Tea lovers often keep a large amount of tea at home. Many people store their tea in the Refrigerator, and some even purchase a small fridge specifically for this purpose.
However, this is a misconception – whether or not to place tea in the refrigerator should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
1. Teas Suitable for Refrigeration
Green tea, lightly fragrant Oolong tea, and dehumidified tea. Among the six major types of tea, green tea is the most prone to spoilage and requires extra attention during storage. You can place the tea in a sealed tea canister, then put it inside a sealed Bag before refrigerating it. Lightly fragrant Tieguanyin and dehumidified Oolong, which have gained popularity, can also be stored in the refrigerator.
Green tea, lightly fragrant Oolong tea, and dehumidified tea are suitable for refrigeration.
2. Teas Unsuitable for Refrigeration
Dark tea, aged Tieguanyin, Pu'er tea, and white tea are not suitable for refrigeration due to their need for post-production transformation, especially Pu'er tea, where aging significantly affects its drinking value.
Storing these teas in the refrigerator can lead to moisture issues. Additionally, in the low-temperature environment of the fridge, the activity of biological enzymes within the tea decreases, affecting the efficiency of the tea's transformation.
Jasmine-scented tea, due to its own aromatic characteristics, will gradually lose its fragrance if stored in the refrigerator.
However, there is an exception: Bi Tan Piao Xue. Since jasmine flowers are added during the latter stages of production, storing it in the refrigerator can help preserve the floral aroma, although long-term storage may still result in some loss of fragrance.
3. Teas That May Be Stored in the Refrigerator Depending on the Circumstances
Research shows that temperature significantly affects the storage quality of broken black tea. When stored at a lower temperature (0-5°C) for one year, the changes in quality components are minimal, with only a 2.11% increase in moisture content. In contrast, under normal temperature conditions, after one year of storage, the reduction in theaflavins is 18 times greater than in the low-temperature condition, while the increase in thearubigins is 2.76 times higher. As a result, the tea stored at a lower temperature retains its freshness and robust flavor, whereas the tea stored at room temperature turns brownish and loses its sharpness.
Therefore, since black tea is fully fermented, it is generally acceptable to store it at room temperature, which has little impact on its quality.
However, high-quality, tender black teas (such as Jin Jun Mei), which typically have a high theaflavin content, can be stored for a period in the refrigerator under sealed conditions. This helps slow down the browning process of black tea.
4. Precautions for Storing Tea in the Refrigerator
In households, the refrigerator used for storing tea is often also used for other foods. Tea is very susceptible to absorbing odors, so it must be properly wrapped when stored.
If you have loose tea, we recommend placing it in a clean, odorless, sealed bag and tea canister before storing it in the refrigerator. For non-loose tea, check the seal of the packaging and place it in another clean, sealed bag to prevent the tea from absorbing other odors.