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As great lovers of tea and herbal teas, we want to draw attention to a topic that is often underestimated: how to store tea and herbal teas. It often happens, both in stores and here in our online shop of tea, herbal teas, and spices, that many people ask us what is the best method to store herbal teas and tea after purchase, whether loose or in bags. That is why we wanted to write this article - after the one on spice storage and the one on the correct preparation of tea - where not only will we explain the best ways to store our favorite infusions, but we will also touch on what are the best ways to prepare them, why to drink them, and - highly requested in summer - how to store tea and herbal teas AFTER infusion (in the fridge or not?).
We hope that this contribution can help you to extend the life of your favorite teas and herbal teas, preserving their aromas, scents, and flavors. In order to always have quality products that can give you the joy of savoring them for as long as possible.
The reason is very simple: infusions, along with decoctions, have beneficial properties and are often used for therapeutic purposes to aid in the healing of illnesses, flu, and local discomforts. However, it is good to know that herbal teas and tea (just think of the many types of tea that exist) are numerous, not only for their many types and peculiarities in terms of flavors, scents, and origins, but also for the beneficial effects on our body. If you are interested in the world of tea, discover more on our blog, where we dedicate articles to the discovery of this extraordinary product, starting from how to write tea correctly, to recipes and preparations based on this beverage.
Each herb used for making infusions has its own specific "mission": imagine the many purifying herbs and plants, for example. In addition to enjoying a pleasant drink for its organoleptic and sensory qualities, herbal teas and tea are precious ingredients for your well-being. So much so that within our shop, we have dedicated an entire section to therapeutic herbal teas. Take a look!
If we want to learn how to store our teas and herbal teas, it is equally important to learn how to prepare them properly. In some countries, in fact, the preparation of tea is a true ritual that follows meticulous rules and steps, in addition to having a specific and suitable kit of objects for every occasion. Similarly, making a "do it yourself" herbal tea is very easy, the important thing is to achieve the right balance between the various steps and the right doses of ingredients, all accompanied by suitable accessories for herbal teas and tea.
Just as every herbal tea has its own preparation and achieving the perfect process requires its recipe, there are also rules and methodologies for teas based on their variety, type, and origin. In Japan, a traditional tea ceremony has been passed down through the centuries and is still practiced today. For example, the preparation of matcha tea has a precise ritual handed down over time to enhance its sensory and beneficial properties. We also invite you to discover every curiosity and in-depth information in the section dedicated to the preparation of teas and their history, where you can also view the numerous tea varieties available.
To prepare an herbal tea, you will need to use a tea infuser - you can find many for sale online here - which contains a filter that will hold the loose herbs inside. If you don't have this accessory, a simple teapot with or without a filter will also work.
Unfortunately, achieving the perfect herbal tea preparation is not only possible through these instructions, but if you want to know every secret and curiosity about preparing an herbal tea, you can visit a simple and quick guide available on Terza Luna.
If you are reading this article, it is probably because you need clarification on the storage of teas and tea leaves. Like any food, teas and herbal teas are perishable products, and here we will see how to protect them from their natural enemies.
Perhaps you don't know, but light, heat, air, and humidity are the main enemies of your infusions.
An herbal tea or tea exposed to these elements could suffer damage, shortening its shelf-life.
If you are a regular consumer and make great use of loose herbal teas, you have probably encountered a big problem: how to store your loose herbs without them spilling or dispersing everywhere?
The solution is simple: your favorite herbal tea can be placed in convenient tea and herbal tea containers like jars - preferably in tin or porcelain - in order to preserve the product from its main natural enemies (light, humidity, and heat) ensuring that they have an airtight seal to prevent air from entering inside.
If instead your trusted tea and herbal tea shop only sells loose herbs, but you are a lover of pre-packaged doses, do not despair: the single-use tea and herbal tea bags, available separately, will solve all your problems. These mini doses will help you preserve tea and herbs in a breathable environment (because loose herbs are living elements and need to breathe) but be careful: air is, as we said, one of the main enemies so it is always better to store them in places that prevent its passage.
For ideal preservation, it is recommended to rely on special containers that prevent your infusions from getting wet like our paper bags with closure. These tea and herbal tea bags prevent the passage of external agents, keeping the internal environment slightly humid and preventing the formation of mold or other.
The situation is not very different for loose and non-loose tea leaves. They are products particularly susceptible to the actions of external agents such as light and heat, so we advise against storing them in non-breathable plastic containers or containers that allow light to filter through and moisture to form inside, compromising the quality of the tea, whether in leaves or in bags.
So far we have illustrated some tips for good storage of teas and herbal teas, but do not forget that they are foods that have a natural degradation process and for this reason they are not eternal.
A real expiration date does not exist even though you will often find marked dates. These are BBE, which stands for minimum shelf life, a kind of indicator that ensures you the organoleptic and sensory properties, without being affected or altered.
Good storage in suitable places and tea and herbal tea bags, promotes excellent product maintenance and guarantees the expected duration indicated by the BBE for the shelf-life of the product.
Remember this small distinction:
You may have wondered if it is possible to drink infusions after hours or the next day. The answer is simple: "yes but..."
As already mentioned several times, foods tend to oxidize, not only fresh ones but also prepared ones, undergoing a gradual aging process.
If you want to store your tea or herbal tea after infusion avoiding it from cooling down and losing taste, heat, and organoleptic properties, the best way is to get a teapot with a warmer, a glass teapot with space below to house a candle capable of keeping our drink at a temperature around 60°C. Allowing us to consume it calmly throughout the day. Not only useful, but also very beautiful!
Whether they are hot herbal teas or cold tea, oxidation will spare no one! In our article about preparing cold tea, we extensively discussed all the best techniques for storing tea after infusion. Click on the highlighted link and we will show you how to make cold tea at home in a few simple steps without losing its qualities and benefits.
And if you are a die-hard herbal tea drinker and don't want to lose their fantastic taste even in the summer, you can continue to do so thanks to our guide on how to make cold herbal teas using the Cold Brew cold infusion method. This process will allow you to extract the aromatic part cold of the infusion and then put it in the fridge to enjoy after a few hours.
Cold extraction is the safest method to be able to store herbal tea or tea for a long time, as long as the cold chain is maintained.
Tea, like herbal tea, once infused in boiling water, if allowed to cool gradually, undergoes an oxidation process that causes the intrinsic properties of the herbs, whether fresh or dried, to be lost. That's why it is always recommended to avoid leaving the drink out of the fridge for too long. If you are certain that you will not be able to drink your tea or herbal tea in a timely manner to prevent the loss of organoleptic qualities, it is better to create a thermal shock capable of stopping the oxidation processes.
We hope that this guide on how to store tea and herbal teas, both loose and infused, has been helpful to you!
