Storage and Shelf Life
Typical shelf life for green teas that have not been opened from their packaging can last up to six months. Opened green tea can last about two to three months, from the packaged date. It is important after opening to store the tea in a sealed container. Green tea is very delicate and will easily absorb characteristics from its surrounding. So you want to do everything you can to stop that! After sealing it, place it in a clean area where there is not a lot of “smell”.
Throughout China I saw some store owners storing their green teas and lighter oolongs in refrigerators. Wikipedia refers to this as Aracha, where they are stored in low humidity, almost freezing temperature, and in paper bags. This is supposed to lengthen the “freshness” of the tea. *More research to be done here!*
MurphCha 