even when saved in an airtight vessel, some air stays in between the leaves and on the excessive of the vessel; airtight would not indicate air-free.
Some teas come prepackaged in vacuum sealed baggage; it is typical for ball-style wulongs to be packaged on this methodology. Vacuum sealing is an efficient strategy to ensure that the tea leaves are safe for a really very long time. Nonetheless, this system can solely be used for sturdy leaves. Vacuum sealing a fragile leaf will crush it! Due to this ball-style wulongs are a perfect candidate for vacuum sealing.
For teas that are additional delicate, the packages may be flushed with nitrogen whereas they’re sealed. This fashion, the leaves are often not uncovered to oxygen and do not degrade over time.
One other alternative is to utilize oxygen-absorbing packets that usually embrace iron and salt. When positioned in an airtight vessel, the remaining oxygen oxidizes the iron, creating rust. As quickly as the whole iron has oxidized, the oxygen absorbing packet can not soak up oxygen. These packets are literally solely good for future storage; opening and shutting the container will preserve letting oxygen in, rendering the packet ineffective after a short time.
2. Tea needs to be saved free from heat
Low-level heat quickens oxidation, whereas extreme ranges of heat forestall oxidation. Some delicate inexperienced and yellow teas are best if saved inside the freezer or fridge; the chilly temperatures dramatically decelerate oxidation reactions. Nonetheless, this needs to be accomplished accurately to avoid condensation on the leaves.
It is advisable to re-package the tea into small packets so that your present common will maintain fresher for longer. Each packet have to be used inside each week after opening. Sooner than you place the packages inside the freezer, squeeze as lots air out as attainable; any remaining air will condense and set off moisture to develop on the leaf flooring. An necessary issue to remember when using chilly storage for teas is that in case you take away a packet from the freezer or fridge, do not open it until it has reached room temperature. This will forestall any condensation from occurring as a result of the leaves come as a lot as room temperature.
3. Tea needs to be kept away from delicate
Quite a lot of what’s written on the outcomes that delicate has on dry tea leaves depends on anecdotal proof; this matter hasn’t been studied in depth. We do know that light-induced hurt gives tea a metallic style. Nigel Melican believes that “light-induced changes in dry teas can occur by way of photodegradation” which is a blanket time interval for any light-induced response that degrades the usual of tea. Nigel suspects a mix of theaflavin polymerization, chlorophyll conversion to pheophytins and photo-oxidative changes to theaflavins and residual catechins are at play proper right here. Whereas tea aficionados are nonetheless figuring out exactly what chemical changes are occurring inside the leaves, it’s intelligent to take care of your tea free from delicate.
4. Tea needs to be kept away from sturdy odors
Tea leaves will take within the scents of their atmosphere. That’s useful inside the manufacturing of scented teas, akin to jasmine; the leaves are saved in shut proximity to jasmine blossoms, resulting in a jasmine scented tea. Nonetheless, this related top quality of tea could also be detrimental should your tea leaves can be found involved with unpleasant odors. This not solely signifies that it’s essential to retailer your tea storage vessels in a spot free from sturdy smells, it moreover signifies that regardless of you are storing your tea in shouldn’t have a sturdy odor itself. Positive picket containers, airtight tins with strong-smelling rubber seals, and plastic containers can all go away your tea with a disagreeable aroma and magnificence.
5. Tea needs to be kept away from moisture
It’s no secret that tea leaves launch their style when uncovered to moisture. As a result of this, you truly don’t want your tea to “steep” until you steep it for consuming. Preserving your tea storage free of moisture isn’t as simple as conserving the leaves away from seen liquids. Tea is hygroscopic, which implies that it is going to absorb moisture from the air. An airtight storage container is the one resolution to dam out moisture.
6. Tea is best when saved in bulk
That’s principally a mix of the first and fourth pointers above, nevertheless it is worth mentioning. A near empty airtight vessel with a tiny little little bit of tea inside the bottom will deteriorate prior to an airtight vessel totally filled with tea. To take care of your tea the freshest, fill your storage vessel as lots as attainable, shake it to let the tea settle, after which fill it some additional. The additional tea you can preserve in an enclosed home, the a lot much less oxygen there may be in that home. A lot much less air will make it more durable for the tea to take in the smells of its atmosphere. This concept is of utmost significance when rising older Puer and completely different fermented teas; you want a closet that smells like tea, not a few teas that odor like your closet.
Teas that are a lot much less oxidized (greens, yellows and whites) degrade additional shortly than teas that are additional oxidized (wulongs and blacks).
The additional broken the leaves are, the higher the ground area in contact with air. Further broken leaves will deteriorate sooner.
When taking tea from its genuine package deal deal and putting it into your particular person container, always label it clearly with the type of tea, kind of tea, the place you obtain it and when. I can’t rely what variety of events I’ve discovered a random tin of “miscellaneous tea” spherical the house. That’s moreover helpful for going once more by way of your assortment and seeing how your tastes change over time.
For many who buy tea in bulk for personal consumption, ponder repackaging it into small portions which may be unsealed as you go. Many tea retailers promote their tea in foil-lined zip seal baggage; these can are available helpful because of they’re obtainable in a number of sizes and are simple to label.