Storing and Ageing

It is vital to keep your tea leaves dry and away from humidity as it will deteriorate and the taste will change. Good quality tea is harvested only once a year and as each year is slightly different it is important to preserve the tea and keep it as close to its original state as possible.

As tea leaves are so dry they will easily absorb water and odoursf rom the air. Tea should not be kept next to anything with pungent aromas such as chilli, pepper or curry powder. Glass, plastic or paper containers are not suitable and any container used should be air-tight.The best is an air-tight foil container – actually the best is the ziplocked bags that you receive JING teas in.

If you have a large quantity of tea it is best to keep a smallera irtight bag or container for everyday use and decant from the largerof the two when necessary. Strictly speaking, when transferring the tea leaves from larger to smaller containers use a scoop or a spoon as the tea will absorb moisture from your hand.

Allow enough storage room for your tea as squashing the leaves willc rush the tea and turn them to dust. Tea is also affected by heat andl ight (another reason glass containers or selophane windows on some teapackets are no good).

And finally, never store two types of tea in the same container.