How to Store Matcha?

How Can I Keep My Matcha Fresh?

These are two important questions we get asked repeatedly.

Matcha has a very short and fragile shelf-life, especially once it is opened and exposed to air, so it needs to be protected in a small airtight container that eliminates sunlight and keeps it cool. For this reason, matcha should always be purchased in a tin canister as opposed to a foil bag for ultimate freshness.
silk matcha can

For example, Chiki Tea’s matcha is packaged at the source in specially-engineered airtight tin canisters and flushed with nitrogen to eliminate oxygen oxidation and to keep the tea fresh until it is opened. In addition, a further barrier is affixed to the lid to absorb the oxygen after opening.

Gently open the canister over a sink as the matcha will “smoke” and leave a small residue floating in the air.

Matcha can stain clothes quite badly, so please be aware of this when opening your can!

Once the matcha is opened, it’s time to start daily whisking because matcha does not age gracefully! Don’t be tempted to save it as long as you can because of the cost. The best flavors and aromas will be within the first three weeks if stored properly so that air is kept to an absolute minimum. Matcha should be kept in the fridge, optimally in the airtight canister, it has been packaged in and used within 3 weeks for the freshest taste, aroma, and color.

To use, take the matcha out of the fridge and wipe off any condensation. Have your tools out and ready, your preparation bowl and chasen heated, and then open the matcha canister, scoop out the desired amount, and quickly close the lid. Oxygen and moisture are the biggest factors in deteriorating all Japanese tea but especially matcha, due to the particle size.

Unopened matcha can be stored in the freezer for a year or longer but when it’s opened, promote it to the fridge and consume it quickly. It is possible to extend the freshness of the opened matcha by placing it in the freezer; however, because condensation is a matcha killer, the container needs to be wiped and left for a few minutes to stop the condensation buildup before opening. This is ideal if your 100g canister takes longer than a month to consume.

You can read more about matcha here...

About us...

Our Chiki Tea online store offers a wide selection of premium quality Japanese Green Teas, including award-winning Gyokuro and Matcha from Yame, as well as a variety of personally selected loose leaf teas. We work closely with our farmers and suppliers to bring you the best quality teas we can find, most of which are never normally sold outside Japan. We also have a range of specially selected tea-ware and other equipment such as preparation bowls (yuzamashi) and tea-caddies (chazutsu). Please read our guides on preparing Japanese Green Tea, how to find the best green tea, and the many health benefits from drinking matcha and green tea. We ship worldwide, including USA, and we accept payments in US dollars, UK pounds and Euros by credit card via Stripe. We hope you can find something for yourself, or to send as a gift using our complimentary gift-wrapping service. We also offer Gift-Cards - just click the button below to get started.

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