If you are a tea fanatic, you understand that storage is very important. If tea is stored improperly, it can go stale or it can even go rancid. Proper storage will ensure that your tea lasts as long as it can with the purest taste to it and making sure that you aren’t compromising the flavor is really important. You should know how to store your tea properly so that it is going to taste the best way and you can really enjoy each cup. There are five things that make tea go bad, they are light, air, heat, color, odors, and moisture. Avoid these and keep your tea fresh.

Dark Area

You want to make sure that you are storing your teas in a dark place. You never want to store tea in a glass jar or a clear jar, because sunlight will always get in there and the UV rays definitely break down your tea extremely quick. What you will also find is that sun can bleach your tea, which is going to drastically change the flavor or it and the aroma also. Keep your tea in a dark place is an extremely important factor.

Don’t Let Air Get In

Air is also an enemy of your tea, if air is able to get into your tea leaves that you have stored, it will allow moisture to absorbed into them which can change your tea. It will also cause odors from the air to be sucked into your tea and change the flavor that way too. Don’t leave your tea leaves out hanging in the air, or don’t leave too much air in the bag, it is just going to cause you to have an issue. Tea leaves are a porous material which means that air wants to get into the pores and wants to get air from, so avoid air at all costs to keep your tea fresh.

Heat and Tea

You will find that you want to keep your tea at room temperature or below. Heat is bad for tea and it will ruin your tea. So, make sure that you are keeping it out of areas with sunlight, which can raise temperatures, and also near stoves and ovens, which are going to create heat and are going to cause your tea to take on moisture.

Keep your Tea Away from Odors

Teas that are stored are susceptible to taking odors on. So, if there is a strong odor, your tea is going to assume it and it is going to taste like it, so you need to avoid that at all costs. This is how a lot of teas actually get their flavor is through absorbing the aromas that they encounter. However, this can cause you to have some issues also. You will find that the more odors there are in your house, the different that your tea can taste. Be sure that you are taking care of this so that it doesn’t taste like everything else that is in your house and it maintains that great flavor that you bought it for.

Keep Your Tea Dry

Moisture is bad and it is going to ruin your tea, it can even ruin it within minutes. If you let your dry tea leaves get into moisture or absorb it, it can quickly ruin your tea and leave you scrambling to get some new ones. Be smart and keep your tea away from the humid areas of your home such as your dishwasher, your refrigerator, and keep it in cool dry places where humidity just isn’t an issue.

Good Storage Ideas

The best thing that you can do when you are trying to keep your tea leaves safe and dry is that you can have the best storage from them. For storage, you want to make sure that these are opaque containers, so that they are going to be the containers that can’t pick up light. You also want to make sure that they are non-reactive metal containers or even glazed ceramics. You want containers that don’t have an odor to them at all. Do not use wooden containers or use sandwich bags, they are going to mess with the quality of your team.

You always want to make sure that with any container they have a tight seal that won’t let in any light, heat, air, odors, or moisture. A good way to ensure this is to use a double lid and to make sure that you are using things like odor-free plastics or silicone. If you found that you’ve purchased tea and it was packaged, make sure that it is transferred into a better packaged container.

Another great tip is don’t buy more tea than you can drink, you want to make sure that you have enough to keep you going but that it isn’t going to go to waste. You also need to know the shelf life of your teas so that you can keep up with them. The better you store your teas, however, the better that they are going to last for you. Find a great place where you can keep your teas safe from light, be smart, and separate your aromatic teas from the other ones out there. Do what you can to keep them fresh and tasting great.

Make sure that you are following the guidelines given to you throughout this article, using these tips will help you have the best tea out there. So, the next time you go to brew a cup, you are going to know that it is going to taste great and be fresh.

There are many different teas that provide numerous health benefits. One of the healthiest teas is hibiscus tea, also known as roselle, flor de Jamaica, karkade or sorrel. The tea is traditionally used as a mild medicine. In this article you’ll read about five most important health benefits of this tea.

1. Hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure
One of the most powerful benefits of hibiscus is its ability to reduce blood pressure.

In one study, conducted by researchers from Tufts University of Boston, drinking three cups of hibiscus tea each day lowered blood pressure of people with mild to moderate hypertension by an average of 7 points after six weeks of treatment.

In another study, conducted by researchers from the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, Washington, drinking 16 ounces of the tea daily for four weeks lowered blood pressure even by 10 points.

If you have problems with high blood pressure, hibiscus tea can be as effective in treating hypertension as antihypertensive drugs.

2. It’s rich in vitamin C

If you’re ill, hibiscus can help you recover more quickly. The tea is rich in vitamin C which may reduce the duration of illness. Moreover, vitamin C enhances iron absorption, which is especially helpful for vegetarians and vegans.

3. It’s rich in antioxidants

Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants which destroy cell-damaging free radicals. Some experts believe that organisms age because cells are damaged by free radicals. Diet rich in antioxidants may not only improve your health, but also extend your life span.

4. It aids in weight loss

Consuming the tea after meal will help in breaking down starches and sugar. Consequently, it’ll aid you in weight loss. Drinking the tea can also increase satiety which is especially important if you’re on a diet. Moreover, hibiscus tea is a diuretic, so it elevates the rate of urination. The less fluid you’ll retain, the less bloated you’ll look.

5. It lowers LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease
Last but not least, a study performed by Shan Medical University’s Institute of Biochemistry in Taiwan shows that the tea lowers LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.

As you can see, there are many health benefits of hibiscus tea. And I didn’t share with you all of them – only the most important ones! Hibiscus is used as a mild herbal medicine by thousands of people in many countries all over the world. You too can benefit from this great tea!

PS. If you want to learn more about hibiscus tea, be sure to visit Hibiscus Tea website.

Have you ever wondered why so much attention is paid to tea ceremonies in the East? If you have ever traveled to either China or Japan, then you have no doubt encountered the cultural phenomena of tea drinking. China is the origin for the tea drinking cultures of most of East Asia. It is one of the oldest and longest lasting practices which most of these cultures have in common. When one examines the historical evidence intelligently, it is not hard to discover that the consumption of tea got started in China. Tea itself is a native to southern China. In order to appreciate the ways in which tea drinking can turn your Asian home or office into a beautiful place, it is necessary to explore the unique practice carefully. Tea drinking may have gotten its start in China but is was in no way limited to that region. Tea has been a vital part of the experience of many Asian cultures since then.

In Tang times (618-906 CE) tea became a national drink with an established custom in Buddhist monasteries. The idea was to prevent drowsiness in the monks during their times of lengthy meditation. In terms of archeology, tea has been found buried in several tombs with the dead. It was considered a “good” of the Han dynasty (206-220 CE) in the afterlife. There is also strong evidence which suggests that tea drinking began in China even before the time of Christ.

It was during the Three Kingdoms period (220-265 CE) Zhang Yi detailed in his book the specifics of tea production. The description was mostly related to the way tea was produced in both Sichuan and Hubei provinces. This included the processing of tea leaves into tea cakes. The poet Lu Tung (795-835 CE) wrote the Song of Tea. The song proclaimed the superior benefit of tea drinking. It was also about this same time Lu Yu (760-800 CE), the greatest authority on tea, wrote “Chajin” (The Classic of Tea). Ever since its debut, this writing has consistently remained the single most authoritative manual for tea consumers. It likewise describes the tools required to harvest leaves and process tea. In addition, the utensils to brew tea and a list of tea producing areas along with their respective gradings are included.

So how did China influence other Asian cultures to adopt tea drinking? Japanese monks Kubai (774-835 CE) and Saicho (767-822 CE) took a journey to China in 804. Their assumed goal was to study Chan or “Zen” Buddhism. This would take place in Tianmushan, Zhejiang province. However, this specific locality was very popular for tea production as well. Therefore, when the monks returned to Japan not too long after their visit they began tea plantation in their homeland. They brought necessary tea seeds with them back from China to do this. Naturally, this was in addition to introducing the Japanese people to Zen Buddhism.

During the early Heian period (794-1185 CE), Japanese literati adopted the custom of tea drinking from Tang China. The Japanese started to drink tea during social gatherings. Often, these social gatherings were accompanied by activities enjoyed by the educated and cultured members of society. These activities usually included such things as composing, reciting poetry, and playing music. It is easy to understand how tea drinking would thrive in this kind of social atmosphere. To make the point clear, it is obvious that China’s tea drinking and production of tea leaves gained influence in much of East Asia a very long time ago. It is almost like a social glue which permeates the entire region today. In the contemporary Asian home or office tea, along with its needed utensils, makes a very pragmatic and friendly contribution to the decor!

Harlan Urwiler is the CEO of HRU Enterprises, Inc. He is an expert author on the subjects of Asian history, culture, folklore, and collectibles. You should feel invited to visit the company’s excellent website at: http://www.myorientalgallery.com. Our Support Team is anxious to answer any quesitons you may have about our dynamic business or authentic products. Big savings are yours today with your order. We look forward to hearing from you soon!