In this article we are discuss about Store Terpenes are substances responsible for giving plants their distinct aroma and flavor profile. They play an essential role in optimizing flowers’ therapeutic effects, as various terpenes affect users in unique ways and come with different uses, like to relieve anxiety, for example.Â
However, terpenes are highly volatile, meaning multiple factors can affect their potency. As such, it’s crucial to understand how to preserve terpenes effectively to keep them longer and get the most out of these valuable compounds.
If you want to learn how to store terpenes safely, this article can help you out. We’ll discuss the importance of this practice and a few handy tips to improve your terpene products’ quality and longevity through proper storage.
Why Is It Important to Store Terpenes Properly?
Proper terpene storage is essential because these substances are susceptible to weather, soil quality, processing and extraction methods, and many other factors. These variables can affect terpenes’ taste and smell, and learning how they do so can help you keep your terpenes safe from them.
Let’s take extraction, for example. Plants that undergo intense extraction processes, like steam distillation, lose most terpenes to heat and pressure. During these instances, it’s crucial to preserve what’s left to avoid diluted substances with minimal remnants of their original flavor and aroma.
Another reason is that terpenes play a vital part in the entourage effect, where the different compounds in a flower work together to create a uniquely beneficial experience for the user. As such, keeping terpenes from dissipation through proper storage and preservation is critical to maximizing their therapeutic effects.
Store Terpenes Tips
The challenge with handling terpenes is storage and preservation. As we’ve mentioned, terpenes are highly sensitive to their environment. Once growers harvest a plant, it’s a race against time to preserve its terpene content, and one mistake could drastically impact the substance’s quality and potency.
Fortunately, the following tips can make this task easier.
1. Store your terpenes at an ambient temperature
Terpenes are pretty temperature-sensitive and have low evaporation points, or the temperature at which they begin to dissipate due to heat. If terpenes get too warm at any part of the production process—during extraction, storage, or consumption—they start to lose their unique flavor, aroma, and potency.
Some terpenes begin evaporating at around 100ºF (37ºC). As a rule of thumb, you must keep terpenes at an ambient temperature of around 70ºF (21ºC) after harvesting to minimize evaporation and keep most of their quality. There’s also the issue of humidity, which you must maintain between 45% and 65% to avoid rot or microbial growth.
2. Avoid using plastic and uncoated metal containers
Plastic can degrade terpenes, significantly impacting their characteristics and potency. Uncoated metal containers do the same as some terpene oils may react with bare metal surfaces. Unfortunately, these materials are also the packaging many retailers use, so give your business an edge by using non-plastic containers to prolong terpene quality.
Consider using glass bottles and jars to protect terpenes from plastic degradation. Coated metal containers can also work in a pinch as long as you keep moisture and quality in mind to avoid oxidation and contamination.
3. Keep your terpenes in a cool, dark place
Light, especially from ultraviolet (UV) sources like the sun, rapidly degrades flowers and their terpene content. UV rays are strong enough to break down terpenes, causing irreversible loss of their taste, smell, and potency.
You can limit the amount of light that hits terpenes by storing them in a dark space or dark-colored, opaque containers. It’s also essential to maintain cool storage spaces. Otherwise, unnecessary heat may cause terpenes to evaporate, and the additional moisture might promote mold and microbial growth and contaminate your products.
4. Store different strains separately
By keeping different terpenes together, you risk mixing their scents and tastes. It can also contaminate and degrade newer products if you keep them near older terpenes or resins. Contamination might also occur even among airtight storage containers, especially with concentrated terpenes, which usually have more pungent odors.
Minimize contamination and keep terpenes at their top quality by storing various strains separately. Shelves may work in a pinch, but you could purchase larger airtight containers to hold different terpenes.
5. Keep your materials clean
On a similar note, keeping storage equipment clean is vital. Otherwise, older, uncleaned terpenes may contaminate new ones. It could also spur microbial growth, harming terpenes and your business’s cleanliness and reputation.
- Always sanitize storage areas and sterilize glass bottles and jars by boiling them before filling them up.
- Regularly clean storage boxes to eliminate dust buildup and prevent bacterial and mold growth.
- Consider occasionally replacing equipment as well, especially if containers show wear and tear.
Keep Your Terpenes in Top Quality
Terpenes are inconveniently delicate. Any minor mistake could severely impact their taste, smell, and potency, so treating them carefully from harvest to consumption is essential to prolong their quality. Fortunately, terpene storage isn’t rocket science—keep them away from extreme temperatures, light, plastic, and dirt. In turn, you’ll have high-quality terpenes and satisfied customers that are sure to return.
