Estimated Reading Time: 45 seconds ( + 2 minute 26 second video )
How to make your loose tea stay fresher longer is the subject of this short video. Canisters are offered by many tea companies; but unless they have a valve and a way to remove the air, air is trapped inside the canister – and air is one of your tea’s biggest enemies.
The enemies of tea are:
- Air
- Light
- Heat
- Moisture
- Odors
You should protect your tea from all of its enemies, and we believe zip-lock bags to squeeze out the air after you remove tea each time is the best way to keep tea fresh longer.
We also recommend that you drink tea within six months of purchase, and never keep tea longer than 2 years for best taste and quality.
We package our teas in a commercial kitchen where the air is squeezed out and the packages heat sealed. Store tea in its own area and at a cool room temperature.
Zip lock bags are great in relation to the multi-layer food storage bags most typically used, but the Ziplock brand clear plastic versions are relatively porous, as plastic types go. One might think that a freezer version is thicker and better, in relation to a very thin sandwich bag, but really that kind of plastic just isn’t ideal for stopping all air contact (per my understanding and experience, but I’m not exactly a packaging expert). For pu’er it’s great, because a bit of air contact is fine, but depending on the bag properties and tea character in some cases it may not work well. I think even thin well-sealed mylar is fine, with a rubber band closing a twist-closed bag a decent but less than ideal solution.