In addition to coffee, tea is one of the most popular beverages in Germany and the world. Whether hot or cold, as black tea, green tea, loose or bagged, with flavors or natural: Tea offers an incomparably sensuous variety and diversity. It can have a stimulating as well as calming effect and invites you to collect your thoughts for a moment, calm down and relax like no other drink.
In the following article, we have put together a few important tips and notes for you for how to properly store tea to preserve and protect the diverse flavors in the best possible way. You will also learn how long and where different tea varieties can generally be stored, what containers are particularly suitable for them and what you should look out for with different tea varieties to be able to enjoy every cup completely relaxed.
Tea is a natural product that should be handled very gently so that the different aromas and taste are preserved for as long as possible. In general, it is therefore recommended to always brew tea fresh and store it properly – regardless of whether you prefer black or green tea, herbal or fruit tea.
Tea should generally always be stored cold in order to protect the flavors and valuable substances it contains. The tea should also be protected from light and as air-tight as possible when stored so that it does not lose its flavors or so that the flavors are not affected. In addition, you should make sure that the tea leaves cannot absorb any foreign odors, such as from spices or coffee. You can prevent this by storing the tea in a sealable tin or a glass with a tight-fitting (screw-on) lid.
Green tea does not store well for long. This is because its content of valuable plant substances decreases faster over time and the characteristic flavors suffer when stored for a long time. Particularly high-quality green tea and low oxidation oolong teas are therefore best stored in the refrigerator, namely in an aroma protection packaging, so that the tea does not absorb other odors.
Since these teas are only low oxidized, they respond more intensively than other teas to the effect of atmospheric oxygen, which is noticed in the changed taste and aromas the longer they are stored. High quality green tea should therefore not only be stored cold, but also always in a container that seals absolutely air-tight, such as in a decorative container with a rubber seal.
Tea is a natural product that should be handled very gently so that the different aromas and taste are preserved for as long as possible. In general, it is therefore recommended to always brew tea fresh and store it properly – regardless of whether you prefer black or green tea, herbal or fruit tea.
Tea should generally always be stored cold in order to protect the flavors and valuable substances it contains. The tea should also be protected from light and as air-tight as possible when stored so that it does not lose its flavors or so that the flavors are not affected. In addition, you should make sure that the tea leaves cannot absorb any foreign odors, such as from spices or coffee. You can prevent this by storing the tea in a sealable tin or a glass with a tight-fitting (screw-on) lid.
Green tea does not store well for long. This is because its content of valuable plant substances decreases faster over time and the characteristic flavors suffer when stored for a long time. Particularly high-quality green tea and low oxidation oolong teas are therefore best stored in the refrigerator, namely in an aroma protection packaging, so that the tea does not absorb other odors.
Since these teas are only low oxidized, they respond more intensively than other teas to the effect of atmospheric oxygen, which is noticed in the changed taste and aromas the longer they are stored. High quality green tea should therefore not only be stored cold, but also always in a container that seals absolutely air-tight, such as in a decorative container with a rubber seal.
Choose a location without direct sunlight and away from other sources of heat, such as the heater or electrical appliances. An optimal storage is at room temperature of about 19 °C.
Tee connoisseurs put their tea in an opaque storage tin with a lid. Containers made of wood, porcelain or metal are suitable, whereby you should know with the latter that they are stainless steel and food-safe metal tins. You can also use a special tea storage box for bagged tea where you can clearly arrange and present different varieties. If you store tea in a glass, you should store this in a storage drawer. This protects the tea it contains from harmful sunlight.
Black tea is comparatively modest when it comes to storage, because it was already fermented during production and therefore is much less sensitive to environmental influences. For these tea varieties, it is enough to store them in a closed container, either made of metal, ceramic, glass or wood. However, black tea should also be stored protected from light and dry so that its flavors do not suffer over time.
If you prefer a tea bag instead of loose leaf tea, it is recommended to buy small amounts more frequently instead of storing a large amount. A rule of thumb is: Do not buy more tea bags than you expect to drink in six months. This way you can always be sure you are brewing up fresh quality and enjoy a tea full of flavor.
Choose a location without direct sunlight and away from other sources of heat, such as the heater or electrical appliances. An optimal storage is at room temperature of about 19 °C.
Tee connoisseurs put their tea in an opaque storage tin with a lid. Containers made of wood, porcelain or metal are suitable, whereby you should know with the latter that they are stainless steel and food-safe metal tins. You can also use a special tea storage box for bagged tea where you can clearly arrange and present different varieties. If you store tea in a glass, you should store this in a storage drawer. This protects the tea it contains from harmful sunlight.
Black tea is comparatively modest when it comes to storage, because it was already fermented during production and therefore is much less sensitive to environmental influences. For these tea varieties, it is enough to store them in a closed container, either made of metal, ceramic, glass or wood. However, black tea should also be stored protected from light and dry so that its flavors do not suffer over time.
If you prefer a tea bag instead of loose leaf tea, it is recommended to buy small amounts more frequently instead of storing a large amount. A rule of thumb is: Do not buy more tea bags than you expect to drink in six months. This way you can always be sure you are brewing up fresh quality and enjoy a tea full of flavor.
The different tea varieties not only differ when it comes to taste, but also when it comes to their shelf lives. If the original packaging is not opened, you can usually store black tea for up to 3 years, and just as long if you store it properly after opening the packaging – in other words air-tight and protected from light at the appropriate temperature.
Pu’er tea and so-called white tea need to be able to breath and should therefore not be stored air-tight like other tea varieties. Fruit tea and flavored tea varieties, on the other hand, need to be stored in a sealed container if possible and nevertheless usually do not last longer than two years.
When it comes to fruit and herbal tea, they are strictly speaking not real tea (this is extracted from the leaves of the tea plant), but rather they are infusions. That is why these hot beverages also do not contain any stimulating caffeine, which also make herbal and fruit teas ideal thirst quenchers for children. Fruit teas also offer a wide range of different flavors, depending on which fruits and other ingredients they contain.
Herbal teas made from chamomile, peppermint or sage, for example, are traditionally drunk to combat symptoms of illness, since the essential oils they contain reduce fevers, work as an expectorant or have a calming effect, depending on the type of herb. However, there are also more herbal tea lovers who drink the infusions for pleasure, using herbs other than the well-known medicinal herbs.
Whether fruit tea or herbal tea: In any case, these varieties should be stored air-tight, dry and cool like “real” tea so that the flavors and health-promoting substances they contain are preserved for as long as possible.
Weevil moths are not only annoying, but they can multiply almost uncontrolled once they have taken up residence in the kitchen or the cupboard. Because humans provide the ideal conditions for them, especially because they are flexible when it comes to their diet. While weevil moths cannot feed on tea (no matter whether black, green or white), fruit tea – especially the varieties containing real pieces of fruit in fresh or dried form – are nutritious and attractive for moths. This is why you should use tight-sealing tins or glasses to store fruit tea and always only open them briefly in the kitchen. This makes it much harder for weevil moths to settle in and you can enjoy your delicious fruit tea blends for longer.
Weevil moths are not only annoying, but they can multiply almost uncontrolled once they have taken up residence in the kitchen or the cupboard. Because humans provide the ideal conditions for them, especially because they are flexible when it comes to their diet. While weevil moths cannot feed on tea (no matter whether black, green or white), fruit tea – especially the varieties containing real pieces of fruit in fresh or dried form – are nutritious and attractive for moths. This is why you should use tight-sealing tins or glasses to store fruit tea and always only open them briefly in the kitchen. This makes it much harder for weevil moths to settle in and you can enjoy your delicious fruit tea blends for longer.
