Tea Storage
By Ron Campbell, Owner of Merkaba
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Tea, like just about everything else we purchase follows the same basic guidelines for storage; “Store in a dry, dark, cool place”.

Always keep in mind that tea is vulnerable to 5 things: air, light, odor, heat, and moisture. When tea is excessively exposed to any of these elements, it will gradually lose flavor and become stale.
If you plan on not using your tea for a while, the best place to store it would be in an airtight tin canisters (see photo) or ceramic containers. Another very important rule to remember is to always keep tea in those cool and dry places.

In general, black and oolong tea (bags/fannings excluded) can be easily kept between 2-3 years under ideal conditions. The less oxidized a tea is, the shorter the shelf time that it possesses. Green and white tea could remain fresh for up to 2 years if stored properly.

My estates now package their teas in Nitrogen flushed, vacuum sealed bags for transport. The Nitrogen flushing of the leaves does not alter the taste or properties in any way. This process removes all of the Oxygen and therefore helps preserve the tea. It is said that the tea is the equivalent of being only 2 hours old, from plantation packing time to the store shelf. A great improvement from the days when it took months of long journeys across the Asian trade routes on the backs of camels!

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Ron Campbell and his wife Kathy own and operate Merkaba, which features a wide variety of teas and tea items, and gifts for all your spiritual and cultural needs. Their teas come from all over the world and include organic herbal teas, healing teas, Yerba Mate, green teas, black teas, oolong, white teas, pu-erh, flavored tisanes, chai teas, flavored and blended teas. You'll find all kinds of tea products including filters, thermometers, tea bag squeezers, tea cozies, gourds, tea pots and tea sets, mugs and cups, mesh tea infusers, bombilla and even coffee and tea scoops. For more information about Merkaba's retail shop in Idyllwild, CA, or online store visit: http://www.southwestblend.com/merkaba/index.htm