Many people have the habit of collecting. Collecting jewelry, cosmetics, bags, shoes… In other words, there is no shortage of tea enthusiasts in the tea industry. Some specialize in collecting green tea, some specialize in collecting black tea, and of course, some also specialize in collecting white tea.
When it comes to white tea, many people choose to collect white hair and silver needles. Because the price of Baihao silver needles is high, the production is scarce, there is room for appreciation, and the aroma and taste are very good… But there are also many people who have encountered obstacles on the way to storing Baihao silver needles, and no matter how they are stored, they cannot store them well.
In fact, storing Baihao silver needles can be divided into long-term and short-term deposits. For long-term tea storage, choose the three-layer packaging method, and for short-term tea storage, choose iron cans and sealed bags. On the basis of selecting the right packaging and adding the correct method of storing tea, it is not a problem to store delicious white hair silver needles.
Today, let’s focus on the daily precautions for storing pekoe and silver needles in tin cans.
1. It cannot be placed in the refrigerator.
A refrigerator can be said to be an essential household appliance in daily life. It achieves the preservation of food, whether it is vegetables, fruits, fish, etc., which can be stored in the refrigerator. Even leftovers that cannot be eaten in daily life can be stored in the refrigerator to prevent them from spoiling. Therefore, many tea enthusiasts believe that refrigerators are omnipotent, and tea leaves that focus on taste and aroma, such as Baihao Yinzhen, can maintain their quality even better when stored at low temperatures. Little did they know that this idea was extremely wrong. The Baihao Silver Needle, although more aged, more fragrant, emphasizes the value reflected by later aging. It doesn’t mean it can be stored in the refrigerator. The storage of white tea should be dry and cool.
The refrigerator is very humid while the temperature is low. There is often water mist, droplets, or even freezing on the inner wall, which is enough to prove its dampness. Store the Baihao Silver Needle here. If it is not properly sealed, it will soon become damp and spoil. In addition, there are various types of food stored in the refrigerator, and all kinds of food emit odors, resulting in a strong odor inside the refrigerator. If the white hair silver needle is stored in the refrigerator, it will be affected by a strange smell, leading to cross flavor. After being damp and flavored, the Baihao Silver Needle loses its drinking value as its aroma and taste are not as good as before. If you want to enjoy the refreshing tea soup of Baihao Yinzhen, it’s better to avoid storing it in the refrigerator.
2. Cannot be placed casually.
Some people like to leave tea tin cans at their fingertips. For example, drinking tea at a tea table, taking out a silver needle from an iron can, covering it with a lid, and casually placing it aside. Then he started boiling water, making tea, chatting… The iron pot was forgotten by people from now on, only to be remembered when the next time he made tea. And, again, repeat the previous steps and place the tea freely after taking it. Such reciprocation increases the risk of dampness in the Baihao silver needle.
Why? Because it is inevitable to boil water when making tea, the teapot will continuously emit heat and water vapor. Twice at a time may not have an impact on tea leaves. However, over time, the white hair and silver needles are more or less affected by water vapor, leading to moisture and deterioration. And some tea tables at the home of tea friends are placed in the sunshine room. Drinking tea while basking in the sunshine is indeed very enjoyable. But if you keep it handy, the tin can will inevitably be exposed to sunlight. Moreover, the iron can is made of metal material, which is very heat absorbing. Under high temperatures, the white hair and silver needles stored in iron cans will be affected, and the color and inner quality of tea will change.
Therefore, the habit of letting it go at will needs to be avoided when storing white hair and silver needles. After each tea collection, it is necessary to promptly place the tin can in the cabinet to provide it with a good storage environment.
3. Do not take tea with wet hands.
Most tea enthusiasts probably wash their hands before drinking tea. Hand washing is to ensure cleanliness and hygiene when taking tea utensils. Its starting point is good, after all, making tea also requires a sense of ceremony. But some tea enthusiasts, after washing their hands, reach directly into an iron can to pick up the tea without wiping it dry. This behavior is a form of harm to the white hair and silver needles inside the iron pot. Even if you pick up tea quickly, the tea leaves still cannot avoid getting caught in the water droplets on your hands.
Moreover, Baihao Yinzhen dry tea is very dry and has strong adsorption. When encountering water vapor, it can be fully absorbed in one go. Over time, they will embark on a path of dampness and deterioration. So, wash your hands before making tea, of course. It is important to wipe your hands dry in a timely manner, or wait for them to dry naturally before reaching out for the tea. Keep your hands dry when picking tea, reducing the chances of tea coming into contact with water vapor. The probability of white hair and silver needles stored in iron jars getting damp and deteriorating naturally decreases.
4. Seal the tea promptly after picking it up.
After picking up the tea, the first thing to do is to put away the packaging, seal the lid well, and avoid leaving any chance for steam to enter. Before sealing the inner layer of the plastic bag in the can, remember to exhaust any excess air from it. After exhausting all the air, tie the plastic bag tightly and finally cover it. Be fully prepared in case of any possibility.
Some tea enthusiasts, after picking up the tea, do not seal the packaging in a timely manner and go to their own business. Or make tea directly, or chat… In short, when I recall the white hair silver needle that has not been covered yet, it’s been a long time since the lid was opened. During this period, the Baihao silver needle in the jar came into extensive contact with the air. Water vapor and odors in the air have already penetrated the interior of tea leaves, causing damage to their internal quality. There may not be any noticeable changes on the surface, but after the lid is closed, the water vapor and tea leaves are constantly reacting inside the jar. Next time you open the lid to pick up the tea, you may be able to smell a strange smell from it. By then, it was already too late, and even the precious silver needle had become damp and spoiled, and its flavor was not as good as before. So after picking up the tea, it is necessary to seal it in a timely manner, place the tea in place, and then go to other tasks.
5. Drink the stored tea in a timely manner.
As mentioned earlier, iron can packaging is suitable for daily tea storage and short-term tea storage of white hair and silver needles. As a daily drinking container, it is inevitable to open the can frequently. Over time, there will definitely be water vapor entering the jar. After all, every time you open a can to pick up tea, it increases the chance for the pekoe silver needle to come into contact with the air. After taking tea multiple times, the amount of tea in the jar gradually decreases, but the water vapor gradually increases. After long-term storage, tea leaves will face the risk of moisture.
There was once a tea friend who reported to us that he used an tea jar to store a silver needle, but it was damaged. He usually keeps it in a dry and cool storage cabinet, and the process of taking tea is also very cautious. According to theory, the white hair and silver needle will not perish. After careful inquiry, it was discovered that his can of tea had been stored for three years. Why didn’t he finish drinking in time? Unexpectedly, his answer was that the white hair silver needle was too expensive to bear to drink. After listening, I only felt regretful that the good Baihao Silver Needle was stored up because it was not consumed in time. Therefore, there is a “best tasting period” for storing pekoe and silver needles in iron jars, and it is important to drink them as soon as possible. If you cannot finish the tea in a short period of time, you can choose the three-layer packaging method. Only by storing tea for a long time can the storage time of Baihao Silver Needle be extended.
Storing tea has always been a challenge for many tea enthusiasts. The price of Baihao Silver Needle is high, how can such precious tea be stored? Many tea enthusiasts choose the common method of storing tea in iron cans. But it would be a pity to store the expensive white hair silver needle because I don’t know the correct tea storage procedures. If you want to store the Baihao Silver Needle well, you should understand the precautions for storing tea in an iron jar. Only by choosing the correct way to store tea, can good tea not be wasted, such as not getting wet when taking tea, timely sealing after taking tea, and paying attention to drinking time. The road to storing tea is long and requires learning more methods and paying more attention. Only in this way can white tea be kept as good as possible, without sacrificing years of effort.
Post time: Oct-30-2023