As a professional, you might already know the 3 worst enemies of loose tea, namely:
- light,
- humidity,
- high temperatures.
Each factor will impact the quality of the leaves. Hence the necessity to optimize your storage settings.
Today, we focus on temperature and how to maximize your product’s quality throughout its shelf life.
Quick note: our tips apply to all types of tea businesses, whether you’re a tea brand, tea shop, tea salon, etc.
What is the maximum temperature to conserve dried tea leaves?
20°C
Avoid storing loose tea or herbal tea above 20° Celsius (or 68° Fahrenheit). This applies to all standard tea blends and single-estate teas, with or without flavoring.
What should you do in case of high temperatures?
Maintaining an ambient temperature under 20°C might be challenging for some of you, especially during Summer.
What can you do?
Well, it depends.
- If it happens only a few days during Summer, you’ll probably be fine. Especially if the temperatures don’t exceed 22-23°C (about 72°F).
- If it happens regularly and over longer periods of time, consider investing in an air conditioning system and setting it around 18-19°C (about 65°F).
- If the investment is too costly, you can always reduce your stock to its minimum during these periods. This speeds up stock rotation and reduces the risk of loss.
The special rule for Matcha
The green tea powder is highly sensitive to temperatures.
And you only have to look at it to know it has been stored in the wrong conditions. Too much light, too much heat, and the powder quickly turns gray.
The ideal solution to preserve Matcha: 10°C (50°F) in a sealed, dry, and dark environment.
If you consider storing Matcha in a standard fridge, consider these 4 conditions:
- Keep Matcha bags closed and sealed,
- Make sure the environment remains dry,
- Set the thermostat to 10°C if the model you use allows it,
- Do not keep any additional food, except for Matcha. Otherwise, there will be odor transfer between products.
Ah and yes, a wine fridge will do the trick as well 😉
