It is now the hottest time of the year, and most regions in the south have entered a hot and humid state. At this time, tea enthusiasts who have tea in their possession will face a severe challenge of storing tea during the summer.
As we all know, tea leaves are very susceptible to environmental influences, and the requirements for storing tea are extremely strict. Especially with Pu'er tea, if stored well, it can become more fragrant over time and have collection value; if not stored properly, the tea can spoil, losing its drinking value and causing significant economic losses for individuals or businesses.
Understanding the principles of tea transformation before storing tea is crucial for scientific storage.
Factors Affecting Tea Transformation or Spoilage
In fact, the transformation of tea leaves is directly related to temperature, humidity, oxygen, and light.
Generally, the higher the temperature, the greater the humidity, the more sufficient the oxygen, and the stronger the light, the faster the oxidation, hydrolysis, polymerization, and other chemical reactions of the substances within the tea leaves will occur, resulting in a quicker change in taste components.
Temperatures that are too high or too low are not conducive to the transformation of Pu'er tea. Keeping the temperature between 20-30°C allows the active enzyme substances in raw Pu'er tea to retain maximum activity, thus promoting good transformations of the internal substances.
Furthermore, if tea leaves are exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period, the lipids in the tea leaves will gradually hydrolyze under the influence of light, producing an unpleasant stale smell;
Secondly, when the moisture content of tea leaves is between 3-5%, they are relatively durable; when the moisture content exceeds 7%, storing them for a certain period of time will produce a stale smell, and the higher the moisture content, the stronger the stale smell will be; when the moisture content reaches 8.8%, the tea will spoil and develop a moldy odor; following this logic, the higher the moisture content, the more likely the tea is to breed mold, leading to a stronger moldy odor.
The moisture content of the tea should be controlled below 7%, and the relative humidity of the environment during storage should be between 10-45%.
Additionally, there are terpenoid substances in tea leaves that have the characteristic of absorbing odors, so they cannot come into contact with odors during storage, otherwise, the quality of the tea will decline, and it may even become undrinkable.
The principles of tea transformation and spoilage are already clear. Now let's look at how to appropriately store tea in the southern regions, which experience high temperatures and humidity.
How to Store Tea in Southern Regions?
The characteristics of the southern summer climate are mostly high temperature and humidity. Without adjustments, such conditions can easily cause the tea products to spoil.
In the humid environment of the south, the fermentation of Pu'er tea accelerates, and the color of the dry tea can easily change from yellow-green in the new tea stage to yellowish-brown; the aroma of the tea can decrease; the Infusion color gradually turns redder, and the stimulating qualities weaken. The tea soup becomes mellow within a short period, which isn't a major issue for short-term consumption. However, after long-term storage, the tea product can easily lose its tea flavor and even mold.
Therefore, the key to storing Pu'er tea in the south is to protect against dampness and high temperatures. If possible, it is best to control both temperature and humidity. Specific methods are as follows:
1. Sealed Storage to Prevent Tea from Becoming Damp
Before the rainy season arrives, close the windows and doors to prevent indoor humidity from exceeding 70%. If the tea absorbs too much moisture, combined with high temperatures, it can easily mold. At this point, you can use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to remove humidity.
If conditions do not allow, before the rainy season arrives, the tea can be sealed in a lightproof container (such as an aluminum foil bag, kraft self-sealing bag, etc.) to avoid contact between the tea and factors like oxygen, moisture, odors, and light in the air, preventing the tea from transforming or spoiling too quickly.
After the rainy season ends, the sealed tea can be placed out to breathe. It is important to keep it in a clean, ventilated, dry, light-free, pollution-free, and odorless environment.
On sunny days and when the air is dry during the rainy season, the windows and doors can be opened for ventilation for a period of time. Simultaneously, open the sealed packaging of the tea to allow it to breathe, avoiding suffocating the tea and developing a stuffy smell.
Here, tea enthusiasts might ask: “Why not use a purple clay jar or purple Pottery jar to store tea?”
This is because after most regions in the south enter the rainy season, the temperature is high, and the humidity is great, especially in coastal areas. Although purple clay jars and purple pottery jars have good breathability, they still cannot completely avoid environmental impacts, and their sealability cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, it is not recommended to place tea in these jars during the summer. You can wait until after the rainy season to put the tea in jars.
It is not recommended to use Iron cans or glass tea jars for storing tea because iron reacts extremely unstably when in contact with water molecules in the air, which is not conducive to tea storage; storing tea in glass jars allows exposure to light, which is also unfavorable for the tea.
2. The Room for Storing Tea Should Have a Constant Temperature
The temperature in the south during the summer fluctuates rapidly, which can easily affect the quality of the tea and damage its flavor. Moreover, Pu'er tea only transforms normally when stored at a constant temperature, so maintaining a stable room temperature is critical. Generally, if you have an air conditioner at home, you can use it to maintain a constant temperature.
3. Do Not Use a Refrigerator to Store Tea
When storing Pu'er tea, it is not recommended to use a refrigerator because the lower temperature in the refrigerator is not conducive to fermentation. Furthermore, household refrigerators usually contain foods with odors, which can lead to cross-contamination. Additionally, the air inside the refrigerator contains a certain amount of moisture, making the humidity relatively high, which can also affect the transformation of Pu'er tea.
If a tea enthusiast does not have the means or is not confident about the tea in their possession, they can choose a trusted tea brand to store the tea professionally in a specialized tea Warehouse.
Original article published in Pu'er Magazine
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