Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <storage-method><tea>
Title: What is the best way to store loose tea to maintain its freshness?
Question: This  is the tea I use. Like Coffee needs to be stored in freezer, are there any storage restrictions for loose tea leaves also?

Answers:
sents: text: Tea needs to be kept away from heat, light, air, and moisture.
text: The best way to store tea is at room temperature in an opaque, airtight container.
text: Your container should not be plastic, because odors from previous uses (even if its only been used solely for tea) could contaminate your current tea.
text: Do not store tea in the freezer or refrigerator.
text: Opening and closing of the door causes rapid humidity changes that cause moisture to seep into the container and degrade the flavor of the tea.
text: Some cheap tea containers can be found here: http://www.specialtybottle.com/teatincontainersmi.aspx
text: Personally, I would go for one with a twist or latching cover rather than a slip cover, just to ensure that it's airtight.
text: References http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOstoring.asp http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/tea-storage-for-loose-leaf-teas http://www.teavivre.com/info/proper-storage-of-tea/ http://verdanttea.com/how-to-store-tea/
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/11556/derivative
score: 13
sents: text: I use a tin that some posh tea came in.
text: The lid fits pretty tight.
text: But anything airtight should do; a decent tupperware box or even a jam jar or a sauce bottle.
text: I used to keep flour, sugar and everything in them when I was a student because the places I lived were always damp.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/24720/Bloke Down The Pub
score: 4
sents: text: In my opinion the best way is if you take the tea into a hermetically sealed box (that can be found in almost every supermarket), the tea won't lose their smell and taste in a long time.
text: But don't forget everything will go bad sooner or later.
text: The freezing isn't recommended, because the micro ice cristalls do harm the fibers of the foods, that's why the freezing makes more tastles the frozen foods (but
text: not very much).This is the reason why the meets can be frozen only once.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/24596/blackcornail
score: 2
sents: text: You must buy teas from some reputed shops .It should be placed in a very dry place with out any strong smells.
text: Green tea requires more preservation than other teas
text: If you keep it with vacuum sealer then it will be preserved for more days.
text: You can also see some different tea preservation process here:-
text: http://www.teanaga.com/learn-about-tea/how-to-store-different-kinds-of-tea/
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/24275/Guozhi Liu
score: 2
sents: text: Keep it sealed under low light.
text: If you can smell the tea, it's losing flavor.
text: For large quantities I use 1L widemouth jars with screw on plastic lids.
text: Plastic gives a tighter seal than metal for this sort of thing.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5455/Wayfaring Stranger
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Tea should be kept at room temperature in an opaque, airtight container, and should not be kept in the fridge or freezer. Plastic containers have a better seal, but may absorb some of the aromas and/or contaminate tea placed there.
Tea should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place away from strong smells. It should not, however, be placed in the fridge or freezer. Some people advise against using plastic containers while others recommend them. Green tea needs more careful attention than other teas.