When you’ve got your tea, here are some tips on the best way in storing tea at home so that it will retain its flavor for as long as possible. What can really spoil your tea are the following: air, light, heat, moisture and odors. It becomes even more crucial if the environment you are living in is hot or humid. The best way to store tea is in a place that is dry, dark and cool. As most of you probably keep your tea in your kitchen cabinet, you would want to select that section of your cabinet that is furthest away from your cooking stove and other kitchen appliances that generate heat.

Tea Storage Container

1. Storing your tea in a container is very important. Ideally, the container should be opaque and airtight which is just large enough for your amount of tea. If it is too big the tea will continue to oxidize which leads to a loss of the polyphenols catechins.

2. Containers in the form of jars made of ceramic are most ideal. Avoid using clear glass, for light will rob the tea of both its freshness and flavor. Other materials such as plastic or wooden may not be suitable because of their tendency to pass on odors. Some of the tea products you buy come with very nice looking tin containers. But tins or canisters are not the best for storing. They have to be very well constructed to be airtight. But since the metal used for making the canister are soldered together, there might be gaps for air to get in. If you really want to use them, it might be better to use a small foil ziplock bag to contain your tea and squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag before putting it in the tin. If you intend to reuse the tins often, remember to check them for rusts.

3. If you drink different types of teas in teabags, keep them separate in their own respective containers, as you would your loose leaf. This way you wouldn’t have a mixture of scents and aromas. So, keep the jasmines separate from the gunpowder.

4. Avoid opening the container near the boiling kettle because the heat will change the flavor of the tea in the container. If you are using a teaspoon to scoop from the container, ensure that it is completely dry because any droplets of water will alter the flavor. I have the habit of leaving the teaspoon in the container but I think this is not such a good idea because of the possibility of chemical reaction.

5. When it comes to cleaning the container, you can simply wipe it with a dry cloth. Using soaps would best be avoided because tea is so sensitive in catching on to those scents and fragrance.

Does tea need to be refrigerated?

Some experts are of the opinion that you can keep your tea in the refrigerator. Refrigeration will expose your tea to moisture and odors from the other foods kept in the refrigerator. So, unless you are taking special care with the packaging and have a small refrigerator that you can use exclusively for storing tea, it might be best to leave the tea out of the refrigerator. Besides, each time when the container is taken in and out of the refrigerator, the tea is subject to fluctuations in temperature which may affect its aroma.

How much tea to buy and store?

Black and oolong teas can last for as long as more than a year or 2. But the shelf life of most greens is only about 6 months, and once you open it, it’s best to consume it within 3 months. So, proper storage is more crucial in the case of green tea. But certain types which are rolled into pellets such as the gunpowder usually keeps for a longer period of time.

You don’t have to buy too much tea at one go. It all depends on how many cups you are drinking in a day, really! You can buy say 3 to 5 ounces at a time. It may not seem very much but remember that unlike teabags, a teaspoon of loose leaves can give you 3 or more infusions. So, one ounce can give you an average of 25 cups of brewed tea.

Yes, sometimes you may want to take advantage of better pricing by buying in bulk. And, merchants often pack their bulk green tea products into several cans so you can finish one can first before opening another. This way you can keep your bulk green tea fresh longer for several months.

I hope that the above tips will help you to store your tea at home so that its freshness and flavor will be preserved longer. To recap, it basically entails storing your tea in a good container and kept in a dry, cool and dark place away from air, light, heat, moisture and odors.

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If you are new to brewing green tea, you can expect to make some mistakes along the way. Adding too much tea leaves or steeping for that couple of minutes longer. But, that’s how we all got started in learning how to brew green tea. The point is not to obsess over them as it is just part of the learning and experimenting process. Each time as you make your tea, you will discover for yourself what you like and don’t like. And before long, you will be making that cup of green tea that you enjoy most.

As this is an instructional article on how to make green tea, you may need to refer to it several times when needed. As it is quite lengthy I have divided it into several headings, and you can scroll down to that heading which concerns you most. Basically, I present 2 methods of making green tea toward the end of this article, namely:

1. The traditional method which is making green tea from loose leaves in a teapot, and 2. The quick method of making that 1 cuppa either from loose leaves or teabags

Water for brewing green tea

For green tea to taste good, it all begins with the water used in brewing it. If the water itself does not taste good, chances are that the resulting brew wouldn’t taste good either. For after all, tea is composed mainly of water. Ideally, you would want the water to be chlorine free, has a sufficient amount of oxygen in it and the mineral content is neither too high nor totally absent. Indeed, water quality will directly affect the flavor of the tea.

Water quality

You may have heard it before that the best water quality for making tea is natural spring water. But since most of us do not have access to it, the next best alternative is to use bottled spring water obtained direct from its source. But not all types of bottled water is suitable. Bottled distilled water, for example, is so devoid of minerals that are needed to bring out the flavor in tea and you will find your tea tasting flat.

In certain regions the water might be ‘hard’ water or those obtained from wells, has too high a level of minerals which makes your tea taste chalky. In these cases, you might want to invest in a good water filtration system.

But, let’s face it. Using bottled spring water for all your teas can get rather expensive. So, what I do is to use them for brewing the finer green teas. I do use tap water but with a good water filtration system. Such filter systems can substantially remove the taste of chlorine from the water.

Ratio of tea leaves to water

To measure the amount of water you will be using, you will need a measuring cup – the typical American cup holds 8 ounces of water. By using the cup as a measure you will know how many cups of tea your teapot can hold. Once you have determined this, you can then gauze the amount of tea leaves to use. Typically, the green tea product you buy will have brewing directions such as 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water. When I was first starting out I mused, ” Does that mean a full scoop or shall I use a half scoop?”

Actually the ratio of tea leaves to water is in terms of weight and the teaspoon or tablespoon is an inadequate measuring tool. It is difficult to match grams to a teaspoon because of the difference in size and density of the various types of tea leaves.  A gram is an unit of weight whereas a teaspoon is a measure of volume. One crucial point to note here is that to make a good cup of tea, less amount would be needed for those smaller and denser leaves, and conversely more is required for larger leaves.

I know of some connoisseurs who are serious enough to have a small food scale to measure the amount of tea leaves to use. The general guideline is that if you are making tea in a teapot, you will need 3 grams of tea leaves for 5 ounces of water. For that 1 cuppa, 4 grams of tea for 8 ounces of water.

If you are simply using the teaspoon, just follow the merchant’s directions and do a normal scoop. And then you will be able to adjust to what you like best. Just let your palate be your guide.

Water temperature

The right water temperature is most crucial to the taste of your tea. Using boiling water would make your green tea taste bitter. Whilst most green teas do well at a cooler water temperature of 165% Fahrenheit on average, there are some which are a departure from the norm. So, it would be best for you to follow the product’s directions as to water temperature. You can use a candy thermometer.

For the Japanese green teas for example, the recommended water temperature for gyokuro can be as low as 159%F which is lower than that of Sencha. But many types of Chinese green tea do well at higher water temperatures of 175-180F.

As regards the way water should be heated, experts are divided as to whether one should heat the water to boiling point and then allowed to cool to the right temperature, or be heated just to the right temperature. Personally, I have not been able to catch any difference in the taste.

It is also important not to re-boil the water or to continue boiling when water has already boiled, for much of its oxygen would have been dispersed.

Steeping time

The steeping time for most green teas is between 1 to 3 minutes although there are exceptions. Again, you can start by following the merchant’s directions and then experiment to see which length of steeping time you like best.

Some Chinese green teas like certain types of Dragonwell (Lung Ching) and the Lu An Gua Pian can take longer steeping times of between 3 – 6 minutes to bring out more of the flavor and aroma.

Take note also that in subsequent infusions, some green teas need only shorter steeping time whilst some require it to be longer. Again let your palate be your guide.

The traditional method of brewing green tea

This is the traditional method of brewing loose leaf green tea in a teapot. As it is the longer process which begins with boiling fresh water instead of simply getting water from a home hot water dispenser, it offers the fullest enjoyment and the most therapeutic calming effect.

1. Start by boiling water in a kettle. Once the water has boiled, let it cool to the right temperature. You can use a candy thermometer but as a rule of thumb, it normally takes about three minutes. You can also use the boiled water to pre-heat the teapot and cups by pouring some of it into them, swishing it around and then pouring it away. This helps in making the tea stay warm longer.

2. Now, add the loose leaves to the warm teapot.

3. When the hot water is ready, pour it over the tea leaves in the teapot.

4. Cover the teapot and allow the tea to steep for that 1 – 3 minutes or according to your requirements.

5. Before pouring out the tea, gently shake the teapot and then let the leaves settle once again. Now, pour the tea into your teacups. Tea is now served! The leaves remain in the pot for subsequent infusions.

The quick method of making that one cup of green tea

This is a simple method of making that one cuppa quickly and it saves time. This is ideal for that “caffeine fix” in the morning before getting out for work, or you can make green tea this way while at work. Instead of starting out with boiling water, you might use a hot water dispenser and a thermometer to check water temperature.

1. For best effect, you need to make use of 2 cups. Put hot water into the first cup from the dispenser to pre-heat it. Now, pour the hot water into the second cup and use the thermometer to check water temperature.

2. Put the tea leaves into the first cup which had been pre-heated.

3. Now, when the water in the second cup is ready, pour it over the leaves in the first cup and cover.

4. Let the tea steep for that 1 – 3 minutes. When it is ready you can drink it direct from the cup. Simple wasn’t it?

You will have much satisfaction to know that it’s green tea prepared by yourself. Sure, probably each cup of tea you brew is going to taste a little different from the last one you made. But it’s all part of the process of learning how to brew green tea. With some practice in brewing green tea, you will soon be able to make that perfect cup. Remember, taste in tea is personal – let your taste buds decide on what you like best. So, just enjoy.

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Probably, for some of you when you first heard of decaffeinated green tea – or any decaffeinated tea or coffee, for that matter – you might have wondered why we needed them in the first place. For after all, people do use caffeine to perk themselves up the first thing in the morning. Indeed, the consumption of caffeine has now become so widespread and tea has often been said to be the most heavily consumed drink, second only to water.

The caffeine content in tea is substantially much lower than that of coffee. According to the US Department of Nutritional Services an 8-ounce cup of green tea contains 8 – 36 milligrams (mg) of caffeine which is still much lower than black tea (23 – 100) mg and oolong tea (12 – 55) mg. It has also to be mentioned that red tea and herbal teas do not contain caffeine but then they are not teas properly so called because they do not derive from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Positive effects of caffeine

The caffeine in tea is more gradually absorbed by our body and it seems to linger on for a longer period of time as compared to the caffeine in coffee. But all the same, after drinking tea many have experienced an increase in alertness, energy, concentration and motivation in their work as well as a boost to their moods and feelings of well-being. To some extent, it has been claimed that it helped in weight loss. Moreover, it has been reported that caffeine improves athletic performance and endurance. And, it is no coincidence that it is still one of the substances disallowed by the Olympic Committee.

Decaffeinated green tea benefits

So why the need then for decaf green tea? And besides, most tea lovers would tell you that they prefer their teas caffeinated for its full flavor and taste. The benefits of using decaf green tea pertain more to those who have an issue with caffeine. In pregnancies and other medical related cases, doctors have even advised to avoid caffeine altogether. What I write here is for information purposes only and you should consult your own doctor regarding the use of caffeine.

Caffeine addiction

Besides being a mental stimulant, caffeine is also addictive. And there is that risk of excessive consumption. There are many adverse effects of excessive caffeine intake which include insomnia, indigestion, anxiety, and irritability. But if your case is not medically related in any way and you simply want to control or limit your intake of caffeine, then decaf green tea has the benefit of doing just that. A cup of decaffeinated green tea should contain less than 6 mg of caffeine. But it can get quite difficult if you are also getting your caffeine from other sources – eg. caffeine is also found in chocolates and sodas.

Sensitivity to caffeine

The majority of healthy adults can manage a moderate amount of 250 mg of caffeine a day without any negative side effects. But the level of sensitivity to caffeine vary widely amongst individuals. For some even a small dose of caffeine say 50 mg might be enough to get them all jittery. Decaf green tea might then be an option if they want the health benefits of green tea or just to enjoy the beverage. Again, if you are sensitive to caffeine, it would be most prudent to consult your own doctor on the suitability of using decaf green tea in your case.

Polyphenol antioxidants

Decaf green tea contain less of the catechins polyphenols as a result of the decaffeination process. There are 2 methods of decaffeination approved for use in the United States namely using the chemical solvent ethylene acetate or carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is the superior method for it allows as much as 95% of the polyphenol antioxidants to be retained. Although decaffeinated, it’s still a healthful beverage!

Green tea caffeine content

Besides using decaf green tea, there are also other ways of having less caffeine in your tea. The first involves decaffeinating the tea yourself right in your own kitchen and the second is knowing and selecting the types of green teas that have a lower content of caffeine.

Self-decaffeination

This is simply done by steeping the tea for 30 – 45 seconds in hot water and then pouring it away. Next, fill your cup again with hot water and let the tea steep as you normally would in brewing green tea. This removes about 80% of the caffeine but retains most of the flavor and aroma. Tea connoisseurs, however, would find it such a waste in throwing away that most flavored and aromatic first infusion.

It may also be noted that the longer you steep your tea, the more caffeine will be released.

Types of green tea products to buy

Knowing which type of green tea products to buy in order to have less caffeine is crucial. Quite a lot depends on which part of the tea plant the tea is derived from. Green tea from the first flush, comprising the two leaves and a bud has a high content of caffeine. Amongst the Japanese green tea, sencha, especially if it is of the first flush is high in caffeine, whilst gyokuro though of the first flush has its caffeine reduced as a result of being grown in the shed before the harvest. Hojicha and kukicha being derived from the lower parts of the tea plant have the lowest caffeine.

Chinese green tea which are harvested only once a year generally has a high level of caffeine.

Green tea bags containing the dusts and fannings are also high in caffeine.

Caffeine and theanine

Unknown to most people, tea contains an amino acid called theanine (aka. L-theanine) which neutralizes the effects of caffeine – a sort of a natural balancer if you will. This is most remarkable for theanine is found only in tea but not in coffee or other herbs containing caffeine. Probably, this may explain why the effect of caffeine is more subtly felt in regular green tea as compared to the caffeine jolt and subsequent crash in coffee. The Japanese matcha has a high level of theanine to counter-balance its high content of caffeine. I’ve often been awed just by this thought of how Mother Nature wraps up her gift of tea to mankind.

Caffeine will always be with us when we are drinking tea. At any rate, moderation is still the key. So, do we still need decaf green tea? The answer is an emphatic Yes. It is be a personal thing and the sensitivity to caffeine varies from one individual to another.

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Green tea bags are often looked upon as being of low quality. After all, they are made from the smallest bits and pieces of tea – the dusts and fannings – after the most choice parts of tea leaves and buds had been used to make the quality loose leaves green tea. The dusts are the tiniest bits whereas the fannings are the small broken pieces of leaves. The left- overs, if you will. Rather uncomplimentary I might say.

Objections to the tea bag

So, what do people have against green teabags? Can their objections be refuted?

Flavor

Tea infused from the fannings and dusts is so much less satisfying as it does not give us the full flavor that one can get from preparing the beverage with loose leaf green tea. Also, tea contained in a teabag has no room to expand in order to bring out its best flavor.

If you do not want the dusts and fannings, you might be glad to know that there are also teabags that actually contain loose leaves. To counter the argument that there is insufficient space inside a teabag for the leaves to be properly infused, merchants have now come up with what is called the pyramid teabag. If you set one on a table, it sits upright on its square base. There seems to be much merit in the argument for these pyramid teabags, as opposed to the traditional flat rectangular ones, in that the extra space in the bag allows the tea to be properly infused so as to release more of its flavor and aroma.

Paper taste

The bag is usually made of paper which is attached by a string to a tag at the other end. During the brewing, some tea lovers claim that the paper actually alter the flavor of the beverage. Some may find it annoying that the tag itself sometimes get into their cups of hot tea. I can remember, probably two decades ago, when the tag was attached to the string by means of a metal staple and it got into my tea. Although the stapled tag is now probably a thing of the past, the tag sometimes still stray into our cups.

Before drinking, it’s best to remove the teabag after steeping it. And, nowadays teabags also come in the form of silk, nylon and even corn starch.

Low Antioxidants Content

As compared to loose leaves, green tea bags contain less of the polyphenols catechins which are responsible for much of the health benefits of green tea.

With teabags containing loose leaves, I think this objection now carries much less sting.

Higher price

Come to think of it, the green tea bag is actually more expensive because a big part of the cost goes into the packaging of the product. This is especially so if you consider that whereas the bag is normally for only one single infusion, you can have many infusions with loose leaves.

Probably, as with most things in life, convenience comes at a price.

The advantages of green tea bags

But before you go about dismissing that green tea bag too hastily, it has its advantages too.

The Ease and Convenience in making tea

When you wake up in the morning and getting ready for work, probably the last thing on your mind is boiling water and getting ready your kettle and cup to prepare tea from loose leaves. If you are relying on just that single cup of green tea for that “caffeine fix” to face the day, chances are that you will quickly reach out for that bag, toss it into a cup and infuse it with hot water from the dispenser. And you have your tea. (Green tea bags also contain a high level of caffeine.) There seems to be no faster way in getting that cuppa first thing in the morning.

It’s true you might be able to do the same with loose leaves, again by putting the leaves in the cup and getting hot water from the dispenser. But with loose leaves, you are looking at at least 3 infusions. Would you be going through all the infusions before rushing off to work? But most tea bags are good only for that one infusion, after which you can dispose of it. I think you got the point. Besides, when you are making green tea from loose leaf, you might prefer to make it properly to bring the best out in the beverage, paying attention to the right water temperature and so on. You can read my article on brewing green tea, in which I discussed probably the best way to make that one cuppa from loose leaves.

As compared to a container of loose leaves, they are also easier to bring along when you are traveling. Just like loose leaf, they come in a wide variety of products. If you do not like the high content of caffeine, then there are those decaf green tea bags. Then, there are those which are organic as well as the flavored ones.

Green tea bags leave no mess to clean up

One thing which many dread is having to clean out the used leaves from the teapot after the brew. With a teabag, there is no mess left behind to clean up and it can be easily disposed of. Instead of simply discarding the used green tea bags, some have even put them to better use such as relieving tired and puffy eyes.

Some tea lovers will still insist on making their green tea from loose leaves. But, certainly the humble tea bag has its place in the tea drinking world mainly for its convenience. The more so when we now can have loose leaves in bags. So, in my opinion, I would say that teabags are not all that bad. It all depends on our intention. If you want something quick and easy, then use the teabag. I still have some green tea bags around in my office and I always remember to put some in my briefcase whenever I have to make that short business trip. But, if you want to have a more enjoyable and fuller experience with green tea, then loose leaves is the way to go.

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Loose leaf green tea is simply green tea that does not come in the form of a tea bag. It consists of whole tea leaves, buds or cut leaves which were rolled and twisted into various shapes. Now, all of us are already quite familiar with tea bags but not with loose tea leaves. Invariably, loose leaves are always favored by tea connoisseurs. But you don’t have to be a connoisseur to enjoy green tea infused from loose leaves. So, before you let your mind conjure up images of beautiful teapots and cups, if you are just starting out, let me assure you that you don’t need to buy them if you do not wish to. Or, any infusing accessories, for that matter.

Why drink green tea infused from loose leaves?

Some may wonder why you should go through the trouble of making and drinking green tea prepared from loose leaves when you can simply make your tea out of a green teabag. Then let me introduce to you the holistic approach to drinking green tea which is basically the whole experience of enjoying the beverage.

The practice of mindfulness

Throughout the whole process of making your tea from loose leaf green tea right up to sipping it in the comfort of your own home, you want to be fully aware, being mindful of what you are doing and living in the moment. As you unwrap the packet to reveal the loose leaves, revel in the moment as the rich aroma of the leaves fill your nostrils and allow yourself to touch the leaves to appreciate its beautifully crafted shape, color and texture. And, when the water boils, just listen to the sound of your whistling kettle and notice how the steam waft itself upwards. Surely, each and everyday, you want to find a time to put away the stress of modern living, relax and rejuvenate yourself.

Aesthetic experience with loose leaves

Some drinkers are just fascinated to see how the leaves unfurl when they are brewing it. It can be quite a lovely sight to behold. Surely, you can’t have that with green tea bags, can you? Take the case of the flowered-shaped Green Peony tea, for example, which is one of the specialty green teas from China. The leaves kind of opens up when you are brewing it. One enthusiast commented to me that not exactly but it was the nearest thing to seeing a flower opened right before her very eyes.

Higher level of antioxidants for health

Loose leaf green tea has a higher content of green tea antioxidants or more specifically the polyphenols catechins to which all the health benefits of green tea are attributed. As you savor each sip from your cup, just by being aware that it is a healthy drink, you can’t help feeling full of gratitude for one of the best gifts from Mother Nature.

More satisfying and richer flavor

As compared to teabags which are made of the smallest particles – the dusts and fannings, with loose leaf, the infusion is from a larger surface area and as such, you will be getting a richer and full-bodied flavor.

Where do you start

One question I often got asked by beginners was where they should start since there are so many different types of loose leaf green tea to choose from. One suggestion is to start with some of the Chinese green teas since they are generally quite mild and take it from there. One high quality type is the Longjing Tea (Dragon Well) which has a sweet taste and earthy aroma. You may already have some ideas of what sort of taste you like. If you are like myself who likes something that tastes smokey, then you may find the Gunpowder green tea most palatable. Or, if you like it scented or flavored, then you may like to try the Jasmine green tea or the Jasmine Pearls.

And, if you appreciate watching the unfurling of the leaves, another type I can suggest is the Lu An Gua Pian. See how the leaves open up to reveal themselves on the surface of your brew.

Then, there are the Japanese green teas. One that you can drink everyday is Sencha loose leaf green tea. Slightly astringent, it has a refreshingly green scent with a tinge of sweetness in it. A higher grade would be the Gyokuro although I feel that this tea may not be so suitable if you are just starting out because of the more exacting brewing instructions like water temperature to bring the best out of its loose leaves.

As you continue your journey of discovery into the world of green tea, it is hoped that this article will usher you into  enjoying loose leaves green tea to the fullest – the holistic approach to drinking green tea. But, again taste is personal and it might take quite some time before you discover one or a group of green tea loose leaves that you really like. You will also find that at certain times of the day you may prefer drinking one particular type of loose leaf green tea to another. Yes, you can have a loose leaf green tea to suite your moods – if you will!

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