Hi, does dried green tea if vacuum sealed in silver plastic bags, deterioate
in any way that can be noticed? i.e. does the taste change at all over a
period of a few years? thanks.

Green tea deteriorates under all conditions, especially after a few
years. The vacuum helps by removing some of the oxygen which is the
culprit, but some still remains. If nitrogen flushed and vacuumed it
will last longer. I find the most drastic taste change occurs in the
first 6 months to 1 year. Once opened, it will go stale within a week
or two, at least from my experience.

Richard

Green tea deteriorates under all conditions, especially after a few
years. The vacuum helps by removing some of the oxygen which is the
culprit, but some still remains. If nitrogen flushed and vacuumed it
will last longer. I find the most drastic taste change occurs in the
first 6 months to 1 year. Once opened, it will go stale within a week
or two, at least from my experience.

Richard

>Hi, does dried green tea if vacuum sealed in silver plastic bags, deterioate
>in any way that can be noticed? i.e. does the taste change at all over a
>period of a few years? thanks.

t4u is right, the tea will get old very quick after opening it. After
I open my bags of tea, I use a little clip to help keep the bag closed.
It's sorta like potato chips, I guess. If you leave it totally open
to the air, it will get stale quicker. If you're dealing with very
high grade green tea or wulong, you should get all of your tea in small
50g bags and drink them one by one. At least that way, all of the tea
won't be open to the elements and it will last a bit longer that way.

Another thing to note is that tea will stay fresher in
bulk. In other words, 1 oz of tea will go stale long
before 5 pounds of the same tea packaged at the same time.


..

12/9/05


> Green tea deteriorates under all conditions, especially after a few
> years. The vacuum helps by removing some of the oxygen which is the
> culprit, but some still remains. If nitrogen flushed and vacuumed it
> will last longer. I find the most drastic taste change occurs in the
> first 6 months to 1 year. Once opened, it will go stale within a week
> or two, at least from my experience.
>
> Richard
>

Richard,

Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week opened.
I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose and on
the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on personal
experience.)

Michael

Michael Plant wrote:
> 12/9/05

> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week opened.
> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose and on
> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on personal
> experience.)
>

What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
after opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a
similar type of tea.

"oleg shteynbuk" > wrote in message
news
> Michael Plant wrote:
>> 12/9/05
>
>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>> opened.
>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose and
>> on
>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on personal
>> experience.)
>>
>
> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and after
> opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a similar type
> of tea.

so how long would they stay fresh in the tin please?

oleg /12/05


> Michael Plant wrote:
>> 12/9/05
>
>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week opened.
>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose and on
>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on personal
>> experience.)
>>
>
> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
> after opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a
> similar type of tea.

I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often cannot
reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh green
just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two. Some
greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals to
do?

Best,
Michael

"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> oleg /12/05
>
>
>> Michael Plant wrote:
>>> 12/9/05
>>
>>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>>> opened.
>>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose
>>> and on
>>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
>>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on
>>> personal
>>> experience.)
>>>
>>
>> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
>> after opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a
>> similar type of tea.
>
> I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often cannot
> reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh green
> just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two. Some
> greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals to
> do?
>
could it be freeze dried with any success?

jw /13/05


>
> "Michael Plant" > wrote in message
> ...
>> oleg /12/05
>>
>>
>>> Michael Plant wrote:
>>>> 12/9/05
>>>
>>>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>>>> opened.
>>>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose
>>>> and on
>>>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
>>>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on
>>>> personal
>>>> experience.)
>>>>
>>>
>>> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
>>> after opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a
>>> similar type of tea.
>>
>> I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often cannot
>> reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh green
>> just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two. Some
>> greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals to
>> do?
>>
> could it be freeze dried with any success?
>
>
I suspect not; since a certain amount of moisture is critical to the health
of the stored tea, the moisture balance would be destroyed with freeze
drying. Also, freeze drying would break down the cells of the leaves in an
unwanted way, I would suppose. Having said that, give it a try, see what
happens, and report your findings back to us.

Michael

"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> jw /13/05
>
>
>>
>> "Michael Plant" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> oleg /12/05
>>>
>>>
>>>> Michael Plant wrote:
>>>>> 12/9/05
>>>>
>>>>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>>>>> opened.
>>>>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose
>>>>> and on
>>>>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than
>>>>> not
>>>>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on
>>>>> personal
>>>>> experience.)
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
>>>> after opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a
>>>> similar type of tea.
>>>
>>> I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often
>>> cannot
>>> reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh
>>> green
>>> just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two.
>>> Some
>>> greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals
>>> to
>>> do?
>>>
>> could it be freeze dried with any success?
>>
>>
> I suspect not; since a certain amount of moisture is critical to the
> health
> of the stored tea, the moisture balance would be destroyed with freeze
> drying. Also, freeze drying would break down the cells of the leaves in an
> unwanted way, I would suppose. Having said that, give it a try, see what
> happens, and report your findings back to us.
> Michael

Sure Michael. can you lend me a freeze drier ? i'm in London. u.k.
>

jw 1111 > wrote:
>"oleg shteynbuk" > wrote in message
>news
>> Michael Plant wrote:
>>> 12/9/05
>>
>>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>>> opened.
>>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose and
>>> on
>>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than not
>>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on personal
>>> experience.)
>>>
>>
>> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and after
>> opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a similar type
>> of tea.
>
>so how long would they stay fresh in the tin please?

Probably about as long as they would in a sealed bag. Maybe less time.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> jw 1111 > wrote:
>>"oleg shteynbuk" > wrote in message
>>news
>>> Michael Plant wrote:
>>>> 12/9/05
>>>
>>>> Some of those really delicate greens will not last more than a week
>>>> opened.
>>>> I speak of those fresh qualities that strike you up front in the nose
>>>> and
>>>> on
>>>> the tongue. Sadly, these most delicate of greens are more often than
>>>> not
>>>> also the most costly. (This is only my personal opinion based on
>>>> personal
>>>> experience.)
>>>>
>>>
>>> What about tin, i have assembled quite a few of them from adagio and
>>> after
>>> opening a bag transfer tea into a tin that previously had a similar type
>>> of tea.
>>
>>so how long would they stay fresh in the tin please?
>
> Probably about as long as they would in a sealed bag. Maybe less time.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."


"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

can you translate that please?

i would rank storage options for tea as follows:

1. ceramic canister with sealed lid
2. glass jar with sealed lid (keep away from light)
2. sealed / resealable foil pouch
3. tin with "aroma seal", a second lid inside the tin
4. tins without aroma seal
5. opened bag with no seal

a ceramic canister is the absolute best, in my mind. it
doesn't absorb (or impart) flavors. it's lightproof and
airtight. only problem is the price. not practical on a
large scale.

glass jars are a good cheap alternative, about a tenth of
the price of ceramic. but they let all the light in which
can accelerate the aging of the tea.

foil pouches are great. these were developed for the
medical industry for transport of blood and other vital
fluids. airtight, durable, cheap, and light proof. but
they don't last forever and can absorb flavors (read
disposable).

tins are very attractive and do a great job for a short
period of time. the main problem with tins is that they
are not airtight. no matter how fine the engineering or
how many flavor seal lids they have, they leak air. and
air is the real killer.

still, they are my vote for the best option for storing
tea. time is the real enemy. buy small quantities, enough
for about 3 months and drink it. if you want to buy a lot
of teas, buy even smaller quantities, samplers. if the tea
isn't around long, then it doesn't matter what type of
storage you use.

as for how long a tea will last, i would guess 2 years in a
vacuum sealed foil pouch. any other method and it probably
won't be worth drinking by then. not compared to a fresh
example of the same tea. i try to keep my teas no more
than 6 months. now i have a lot of teas. but i drink a
lot of tea too, on average around 6 cups a day with some
days into the teens. i find that keeping the tea in its
original packaging and opening it as few times as possible,
it will keep well for the first six months, then steadily
drop until at the year mark it is about half of what it
once was, losing the edge off whatever aroma it once had.

of course it varies by type:

white tea - keep no more than six months
green tea - keep no more than six months
oolong tea - keep no more than 1 year
black tea - keep no more than 1 year

-gary


..

/13/05

> i would rank storage options for tea as follows:
>
> 1. ceramic canister with sealed lid
> 2. glass jar with sealed lid (keep away from light)
> 2. sealed / resealable foil pouch
> 3. tin with "aroma seal", a second lid inside the tin
> 4. tins without aroma seal
> 5. opened bag with no seal
>
> a ceramic canister is the absolute best, in my mind. it
> doesn't absorb (or impart) flavors. it's lightproof and
> airtight. only problem is the price. not practical on a
> large scale.

I use Bee House canisters. But, I should note here that Dog
Ma had mentioned in the past that the "rubber-like" seal
mechanism is reactive and could easily impart something
to the tea we'd prefer it didn't.
>
> glass jars are a good cheap alternative, about a tenth of
> the price of ceramic. but they let all the light in which
> can accelerate the aging of the tea.

Yes, light is certainly an enemy of tea.
>
> foil pouches are great. these were developed for the
> medical industry for transport of blood and other vital
> fluids. airtight, durable, cheap, and light proof. but
> they don't last forever and can absorb flavors (read
> disposable).

If they are of a non-reactive metal, are you sure they
would absorb flavors? How so? (Not arguing, just asking.)
>
> tins are very attractive and do a great job for a short
> period of time. the main problem with tins is that they
> are not airtight. no matter how fine the engineering or
> how many flavor seal lids they have, they leak air. and
> air is the real killer.

Ultimately, the air would get into the bags as well.
What's a poor tea drinker to do?
>
> still, they are my vote for the best option for storing
> tea. time is the real enemy. buy small quantities, enough
> for about 3 months and drink it. if you want to buy a lot
> of teas, buy even smaller quantities, samplers. if the tea
> isn't around long, then it doesn't matter what type of
> storage you use.

Or switch to Pu'erh, and keep your teas happily for
fifty years without fear or worry, provided you
maintain them in a clean airy environment of
moderate humidity, free of the smells of the
kitchen, etc.
>
> as for how long a tea will last, i would guess 2 years in a
> vacuum sealed foil pouch. any other method and it probably
> won't be worth drinking by then. not compared to a fresh
> example of the same tea. i try to keep my teas no more
> than 6 months. now i have a lot of teas. but i drink a
> lot of tea too, on average around 6 cups a day with some
> days into the teens. i find that keeping the tea in its
> original packaging and opening it as few times as possible,
> it will keep well for the first six months, then steadily
> drop until at the year mark it is about half of what it
> once was, losing the edge off whatever aroma it once had.

Sounds like a decent analysis, but different
teas will degrade at vastly different rates.
>
> of course it varies by type:
>
> white tea - keep no more than six months
> green tea - keep no more than six months
> oolong tea - keep no more than 1 year
> black tea - keep no more than 1 year

Ah, here it is! I would only add: Very lightly oxidized Oolongs are more
like greens, and might not last the year no matter how careful and caring
you are. Heavily roasted, higher oxidized Oolongs are far more stable, and
with annual reroasting can last for years. Keemun, a red (black) tea, will
actually improve with age, and can go far more than a year. Pu'erh, as I
said, is worth exploring, given its longevity. Finally, as I had said
earlier, truly delicate green teas begin to deteriorate right at the time
you open the container, and will degrade very very quickly unfortunately.
Drink up.

Michael

Gary wrote:
> i would rank storage options for tea as follows:
>
> 1. ceramic canister with sealed lid
> 2. glass jar with sealed lid (keep away from light)
> 2. sealed / resealable foil pouch
> 3. tin with "aroma seal", a second lid inside the tin
> 4. tins without aroma seal
> 5. opened bag with no seal


Allow me to add one more option that I have found VERY effective for
preserving fresh Sencha which is extremely sensitive to degradation.

Nitrogen Purging - see http://www.pu-erh.net/stash-nitro.html

The nitrogen equipment and heat sealer can be purchased for less than
$200 and nitrogen refills are very cheap. After the initial (one time)
equipment cost it will cost you less than a dollar a month for all the
nitrogen you would ever need.

I sealed high quality Sencha into nitrogen purged individual 10g
portions back in May/June, or whenever it was that the Sencha crop came
out, and I store the sealed packets in the refrigerator. Those portions
are just as tasty now as they were when I got them. Now, they will
deteoriate swiftly once opened so sealing them up in small portions is
prudent. I found 10g is just right for my weekend morning sessions.

Mike
www.pu-erh.net

jw 1111 > wrote:
>
>"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>
>can you translate that please?

It's a Nagra. It's Swiss, and very, very precise. The Nagra is a
small tape recorder much beloved of the film sound community.

The quote is from the film Diva, in which a Nagra III figures
prominently as part of the plot. It's actually a misquote, but
I used it on Usenet for fourteen years before anybody pointed
this out to me, and now I have been using it for almost twenty
and I figure it's too late to change now.

Here is some propaganda about the Nagra that I use most often:
http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/index.php although this is two
whole model lines newer than the III in the film.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Does it means that when ordering a tea and having a choice of tin or bag
go for a bag, it could be cheaper too as some vendors charge more for
the same amount of tea in can.

Michael Plant wrote:
> I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often cannot
> reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh green
> just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two. Some
> greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals to
> do?
>
> Best,
> Michael
>

oleg /14/05


> Does it means that when ordering a tea and having a choice of tin or bag
> go for a bag, it could be cheaper too as some vendors charge more for
> the same amount of tea in can.
>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>> I do the same thing. I'm talking about ideals that we humans often cannot
>> reach. It is important to get to know the difference between a fresh green
>> just opened and a fresh green you've had in a tin for a month or two. Some
>> greens tolerate it quite well, others don't. But what are poor mortals to
>> do?

Oleg, these metal lined bags themselves come in various qualities -- that
is gauges, I guess) and on occasion their plastic-like seals, which are not
unlike the seal systems of zip lock clear bags sometimes fail. Having said
that, I would prefer to get my tea in the metal lined bags than in the tins,
partly because you can push the air out of the bag to accommodate the amount
of tea remaining as you use it up. This is a big advantage, air being a
major enemy of tea. When it comes to delicate green teas, the question might
be academic since they need to be drunk quickly. These are my thoughts, for
the little they are worth.

Michael

Michael Plant wrote:
>
> Oleg, these metal lined bags themselves come in various
> qualities -- that is gauges, I guess) and on occasion their
> plastic-like seals, which are not unlike the seal systems of
> zip lock clear bags sometimes fail. Having said that, I would
> prefer to get my tea in the metal lined bags than in the tins,
> partly because you can push the air out of the bag to
> accommodate the amount of tea remaining as you use it up. This
> is a big advantage, air being a major enemy of tea.

Are we all familiar with VacuVin, the hand-pumped, air-removal,
flavor-saver for partially emptied bottles of wine? Well, they
make containers which can be vacuumed using the same hand pump.
These containers are plastic and clear (though they do make a
darkened one for ground coffee). Airlessness is all well and
good, but the plastic and clear part is troublesome to me. So
here's an idea: Place not loose tea, but rather the entire tin of
Sencha in the VacuVin container. Pumping all the air out would
then necessitate putting a small hole in the tin lid, but since it
will reside in an air-free environment, this isn't a worry.

I'm off to Bed & Bath & Beyond today to pick up an appropriately
sized container. Look for a report to follow.

--crymad

crymad wrote:
>
> Are we all familiar with VacuVin, the hand-pumped, air-removal,
> flavor-saver for partially emptied bottles of wine? Well,
> they make containers which can be vacuumed using the same hand
> pump.
>
> I'm off to Bed, Bath & Beyond today to pick up an appropriately
> sized container. Look for a report to follow.

BB&B didn't have them. Neither did The Container Store. Neither
did Sur La Table. Shopping in the physical world is so very often
met with disappointment and empty arms. Still searching for
all-cotton, non-flannel, solid women's pajamas -- these too are
apparently unavailable in any store.

So, to hell with consumerism. I've come up with a air-lock tea
storage solution that relies only on ingenuity and items in my own
home. We had an empty 180ml brown glass sake bottle. It has a
screw cap, but that's put aside, because the VacuVin rubber
stopper is used instead. A 100g bag of Sencha, with the aid of a
paper funnel, fills the bottle about 2/3 full. A few quick sucks
with the hand pump, and the precious, perishable tea is now
protected against the evils of light and air. Measuring the tea
now means I must dispense with my bamboo tea spoon, so I will now
just pour spoonfuls directly into my palm, like I would with salt.
All in all, this technique seems nice and easy. I'll give it a
week or so and report back with my impressions.

--crymad

12/15/05


>
>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>>
>> Oleg, these metal lined bags themselves come in various
>> qualities -- that is gauges, I guess) and on occasion their
>> plastic-like seals, which are not unlike the seal systems of
>> zip lock clear bags sometimes fail. Having said that, I would
>> prefer to get my tea in the metal lined bags than in the tins,
>> partly because you can push the air out of the bag to
>> accommodate the amount of tea remaining as you use it up. This
>> is a big advantage, air being a major enemy of tea.
>
> Are we all familiar with VacuVin, the hand-pumped, air-removal,
> flavor-saver for partially emptied bottles of wine? Well, they
> make containers which can be vacuumed using the same hand pump.
> These containers are plastic and clear (though they do make a
> darkened one for ground coffee). Airlessness is all well and
> good, but the plastic and clear part is troublesome to me. So
> here's an idea: Place not loose tea, but rather the entire tin of
> Sencha in the VacuVin container. Pumping all the air out would
> then necessitate putting a small hole in the tin lid, but since it
> will reside in an air-free environment, this isn't a worry.
>
> I'm off to Bed & Bath & Beyond today to pick up an appropriately
> sized container. Look for a report to follow.


Crymad,

I hate to be cynical -- although that would seldom stop me -- but I
seriously doubt whether this thing actually maintains a vacuum. In NYC I
know at least two people who have tried them with no to moderate success.
Have you got experience with these things?

Michael

Michael Plant wrote:
> 12/15/05
>
>
>>
>> Are we all familiar with VacuVin, the hand-pumped,
>> air-removal, flavor-saver for partially emptied bottles of
>> wine? Well, they make containers which can be vacuumed using
>> the same hand pump.
> Crymad,
>
> I hate to be cynical -- although that would seldom stop me --
> but I seriously doubt whether this thing actually maintains a
> vacuum. In NYC I know at least two people who have tried them
> with no to moderate success. Have you got experience with these
> things?

Not the containers. And since I couldn't find any locally, I may
never get experienced. But the VacuVin wine stoppers I use often.
And every time a bottle of vacuumed wine gets opened, it produces
a satisfying WHOOSH. As for Sencha storage, this is something
I'll be breaking into at least once a day, and so the bottle will
get a fresh air lock each time. Certainly this hand pump and
rubber stopper combo can't produce a true vacuum. But a good
portion of the harmful air is removed. And good is good enough,
at least until I feel driven to reach nitrogen-flushed,
metal-bag, heat-sealed nirvana.

--crymad

mike,

thanks for the info on the nitrogen flushing. i'm going to
give it a try as i have most of the materials already.

-gary

..

Gary > writes:

> mike,
>
> thanks for the info on the nitrogen flushing. i'm going to
> give it a try as i have most of the materials already.

Mike: Those little one-brew-sized bags you sparge with nitrogen aren't
reusable, are they?

I wonder if it might make sense to find a whole gang of very small
screw-top containers and fill them with one-pot-sized portions of a
green tea when breaking the seal on a new quarter pound or 100g. The
tea wouldn't be quite as fresh as with Mike's technique, but you
wouldn't be adding - what: Mylar? - to the world each time you made tea.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Argon gas would be even better than Nitrogen, but it's more expensive.
Argon gas is 1.4 times heavier than air. http://www.uigi.com/argon.html
Nitrogen is slightly lighter than air.
http://www.uigi.com/nitrogen.html

Lewis 12/17/05

> Gary > writes:
>
>> mike,
>>
>> thanks for the info on the nitrogen flushing. i'm going to
>> give it a try as i have most of the materials already.
>
> Mike: Those little one-brew-sized bags you sparge with nitrogen aren't
> reusable, are they?
>
> I wonder if it might make sense to find a whole gang of very small
> screw-top containers and fill them with one-pot-sized portions of a
> green tea when breaking the seal on a new quarter pound or 100g. The
> tea wouldn't be quite as fresh as with Mike's technique, but you
> wouldn't be adding - what: Mylar? - to the world each time you made tea.
>
> /Lew


It also sounds as though a communal nitrogen
spurging set up might not be beyond the realm
of reason, if not possibility.
Michael

Michael,
I agree. I was possibly being a bit diplomatic. I quickly close all
bags of opened tea. Unless in a resealable pouch I transfer to airtight
ceramic canisters. I try to use all as soon as possible. It is true
that the truly delicate and expensive greens are best within a short
time after manufacture. Until you can travel to source and taste truly
fresh teas we are stuck with what we can get.

Richard

crymad wrote:
>
> As for Sencha storage, this is something I'll be breaking into
> at least once a day, and so the bottle will get a fresh air
> lock each time. Certainly this hand pump and rubber stopper
> combo can't produce a true vacuum. But a good portion of the
> harmful air is removed.

An update on my VacuVin tea storage test. Consider it a bust.
While the vacuum air lock held good for a few days use, after that
I was no longer greeted by the comforting "whoosh" when getting
tea. It appears that the rubber stopper is not designed for long
term insertion in a bottle neck, so perhaps the rubber loses its
tight fit after a while. Another possible problem could be that I
was using the rubber stopper dry: it's recommended that it be
moistened slightly before use with partially opened bottles of wine.

At any rate, I've gone back to my double sealed, rubber-lined
screw cap container for tea.

--crymad

> Hi, does dried green tea if vacuum sealed in silver plastic bags, deterioate
> in any way that can be noticed? i.e. does the taste change at all over a
> period of a few years? thanks.

Hi,
about 2 years ago I bought lots of tea in China, most of it vacuum
packed. I found that within the first 12 months the greens deteroriated
considerably whereas all the Oolongs are still almost as good as new. I
had them vacuum sealed 10g wise.

Greetings from Darjeeling,
Karsten

12/27
/05

>> Hi, does dried green tea if vacuum sealed in silver plastic bags, deterioate
>> in any way that can be noticed? i.e. does the taste change at all over a
>> period of a few years? thanks.
>
> Hi,
> about 2 years ago I bought lots of tea in China, most of it vacuum
> packed. I found that within the first 12 months the greens deteroriated
> considerably whereas all the Oolongs are still almost as good as new. I
> had them vacuum sealed 10g wise.
>
> Greetings from Darjeeling,
> Karsten
>

Karsten,

Thanks for the report! Were you saying that the greens, even left for one
year in their vacuum seals, deteriorated considerably? I never did that
experiment myself. Is it possible, to add to the discussion, that a vacuum
sealed green whose seal was broken shortly afterward -- let's say a week --
would then begin to deteriorate less quickly than a vacuum sealed green
whose seal was broken later -- let's say after six months?

How's the weather in Darjeeling, and how are you fairing?

Michael

writes:

> [...]
> Greetings from Darjeeling,
> Karsten

May I ask what you're doing in Darjeeling and where you've been? I
wouldn't think anything's being harvested now, even at lower
altitudes, right?

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> writes:
>
>> [...]
>> Greetings from Darjeeling,
>> Karsten
>
> May I ask what you're doing in Darjeeling and where you've been? I
> wouldn't think anything's being harvested now, even at lower
> altitudes, right?
>
She is drinking tea..........

Hi Michael,

> Thanks for the report! Were you saying that the greens, even left for one
> year in their vacuum seals, deteriorated considerably? I never did that
> experiment myself

That's what I found. But then the green teas were all pretty fresh when
I bought them, maybe fresh teas behave a little different than say teas
that had been stored in tins months before the purchase.

> Is it possible, to add to the discussion, that a vacuum
> sealed green whose seal was broken shortly afterward -- let's say a week --
> would then begin to deteriorate less quickly than a vacuum sealed green
> whose seal was broken later -- let's say after six months?

Can't tell since I had almost everything sealed 10g wise and you can
imagine that once I open one of those packs I drink it within hours or
max. 2-3 days.

> How's the weather in Darjeeling, and how are you fairing?
The weather is just fine, pretty cold and a bit overcast today but the
clouds shouldn't stay for long.
It's my 6th stay up here, I just love the place, the people, mountains,
culture, food and hehe the teas.
The advantage of shopping for teas here in Darjeeling lies more in the
huge selection (and free samples <g>) than in monetary aspects. Here
you're able to snatch pretty rare teas (invoices) that don´t make it
to the US or Europe but usually end up in Japan. However, if you buy
any highgrade teas here you´ll find that they are not much cheaper
than in the west, these guys know what their stuff is worth and since I
don´t buy whole chests/invoices I have to pay full retail.

Karsten



Michael Plant wrote:
> 12/27
> /05
>
> >> Hi, does dried green tea if vacuum sealed in silver plastic bags, deterioate
> >> in any way that can be noticed? i.e. does the taste change at all over a
> >> period of a few years? thanks.
> >
> > Hi,
> > about 2 years ago I bought lots of tea in China, most of it vacuum
> > packed. I found that within the first 12 months the greens deteroriated
> > considerably whereas all the Oolongs are still almost as good as new. I
> > had them vacuum sealed 10g wise.
> >
> > Greetings from Darjeeling,
> > Karsten
> >
>
> Karsten,
>
> Thanks for the report! Were you saying that the greens, even left for one
> year in their vacuum seals, deteriorated considerably? I never did that
> experiment myself. Is it possible, to add to the discussion, that a vacuum
> sealed green whose seal was broken shortly afterward -- let's say a week --
> would then begin to deteriorate less quickly than a vacuum sealed green
> whose seal was broken later -- let's say after six months?
>
> How's the weather in Darjeeling, and how are you fairing?
>
> Michael

> May I ask what you're doing in Darjeeling and where you've been?
Of course Lewis, I'm just a traveller, been here 6 times (like said
before), this is my 4th longer stay (4-5+ months).
I just love to travel in areas where tea is grown (China, Malaysia,
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka),. As time allows I visit the gardens, chat
with the planters, tasters and sellers and spend a lot of time sipping
my way through my collection of samples.

> I wouldn't think anything's being harvested now, even at lower altitudes, right?
As far as I can tell you're right. This is the maintenance season,
machines get repaired, the gardens rearranged, after the autumnal flush
some plants are cut back and so on. Everyone is looking forward to late
February 2006 when it starts all over again with the FF, hopefully with
some better weather than we had this year (almost no rain).
I'll be going down to Siliguri (Terai) in a couple days but I don't
think they're too active at this time of the year.

If I find the time I'll post some reviews on some of this years great
seconds and Oolongs.

Cheers,
Karsten