The 5 must-know rules of storing matcha
The 5 must-know rules of storing matcha
Posted on June 06, 2023 | by Lori Hanemann
There are many reasons to love organic matcha, like the kind we offer here at Tenzo, and knowing how to store it properly will ensure you can enjoy great flavors and health benefits for as long as possible.
Matcha powder is a versatile, natural, and delicious treat that can inspire and support your physical and emotional health throughout the day. It’s a staple you’ll love to keep in your kitchen pantry and are sure to enjoy in drinks, smoothies, and even desserts. Here’s what you’ll want to know about keeping your matcha fresh and retain its nutritional value.
HOW TO STORE MATCHA POWDER
RULE #1
More Oxygen; more problems.One of matcha’s most powerful components is also one of its most sensitive parts, and that is catechins. Catechins are the super powerful antioxidants that give matcha its restorative attributes. Catechins are also likely the reason you were interested in green tea, to begin with, as they are largely responsible for the anti-inflammatory and immune benefits associated with matcha. But, to retain these impressive benefits, you have to store your matcha carefully. Exposure to oxygen causes the catechins in matcha to deteriorate and renders them ineffective. Because of this, your matcha should be stored in an airtight container or at the very least, in one that minimizes contact with oxygen.
The tin our matcha is shipped in serves many purposes, the rest of which we’ll address later, but for now the one you need to know is that it minimizes the amount of oxygen that comes into contact with your matcha. If you want to move your matcha to a different container, look for one which doesn’t have a lot of extra room and is well sealed.
RULE #2
Show matcha the cold shoulder.
In addition to being damaged by exposure to oxygen, matcha can also be damaged with prolonged exposure to heat and humidity. But, before you run off to throw your matcha in the fridge, you should be aware of a few things. First, unless the climate you live in is extremely hot or insanely humid, your matcha tin is fine sitting out on the counter or placed in a cabinet.
However, if you do live in a very warm climate or perhaps if you don’t have air conditioning, you may want to take an extra step to ensure that your matcha stays fresh and green. Placing your matcha in the fridge seems like a natural defense, but there are some potential downfalls to doing so. Matcha can and will absorb any strong odors in your fridge. So if you plop your matcha down next to yesterday’s Chinese takeout, your matcha’s going to taste like chicken fried rice tomorrow. This can easily be solved by placing your matcha in an airtight container or which also solves the oxygen problem.
RULE #3
Room temp or bust
At first, this rule may seem to be in direct contradiction to the previous rule (Show matcha the cold shoulder), but give us a second to explain. Although the fridge may be the best place for you to store your matcha if you live in extreme heat, you should never serve it cold.
When matcha is kept in a refrigerator because of an excessively hot environment (one exceeding the usual room temperature), it can open itself up to its other enemy, humidity. Just as a cold cup will produce condensation when in contact with warm air, so will your matcha container. And when it does, your matcha will suffer. To avoid this mishap, take it out of the fridge before you plan on drinking it and let it come to room temp with the top secured closed. You’ll still likely have condensation on the outside of the container but the matcha inside will be nice and dry. Of course, this isn’t an issue unless your matcha is stored in the fridge, and as we mentioned above, the only reason to do this is if the environment is unusually hot.
RULE #4
Stay in the dark.
You may already know from a previous blog, that one of the things that makes matcha different from your average green tea is that farmers shade the green tea leaves that are destined to be matcha. This process preserves matcha’s beautiful color and encourages the plant to produce higher levels of chlorophyll by slightly stunting the plant’s growth. This delicate procedure sets matcha apart from all other teas and is one of the reasons why matcha is so powerful.
However, shading the plants while their growing also means that the matcha that arrives on your doorstep is extremely sensitive to light. And, when we say sensitive to light, we really mean that matcha hates light. After matcha has been processed, the chlorophyll can no longer respond to sunlight, and so exposure to it destroys the chlorophyll, ruins the vibrant green that we all know and love, and gives the tea a slightly metallic taste.
In order to ensure that your matcha stays fresh and green, you need to store it in a dark place and/or in a dark container. As matcha lovers ourselves, we’re well-aware of this problem, which is why we ship out matcha in a special pouch. Once you open the pouch, gently get the matcha into our free reusable tin for protection. Don’t worry, it’s not afraid of the dark.
RULE #5
It’s not a fine wine.
At some point or another, you may have heard that aged matcha is more flavorful than fresh matcha and were tempted to let your existing matcha age to amp up the taste. With the utmost precision and high-quality equipment, tea experts can create aged matcha that tastes slightly better than the fresh stuff. However, unless your kitchen allows you to control the light, the temperature, and humidity, this is not something you should be doing at home.
There is no denying that matcha is a finicky plant and that growing top-grade matcha is an art form. It’s what makes the perfect matcha so perfect. But it also means that aging matcha is a little more complicated than just letting it sit somewhere. Leaving your matcha out to age will ruin the taste and potentially the nutritional value. So we suggest leaving this one to the experts.
Matcha powder is a healthy and delicious treat that you’ll always want to have on hand. Its sweet and bountiful flavors come from the delicate tea leaves and special method of preparation, which makes it especially important to store your matcha powder properly. When you keep matcha powder in a cool, dry environment, it will last longer and maintain more of its great flavors and health benefits, making it easy to enjoy smoothies, teas, lattes, and more.
When you’re ready to begin experimenting with matcha powder in your kitchen, trust the classic matcha you’ll find here at Tenzo. We’re not just dedicated to helping you find beautiful matcha with a rich history. We also want to ensure that you have the information to store, prepare, and use it with ease. Explore our library of resources and recipes and begin trying out your favorite matcha drinks today.
