Yixing Teapot

Chinese Yixing Zisha Pottery Dragon Teapot
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US $39.99

Small One cup Teapot Leather Briefcase Umbrella Chinese Yixing Pottery Clay
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US $4.50

Wonderful Antique Chinese YIXING Pottery Teapot
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US $.14

Yixing Chinese Teapot 12 oz
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US $50.00

Wonderful Chinese Antique YIXING Pottery Swan Teapot
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US $1.55

SIGNED Chinese YIXING Traditional TEA POT Happy Man sitting on a large Radish
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Letting Tea Last Longer

It is often asked how long tea can be stored while retaining its delicious flavor. If properly cared for, as a rule of thumb, black teas will stay good for about two years, and green and white teas for around one year. Especially fragile teas, though, will only keep for a few months.

However, like all natural products, the proper storage of tea can prevent the loss of its flavor and freshness. The main enemies of tea are heat, light, moisture, and exposure to air. Some teas will bear recommendations for their storage; the proprietor of your local tea shop is also a good source of information. However, there are some rules of thumb for proper care and storage of your favorite teas.

The ultraviolet rays present in all forms of light will cause tea to degrade quite quickly, greatly affecting its appearance, and more importantly, flavor. Therefore tea should be kept in a dark place, in a dark container of some kind, or both. Clear containers of glass shelved in your cabinets will work just fine, and opaque metal canisters are even better. Even though tea is wonderful to behold, avoid showing off your favorite teas in clear containers in direct light if you can help it.

Exposure to air causes tea to oxidize and can shorten their shelf life. Even if the tea is already oxidized, as black teas are, constant contact with oxygen causes the tea to degrade. Green tea, especially, because it isn’t oxidized, will degenerate in short order. Store tea in airtight containers made of glass or metal. Plastic bags are too unstable for long-term storage, and more permanent plastic containers retain odors from their previous contents.

It is extremely important for tea to avoid excessive heat. Exposure to heat above around 80-85o makes the tea sweat oils that are crucial to its taste and preservation, and can even cause the formation of mold, ruining the tea entirely. Store tea in a cool place away from your stove and out of direct sunlight.

The worst enemy of tea is perhaps moisture. Indeed, those residing in humid areas often find that storing tea for any length of time is extremely difficult. There are packets of water-absorbing compounds (called dessicants) usually sold in packages to regulate the moisture level of tea (among other things), but these are not recommended as some contain chemicals or even natural substances that are harmful when consumed. It is advisable to keep tea in an airtight container opened just long enough to remove whatever tea will be used immediately. Alternately, keep a large container for bulk tea storage and another, smaller one for daily or weekly use, sparing the greatest quantity of tea the constant exposure to air and humidity.

Given the above, the refrigerator or freezer might seem like an ideal place to store tea, but this is not true. Although your fridge is dark and cool, it is also moist, and will cause the tea to spoil very quickly. Freezing the tea is fine initially, but when it is thawed water condenses on it ruining it utterly. Tea stored in refrigerators can also allow other environmental odors to permeate it, leaving unwelcome flavors or even mold.

The best containers for storing tea are made of glass, ceramic, tin, or other metals and have airtight lids. Tins, especially, have a long history of both commercial and home use, and can be rinsed and wiped clean and re-used without fear of lingering flavors, and therefore are great for green and white teas. Your local tea store also very likely carries several suitable container choices. A quaint, anachronistic way to store tea is in an old-fashioned tea chest. Such chests were lacquered or varnished, making them airtight, dark, and dry.

The perfect tea container is a tin or mason jar with an airtight lid. If you have a favorite tin but you’re unsure whether it’s airtight, fill it with water and turn it upside down several times. It will quickly become clear whether it is well sealed. Tea sold in tea bags has already been crushed and dried during their processing and packaging, and thus has a shorter shelf life than bulk teas (even if individually wrapped). Bulk teas, if properly cared for, will keep longer and taste better.

If you are unsure whether your tea is still fresh and tasty, there are simple ways to find out. Faded or bland flavors are of course telltale signs. If the tea has an unpleasant musty or moldy smell, you should probably discard it, and moist tea leaves are already past salvaging. Familiarity with your favorite teas will also come to let you know what condition they’re in; stale or ruined green tea is yellowish in color and has a hay-like or vegetal aroma.

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