Things are starting to reach a critical mass now that I have my tea
supply aquired for the next 6 months and I am back to battling with
storage ideas. I think I may have finally settled on a fairly
inexpensive and good idea: 4oz. Glass Salve Jars. While they are clear
glass, they have black screw-type lids and will be stored in a closed
cupboard. Since they are glass I would only need to buy new lids and
air them out/baking soda to change teas. They stack well, can be
labled, and I think would look pretty when the cupboard was opened
since the tea is on display.

I had been focusing on tin/aluminum/stainless containers, and never
thought about them until now. Any thoughts? My finger is hovering above
the order button for a case of them as we speak.

- Dominic
Drinking - PG Tips with Mount Tai yellow lump sugar

I've made some good finds of glass jars with screw-on lids at my nearby
dollar sto a dozen 1-liter jars for $1.00-USD each. I cleaned them
out by hand and ran them through the dishwasher, and now they hold most
of my newer teas.

I also have some 2-liter mason jars (much better seals) that I got at
World Market for $5.00-USD each:
http://users4.ev1.net/~jaaws/newtea.jpg

They spend all of their leisure time in cabinets, so their glass-ness
isn't an issue. :-D

Dominic T. wrote:
Things are starting to reach a critical mass now that I have my tea
supply aquired for the next 6 months and I am back to battling with
storage ideas. I think I may have finally settled on a fairly
inexpensive and good idea: 4oz. Glass Salve Jars.

Studio271 wrote:
I've made some good finds of glass jars with screw-on lids at my nearby
dollar sto a dozen 1-liter jars for $1.00-USD each. I cleaned them
out by hand and ran them through the dishwasher, and now they hold most
of my newer teas.

I also have some 2-liter mason jars (much better seals) that I got at
World Market for $5.00-USD each:
http://users4.ev1.net/~jaaws/newtea.jpg

They spend all of their leisure time in cabinets, so their glass-ness
isn't an issue. :-D

I actually bought a few glass jars with seals that have the clasp type
closure from a local dollar store, but the seals were fairly loose and
ended up being junk. here is a link to the same type of jar I was
talking about (not the site I ordered from, but better photo):
http://www.specialtybottle.com/index...ROD&ProdID=154

I ended up just ordering them, I got 24 of them for $15. And mine too
are destined for a life behind a closed cupboard door. I think they
should work fine, and at a touch over $0.50 each it is no big deal. We
shall see how they work for tea.

- Dominic

Dominic T. wrote:
[...] Since they are glass I would only need to buy new lids and
air them out/baking soda to change teas. [...]

Why would you need to change lids?

Gavin

7/19/06


Dominic T. wrote:
[...] Since they are glass I would only need to buy new lids and
air them out/baking soda to change teas. [...]

Why would you need to change lids?

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

I once hit upon the brilliant idea of using baby food
jars to transport teas about. The smell of the baby
food permiated the lids and would not be removed
regardless of all the antics I applied including the
baking soda trick. Thus, new lids a must.

Michael

There is never enough storage for tea. You'll end up fighting your
wife for shelf space. My everyday drinking teas I keep organized to
impress the occasional guest who has a clue and long term storage is
whatever works.

Jim

Dominic T. wrote:
Things are starting to reach a critical mass now that I have my tea
supply aquired for the next 6 months and I am back to battling with
storage ideas.

Space Cowboy wrote:
There is never enough storage for tea. You'll end up fighting your
wife for shelf space. My everyday drinking teas I keep organized to
impress the occasional guest who has a clue and long term storage is
whatever works.

Jim

The funny thing is, that it actually bothers me and not just my fiance.
Many of my teas are in the wax/paper bags that you buy loose tea in and
they don't stack, are difficult to tell what is in them, and are just
generally unruly - plus some of the more fragrant teas can taint the
others surrounding it. I can't stand the rose tea and the licorice tea
that my fiance likes even in the same cupboard as my greens. I figure
the Glass Salve jars make it easy to identify the tea, stack nicely,
don't involve metal touching my tea (my own phobia), and provide a
fairly airtight seal and will not allow fragrant teas to infect the
more delicate ones.

I'm hoping this works well, nothing so far has. I may still buy a set
of really nice tea canisters for on my counter with some of my more
common daily used teas that will be more for show. No one stopping by
my house knows or cares about the difference between Lipton and a
Maofeng anyhow.

- Dominic
Drinking: Sencha

I got Ceramic Canisters from Bed Bath & Beyond, price was good for set
of 7 with airtight seal but has similar problem with plastic airtight
seal as it seems to keep aroma from the previous tea. I left the seal
in water for several days and then in the open air for several days
that reduced aroma significantly, haven't tried baking soda yet.

Oleg

Michael Plant wrote:
7/19/06


Dominic T. wrote:
[...] Since they are glass I would only need to buy new lids and
air them out/baking soda to change teas. [...]

Why would you need to change lids?

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

I once hit upon the brilliant idea of using baby food
jars to transport teas about. The smell of the baby
food permiated the lids and would not be removed
regardless of all the antics I applied including the
baking soda trick. Thus, new lids a must.

Michael

wrote:
I got Ceramic Canisters from Bed Bath & Beyond, price was good for set
of 7 with airtight seal but has similar problem with plastic airtight
seal as it seems to keep aroma from the previous tea. I left the seal
in water for several days and then in the open air for several days
that reduced aroma significantly, haven't tried baking soda yet.

Oleg

Seals of any type are always the killer with tea, plastic, rubber,
cardboard, etc. they are all pretty much impossible to clense of
scents. I am pretty finicky about stuff like this so I either need to
ensure I can buy replacement seals or lids before I even consider a
container for tea.

Ceramic canisters are nice, but I needed something that stacked, so
that was mainly the reason they had been off my list. It is amazing how
hard it is to find a good storage device for tea, I know I've been
trying for the better part of 6 years to find the perfect solution. I
think glass may be the way to go, now I am just going to have to
explore a bunch of different options. The seams on tins bother me and
hold small bits of tea and rust. Ceramic jars need seals and are
generally large and heavy. Plastic is right out. Stainless has been on
my list but any good solutions are expensive. Where is the 4oz. glass
jar that can be vaccume sealed and nitrogen filled system that blocks
UV rays and stacks nicely? Jeez, you'd think I'm asking for too much...

- Dominic

Dominic T. wrote:

I had been focusing on tin/aluminum/stainless containers, and never
thought about them until now. Any thoughts? My finger is hovering above
the order button for a case of them as we speak.

- Dominic
Drinking - PG Tips with Mount Tai yellow lump sugar
Dominic,
Look at a place called Specialty bottles
http://www.specialtybottle.com/
I found containers there very cheap and in many glass tine ect Amber
bottle cobalt. I store tea in tight fitting cobalt blue jars that do
not let light in. Ck out the place , You may find something there. I
have no connection but have purchased from them before.
Jenn

Jenn wrote:
Dominic,
Look at a place called Specialty bottles
http://www.specialtybottle.com/
I found containers there very cheap and in many glass tine ect Amber
bottle cobalt. I store tea in tight fitting cobalt blue jars that do
not let light in. Ck out the place , You may find something there. I
have no connection but have purchased from them before.
Jenn

Yes, actually I was between three wholesalers that don't require
minimum orders, Specialtybottle, ebottle, and sunshine bottle. I went
with sunshine because their shipping was cheaper, and I saw the amber
and blue containers but I like the idea of being able to see the tea in
the jar through clear glass since they will be in a closed cupboard. I
have a strange personal dislike for amber glass (don't ask, I have no
idea why) and the blue just clashed with my kitchen... other than that
they would be fine choices too.

Thanks for the concern though!

- Dominic

On 19 Jul 2006 14:31:09 -0700, Jenn wrote:

Look at a place called Specialty bottles
http://www.specialtybottle.com/
I found containers there very cheap and in many glass tine ect Amber
bottle cobalt. I store tea in tight fitting cobalt blue jars that do
not let light in. Ck out the place , You may find something there. I
have no connection but have purchased from them before.
Jenn

I actually just ordered some of their aluminum tea tins. They'll be
delivered next Tuesday. I figured that at 98 cents a piece, I couldn't lose
much.

Unfortunately, we're tight for cabinet space and need to keep our teas in
the open. Otherwise, I'd opt for glass.

--
Derek

"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they
kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." -- Voltaire

7/1
9/06

I got Ceramic Canisters from Bed Bath & Beyond, price was good for set
of 7 with airtight seal but has similar problem with plastic airtight
seal as it seems to keep aroma from the previous tea. I left the seal
in water for several days and then in the open air for several days
that reduced aroma significantly, haven't tried baking soda yet.

Oleg

Michael Plant wrote:
7/19/06


Dominic T. wrote:
[...] Since they are glass I would only need to buy new lids and
air them out/baking soda to change teas. [...]

Why would you need to change lids?

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

I once hit upon the brilliant idea of using baby food
jars to transport teas about. The smell of the baby
food permiated the lids and would not be removed
regardless of all the antics I applied including the
baking soda trick. Thus, new lids a must.

Michael



It has been said that those rubbery gasket seals of
which you speak not only absorb smells, but
exude their own into your tea, and worse. I use
them anyway, adding prayer to my tea storage
arsenal. I don't recommend this. BTW, you
can get replacement rubberish thingies at The
Container Store on 6th Ave. near 18th St,
or thereabouts. Seriously, life's a tradeoff,
and most options, I've come to discover,
are bad.

Oleg, contact me off-group to talk about
Tuesday. Sorry. Too damned hot to move.

Michael

7/19/06

On 19 Jul 2006 14:31:09 -0700, Jenn wrote:

Look at a place called Specialty bottles
http://www.specialtybottle.com/
I found containers there very cheap and in many glass tine ect Amber
bottle cobalt. I store tea in tight fitting cobalt blue jars that do
not let light in. Ck out the place , You may find something there. I
have no connection but have purchased from them before.
Jenn

I actually just ordered some of their aluminum tea tins. They'll be
delivered next Tuesday. I figured that at 98 cents a piece, I couldn't lose
much.

Unfortunately, we're tight for cabinet space and need to keep our teas in
the open. Otherwise, I'd opt for glass.


I am reading these tea storage issue posts
with great and personal interest. Recently,
so overwhelmed did I become by my ever
growing tea and tea stuff collections that
I had another kitchen built. Those who know
me can attest to the veracity of this. And now
you all know. I slink away in shame.
Michael

On Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:11:28 GMT, Michael Plant wrote:

I am reading these tea storage issue posts
with great and personal interest. Recently,
so overwhelmed did I become by my ever
growing tea and tea stuff collections that
I had another kitchen built. Those who know
me can attest to the veracity of this. And now
you all know. I slink away in shame.
Michael

Doesn't sound too bad to me.

My aunt and uncle's house is huge - and has a wet bar off the family room.
I've long thought that it'd be a great place to store and prepare tea,
completely removed from the heat and odors of the kitchen.

--
Derek

"It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of
common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever
ineligible for public office." -- H. L. Mencken"