Store unopened matcha somewhere cool and dark. Once opened, reseal it tightly, keep it in the fridge, let it reach room temperature before opening, and finish it within about three months.
You know the moment. The first scoop from a new tin is vivid green and smells like a spring field. A month later it's a little duller. By the bottom of the tin, it tastes faintly like hay.
Nothing went wrong, exactly. Matcha is ground tea leaf, and it's sensitive to the four things that are everywhere in a kitchen: air, light, heat and moisture. The good news is that protecting it takes about ten seconds a day.
Before you open it
Keep unopened tins somewhere cool and dark: a cupboard away from the stove, not the windowsill, not on top of the fridge where the warm air rises. A factory-sealed tin is well protected, so there's no need to refrigerate it yet.
After you open it
This is where most of the flavor is won or lost.
- Reseal it every time. Press the inner lid down firmly, then the outer cap. If your tin came with a foil pouch inside, fold it closed.
- Keep it in the fridge. Cold slows the fading. Put the tin in a spot where it won't sit next to anything strong-smelling, because matcha picks up aromas easily.
- Let it come to room temperature before opening. This one matters. Opening a cold tin in a warm kitchen pulls moisture onto the powder. Take it out a few minutes before you make your bowl.
- Use a dry scoop. Never a damp spoon or whisk near the tin.
How long does matcha last?
Once opened, aim to finish a tin within about three months. It won't become unsafe after that, but you'll notice the color and aroma soften. This is also why we think a 40g tin is the right size for most people: at about 2g a bowl, it's roughly 20 servings, gone well before it has a chance to fade.
If you drink matcha every day, a larger 100g bag or a refill pouch makes sense. If you drink it a few times a week, smaller and fresher is better.
Signs your matcha is fading
- The color shifts from bright jade toward olive or yellowish green
- The aroma goes flat or slightly grassy-dry instead of fresh
- The bowl tastes more bitter and less sweet than it used to
None of these mean you have to throw it out. A fading matcha still makes a perfectly good latte, a smoothie or a batch of matcha cookies. Just save your freshest tin for the bowl.
The simplest habit of all
Buy what you'll finish. Every original tin we sell shows a best-by month on its product page, and our freshness page explains how we keep tins sealed and dated from the producer to your door.