Green Tea: What a Difference a Date Makes

However did you know that Green Tea has a fairly short shelf life, and to get the greatest benefits it should be drunk as quickly after picking as is possible? The object of consuming Green Tea is to derive the greatest health benefits that the brew has to offer.
The actual shelf life of Green Tea will generally be up to six months after harvesting, when exposed to open air.
Indeed there are certain varieties of Green Tea which will be deemed spoiled after four months from harvesting.
So freshness becomes a problem However with the popularity of Green Tea soaring worldwide it now travels perhaps many thousands of miles from the harvest site before it reaches the customer. Keeping Green Tea fresh for consumption in the countries in which it is harvested, although needing care is fairly simple as there is usually no great time-delay in transportation.
When transporting Green Tea on long journeys most companies, but not all, seal the tea in packages filled with a nitrogen gas, which replaces oxygen and prevents the Green Tea from oxidisation.
When sold in packages the Green Tea should be sealed in a bag from which the oxygen has been removed. The contents of the bag should then be used within two months so as to have the Green Tea at its freshest.
There is much difference between a Green Tea which has been exposed to air for much of its life.
You should always read the packaging before purchase to make sure of the harvest date of the Green Tea: the better providers have no problem in giving this information. Sometimes you take a risk in the purchase of your favourite flavour of Green Tea, in that some degradation has happened prior to your purchase due to the exposure to oxygen.
Remember, by purchasing the freshest you will be getting a greater helping of the wonderful benefits Green Tea has to offer.
Mike Linder is the author of the definitive guide to all green teas and their health benefits.
http://www.benefitsdrinkinggreentea.com

Brewing Green Tea - The Top Ten Reasons Your Green Tea Didn't Turn Out Good

I've put together a top ten list explaining why this may have occured. Perhaps it may have been too bitter, or not really as "green" as you had anticipaged. However, if you have ever tried to brew it, there is a good chance it didn't turn out like you may have wanted it to.

Japanese green tea, when brewed correctly, is quite delicious.
You brewed it too hot. If you brew it too hot, it will become bitter. This is probably the most common of all mistakes, and one which has the most influence over the taste. Depending of the variety of green tea, it should be brewed around 175 degrees F, give or take 5 degrees.
You started off with old green tea. Green tea, "when properly packaged", has a shelf life of about 6 months. Once opened, you have about 2-3 months to use it. That's for properly packaged (vacuum packed or nitrogen packaged) tea - If your green tea wasn't packaged properly and is exposed to any amount of air, it probably was never good to begin with.
You can get this throughout the year, however. It's no big secret - the best green tea comes from the first harvest in late April, early May. Your green tea was from a late harvest.
You brewed it too long. This depends on the variety, but generally speaking, no more than 2 minutes.
You used too much tea. This is where you have more room for adjustment. Again, it depends on the variety, but for normal sencha, about one teaspoon to 8-10 ounces of water. For one type of tea, you may have to use an even level teaspoon, and for another a heaping teaspoon; it will vary from tea to tea.
You didn't use enough tea. For gyokuro, you won't get good results unless you use double the amount used for sencha.
You didn't start out with good water.You need good water.
You tried to use a tea ball or paper filter. Green tea is compact. Once you brew, it really expands and needs plenty of space to open up.
You tried to use a 2 liter English Teapot. If you really know what you are doing, it is possible to use a Western teapot to brew green tea. However, you would be way better off using one designed for green tea.
Just because it's from Japan doesn't necessarily mean it's good. Even in Japan, the quality levels of green tea vary considerably. You started of with low quality tea.
Kevin Moore, owner and operator of
http://www.O-Cha.com
, was one of the first online shops dedicating itself to selling Japanese green tea. Based out of Japan, O-Cha.com offers a large variety of loose leaf green teas, matcha, and brewing supplies, in addition to helpful advice on all aspects of green tea.