You’ve just bought your first couple of matcha powders and you’re excited to try them out! You open your powders, use them in a delicious drink, and go to put them away when you realize you’re not sure where or how to store matcha tea properly.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place to learn about how to store matcha, the best matcha container(s) for storage, where to store them, and answers to questions like “Does matcha need to be refrigerated?” and “How long does my matcha stay fresh?”
So, here’s everything you need to know about how to store matcha tea powder to keep your matcha powder green and fresh.
Why Storing Matcha Properly is Important
Matcha, like most natural ingredients, has a short shelf life thanks to oxidation!
What is oxidation? With matcha green tea leaves, or basically any dried plant, once it separates from the plant it starts oxidizing. Meaning, that prolonged exposure to air, sunlight, moisture, and heat causes the organic material to decompose.
Matcha oxidation: When matcha oxidizes, it loses its flavor and vibrancy. You’ll start with a vibrant green powder that eventually turns stale and brown. Your matcha can turn more bitter, and lose all the subtle yumminess fresh matcha has. Heat, especially, speeds up the oxidation process.
So, storing matcha powder correctly is crucial for extending and preserving the freshness of your matcha. If you store your matcha properly, you can enjoy your matcha for much longer and with a fresh, robust flavor. (Especially in these times when high-quality matcha powder is facing a shortage.)
How to Store Matcha Tea Properly
To keep matcha fresh, you want to keep matcha powder away from its enemies: water, heat, air, and sunlight. Basically, everything that living plants need to survive.
That means you want to keep matcha in an opaque bag or tin in a dark, cool, and dry area. For most people, this means areas inside cupboards, drawers, or in the fridge (more on locations later.) You don’t even need to keep it in the kitchen, as long as you know where it is.
Most of the time, matcha powder will already come in an opaque tin or bag by default, which is already the perfect container. However, sometimes it may come in a silver bag that you need to cut open, which you’ll then need to transfer your matcha powder into another container or bag.
The best way to store matcha powder is in its original silver bag, rolled and clipped closed, and then stored in the tin that it came in. You can also dump the powder straight into the tin, but the bag helps limit exposure to air, light, and other elements.
But if you don’t have a tin, what container should you transfer your matcha powder into?
Best Matcha Storage Container
As mentioned, most matcha powders already come in opaque tins or bags, but you might have to transfer them into another container if it doesn’t, or maybe you just want a better matcha container.
For any matcha container, make sure that it’s both opaque and airtight. Remember, we want to keep out light, humidity, air, and heat. Having an airtight, opaque container already eliminates 2 of those elements.
Most matcha or tea storage containers are made of metal, like tin or stainless steel, and feature either a screwable or cappable lid that creates an airtight seal.
Where to Find Matcha Storage Containers
You can find matcha storage containers online or in tea stores easily, and you’ll want to pick one that’s large enough to hold your powder but not too large where you’ll expose your powder to more air than necessary. You’ll find containers that range in price from as cheap as $8 to over $100.
You can even find tins with a sift insert in it! There are also ones made from bamboo or wood, but I prefer metal containers.
Matcha containers are also not limited to just those marketed towards tea. You can also get any airtight jar or container as long as it doesn’t let light in. I’ve seen some jars made with violet glass, which supposedly blocks UV light out, or you can get one made from lacquerware, too.
After you’ve decided where to store your matcha, the next thing you need to know is where to store it in your home. Double (maybe even triple) protection!
Where to Store Matcha Powder
You might be wondering, does matcha need to be refrigerated? Can I leave my matcha on the kitchen counter? Where do I store it if I live somewhere humid? And these are all great questions! So, we’ll take a look at how to store matcha tea powder in some potential spaces, as well as the best way according to where you live.
On the Kitchen Counter
For most people, leaving your matcha tin on the kitchen counter is intuitive, in fact normal. It’s where you’ll go to make your matcha, and it looks nice on display! This is a good option to keep your matcha if you have a shaded area away from direct sunlight.
Don’t keep your matcha tin next to the window because it will heat up in the sun, which will quickly destroy your powder.
Keep it in a corner, under the cabinets, or behind a kitchen appliance that is shady and cool.
Note if things on your counter get warm easily, for example, microwaves, toaster ovens, and air fryers all give off heat when they’re in use. You’ll want to keep your matcha away from those.
Many people make a matcha station on the counter that is in a shady and cool spot, and away from appliances! Plus, they’re so cute to look at.
In the Fridge
If you live somewhere humid and/or hot, you’ll want to keep your matcha powder in the fridge.
This might sound weird at first because usually, you keep tea at room temperature. However, matcha is very sensitive (as we know) to temperature, and it’s best to keep it in cool, dark, and dry places.
I’ve heard many people find mold in their matcha after leaving it on the counter because they live in a humid area, so now they fridge their matcha powder.
However, when storing matcha in the fridge, there are some things to note:
- Matcha Absorbs Smell: You don’t want your chicken to taste or smell like day-old chicken, garlic, or other foods, so place your tin or bag in a sealable plastic bag like a Ziploc.
- Condensation: Matcha powder may have condensation in the fridge, so place a desiccant pack inside your tin to prevent mold. You can use any silica pack and tape it to the back of the lid so it’s out of your powder.
- Let Matcha Come to Room Temp: If you take your matcha out of the fridge, be sure to let it come to room temperature before using it. Otherwise, it will condense inside your tin when you open it!
Why Does Matcha Condensation Happen?
The Science: Water vapor in the air is moving at high speeds and bouncing around. When it touches something cold, the water molecules slow down and bond to each other, condensing onto the cooler surface.
So, cold matcha powder will become wet when it touches warmer air, which is why you want to let the container come to room temperature before opening it. The reverse also happens if you have warm air in your matcha tin and stick it in the fridge, which will touch the cold sides and condense in the tin.
Because of this, most people will only store unopened matcha in the fridge, and keep it out once opened. There’s a condensation risk every time you open, close, and stick your matcha back in the fridge, so it’s less risky to just leave it on the counter opened. So, this is how to store matcha tea in the fridge best!
In a Cupboard
If you don’t have counter space or all of your kitchen counter gets direct sunlight, you can also store matcha powder in a cupboard. It’s an easy dark, cool, and dry place to be!
Just make sure to remember where you’ve put it in your cupboard if you also have other items in there. I’ve definitely forgotten a matcha tin in my own cupboard once or twice or had to look for “lost” matcha that was in it. Out of sight, out of mind!
Like the fridge, you want to make sure there’s nothing pungent or strong smelling in the cupboard, as the matcha will absorb it. You can also keep it in a sealable bag for extra protection.
You can also keep it in a closet or box as well.
Best Way to Store Matcha
Depending on your environment and goals, your matcha storage may look different. As a foundation, the ultimate, best way to store matcha, as mentioned, is to:
- Keep the powder in its original bag and the original tin.
- Place it in a dark, cool spot with no smells.
Here’s how to store matcha tea powder depending on your environment:
If you live somewhere that is dry and/or cold OR you drink your matcha within a month: keep your matcha on the kitchen counter or in the cupboard.
If you live somewhere humid and/or hot OR want to preserve unopened matcha: keep your matcha in the fridge in a sealable bag with a desiccant pack.
How Long Does Matcha Powder Last
Most matcha powders “expire” (more on this later) after 2 years from when they are ground, but the best flavors are within 6-7 months of creation.
You can find the specific expiration or best-by dates on the bottom of most matcha tins. It will usually be in this format: year/month/date.
Once you open matcha, you should consume it within a month since once you break the airtight seal it starts to oxidize, and opening it rapidly exposes it to air every time you use it.
Sidenote: Technically, matcha powder lasts for a loooooooong time, especially if it’s in an airtight container. It is only comprised if mold somehow grows inside the tin due to moisture or if you let it decompose from oxidation and contamination.
So if matcha lasts for months, when does it taste the best or freshest?
When is Matcha Powder Freshest
Matcha powder is freshest when it is first ground, similar to coffee, which is freshest 2 weeks after it is roasted. The tea leaves have the most aroma, flavor, and nutrients in the first 2-3 months after it is ground. After, it slowly loses all the things that make it yummy.
Many matcha brands account for this, so when you buy matcha powder you (hopefully) get powders that are either ground to order or recently ground for the best, optimal flavor. Some brands even market themselves as grinding matcha to order!
Additionally, once matcha is sealed in their bags, they generally stay fresh for longer. So, when you get your matcha powder, it’s as fresh as it can be. Once you open your matcha powder, that’s when the clock really starts, and you should ideally finish your opened matcha within a month.
Does Matcha Expire
Matcha *technically* does not expire.
Instead, matcha slowly degrades over time, reducing in quality and flavor until it becomes soil (haha, composting!)
You can tell matcha is bad or old when it has a dull, yellow-green, or even brownish color, with little to no smell. If you taste it, old matcha powder will have no flavor and often have a dull, stale, sometimes bitter taste. It might also not whisk as well and give you less froth.
Old matcha is still perfectly safe to drink but isn’t the most pleasant to consume.
If you end up with stale matcha, you can use it for baking, desserts, smoothies, natural green dye, yogurt, basically anything, really! It’s also an amazing fertilizer for all your plant babies and veggies.
Can You Freeze Matcha?
Yes, you can freeze matcha!
If you somehow find yourself with multiple tins of matcha that you won’t get through anytime soon, you can freeze them and take them out when you’re ready to open a new tin.
Just like storing matcha powder in the fridge, you’ll want to keep your matcha in a sealable bag, especially in the freezer (we’ve all eaten ice cubes that taste like frozen shrimp or other food.)
HOWEVER, it’s not recommended to freeze matcha powder for long-term storage (3+ months) as it alters the texture and taste of the matcha. The water freezes inside the powdered tea, which can break the leaf structure and make it less flavorful and clumpy.
Can I Make Matcha in a Big Batch?
If you’re looking to use up some matcha powder before it goes bad, you can definitely batch matcha! Many cafes do this to keep up with orders, even matcha specialty cafes do this.
However, the caveat is that batched matcha tastes best within 1-2 days, so if you’re not going to be drinking your matcha soon, you might as well just make matcha as often as you can before it loses its flavor.
But for batched matcha, you basically mix it in a blender using 1 part matcha to 8 or 10 parts water, then keep it in the fridge until ready. The taste is similar to that of freshly whisked matcha, but it loses that frothy consistency whisked matcha has.
Matcha Storage Tips
Here are some other tips for how to store matcha tea powder properly at home:
- Only buy matcha you can consume soon: I know, it’s tempting to buy multiple tins of matcha at once, but buying only what you know you can finish in a month is best! That way, you guarantee your matcha will taste fresh and you won’t have to worry about storing unopened matcha.
- Use silica packets: If your matcha powder doesn’t come with desiccant packets, you can also take one from another pantry item and use it instead! Just make sure that whatever it comes in doesn’t have a strong smell.
- Vacuum seal containers or bags: If you want to extend your matcha powder life, you can vacuum seal your bag or container. This helps slow down oxidation significantly, but this method is also expensive, haha.
Enjoy Your Matcha!
Now you know how to store matcha tea powder best! Hopefully, these tips can help you make your matcha powder last longer and taste fresher for longer. Enjoy your fresh matcha powder in your favorite latte or drink, if you need inspiration, try some of these delicious matcha recipes:
- Sweet Corn Matcha Latte
- Strawberry Matcha Boba
- Smoked Salt Maple Matcha (MUST try!)
- Matcha Chai Latte
- Matcha Hot Chocolate
- Blueberry Cinnamon Matcha Latte
- Coconut Matcha Water (So refreshing)
- Matcha Einspanner (Just like the cafes!)
- Cinnamon Vanilla Matcha Latte
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