How do I store tea?

Keeping tea fresh — the four things that degrade it and the storage that protects against all of them.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 10 min
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Airtight, opaque, cool, dry and away from anything aromatic. Tea absorbs smells readily and loses its own aroma to air and light. Green tea fades fastest — buy it in small amounts and use it within a few months.

Tea degrades through four routes: air, light, moisture and absorbed odours. It is particularly prone to the last, because dried leaf is an excellent absorber — which is why tea stored near spices tastes of spices.

What you'll need

Airtight opaque container
Small tins for portions (optional)

Step by step

Store tea in an airtight, opaque container.A tin or a dark jar. Clear glass on a shelf exposes it to light, which degrades it steadily.
Keep it cool, dry and away from the hob.Heat and moisture both accelerate deterioration. The cupboard above the kettle is the worst place in the kitchen.
Keep it well away from spices, coffee and anything aromatic.Tea absorbs odours readily. This is the most common cause of tea that tastes wrong for no obvious reason.
Do not refrigerate or freeze ordinary tea.Condensation on the leaf when it comes out causes more damage than the cold prevents.
Buy in quantities you will finish within a few months.Green tea in particular fades noticeably. Large tins are usually false economy.
Decant into a smaller container as the tin empties.Less air in contact with the remaining leaf.
Keep tea bags in their box inside an airtight container.Bag paper is porous and absorbs odours just as leaf does.
Label with the type and the date opened.Tea does not become unsafe, but it flattens, and knowing how old it is helps you judge.

Tips

Green and white teas are the most fragile and fade within months. Black tea and pu-erh keep considerably longer.
Some pu-erh is deliberately aged and improves over years, but that is a specific category rather than a general rule.
If tea smells of nothing when you open the container, it will taste of very little. Smell is a reliable test.

Common mistakes

Storing tea in clear glass on a shelf — Light degrades it steadily, and it is one of the easiest factors to eliminate.
Keeping tea near spices or coffee — It absorbs their aroma readily and permanently.
Refrigerating tea — Condensation on the leaf when it warms up damages it. Room temperature in an airtight tin is better.

Questions people ask

How long does tea keep?

Green and white tea are best within about six months; black tea keeps a year or more. None of it becomes unsafe, but the aroma fades and the flavour flattens.

Should tea go in the fridge?

No. Condensation forms on the leaf each time it comes out, which does more harm than the cold prevents. An airtight opaque tin at room temperature is better.