Whenever you start something new, it’s important to learn everything you can enjoy to the fullest. Consuming THCA flower is no different, and there’s plenty to learn to maintain and improve upon your plant wellness routines.
If you already know how to identify quality THCA flower, buy THCA flower, and consume THCA flower, what’s next to learn? How to store THCA flower.
Why is the storage of THCA so important? Because you want to keep the flower you’re buying as fresh as possible for the utmost quality. That’s why we’ve put together this ultimate guide on how to store THCA flower.
Keep reading to get all the secrets to success for fresh THCA flower as we cover:
Table of Contents
- The Importance of Proper THCA Storage
- Threats to Freshness: Storing THCA
- Ideal Conditions to Store THCA
- How to Store THCA: Tips to Maintain Freshness
- Identifying Fresh THCA Flower
- Mistakes to Avoid for THCA Flower Storage
- How to Store THCA Flower: The Final Word
The Importance of Proper THCA Storage
To be sure you take learning how to store THCA seriously, let’s first cover the importance of doing so. The compounds within THCA flower or “buds,” that produce its effects are highly sensitive and delicate. So protecting them is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the flower.
These compounds, like terpenes and cannabinoids, are responsible for the scent and effects or benefits of THCA flower. So, without preserving them or protecting them with proper storage, you’ll be negatively affecting your buzz.
Another reason to properly store THCA flower? Studies show that, when kept in proper environments, cannabinoids can remain shelf-stable for up to two years.
All in all, if you find a THCA flower strain that you like the effects of, and want to continue feeling the same types of effects for as long as the flower lasts – proper storage is a must.
Next, let’s learn how to protect our THCA flower from common threats to freshness.
Threats to Freshness: Storing THCA
There are four things that can significantly pose a threat to the freshness, quality, and integrity of THCA flower – light, heat, air, and moisture. Here’s how each can affect flower:
- Light – Light can degrade terpenes, cannabinoids, and chlorophyll, which will give your flower a grassy taste.
- Heat – Heat can affect the density of the flower and produce moisture that can cause mold and mildew. Mold and mildews won’t just affect the taste of the flower but can also negatively affect your health when consumed.
- Air – Too much oxygen or air can cause the precious compounds in flower, like terpenes and cannabinoids, to break down or degrade.
- Moisture – If buds are exposed to moisture, they can absorb it, changing the density, texture, and freshness of the flavor. Over time, moisture can also lead to mold.
Now that we know the types of conditions to avoid, we’ll cover the best conditions to store THCA flower in.
Ideal Conditions to Store THCA
From the type of container you use to the temperature of the room in which you keep the container, even the smallest of factors can affect THCA flower. To keep it in its freshest state, here are the most ideal conditions to store THCA flower in.
#1 Airtight Container
Using an airtight, opaque container to store THCA flower is recommended to keep out light, sun, and air. For smaller quantities this could be as simple as a glass mason jar, or for larger containers, industrial storage containers with tight lids.
#2 Cool Room
Once in an airtight, opaque container, you’ll want to keep it in a room that’s at a cool temperature to avoid exposing the flower to heat.
#3 Fine Tune Humidity
It’s not just the temperature that will affect the THCA flower; it’s also the humidity. If you have a room that runs more humid than others, opt out of choosing to store THCA flower there. Instead, choose a dry area or environment, free of moisture and high levels of humidity.
How to Store THCA: Tips to Maintain Freshness
For some consumers or wholesalers, it’s not just about how to properly store THCA flower but also how to keep it as fresh as possible during storage. Luckily, there are a few measures you can take to help create and control the optimal environment for keeping flower fresher, longer.
- Moisture controls – Purchase a hygrometer to keep track of the humidity of the room or container you’re using to store THCA flower. This measures the humidity of the space, which you’ll want to keep between 59-63%. Additions like Boveda packs can also help support moisture levels, by keeping relative humidity (RH) at the ideal 62%. Humidity and temperature controls help prevent mold and mildew from growing, and retaining the flower’s original aroma, flavor, and cannabinoid content.
- Temperature controls – Similarly, purchase a thermometer to keep track of the temperature of the room or container you’re using to store THCA flower. The recommended temperature for storing flower for freshness is between 60℉ – 70℉. If you’re having trouble keeping this temperature, consider adding A/C units to the area, fans, etc.
- Storage containers – As we’ve mentioned, the right storage container will make a huge difference in storing your THCA flower properly. Not only should it be airtight to keep oxygen from degrading the flower, but it should be opaque to keep out light and have a way to control temperatures and humidity, too.
Identifying Fresh THCA Flower
Of course, you won’t know if the measures you’re taking to store THCA flower properly are working if you don’t know how to identify fresh THCA flower. So to help, here are a few factors to look for in identifying fresh THCA flower:
- Pungent aroma – Fresh THCA flower will have a pungent aroma. If your flower smells of mildew, hay, grass, sourness, or nothing at all, it’s likely past its freshness.
- Tacky touch – A fresh THCA flower bud will be sticky, or tacky to the touch, meaning its resinous trichomes are still in-tact.
- Dryness – You should be able to break apart buds, without them crumbling in your hands. On the other hand, buds shouldn’t be wet or soft to the touch, either.
If you find that your flower has dried out, you can use the Boveda packs we previously mentioned to re-humidify the flower back to optimal levels.
Mistakes to Avoid for THCA Flower Storage
To finish, it never hurts to learn from others mistakes to ensure you properly store THCA flower the right way, from the start. Here are some of the most common mistakes made when storing THCA flower for longevity and preservation of freshness –
- Avoid any exposure to UV lights – If you’re storing in a room that often has the lights on, be sure the storage container remains dark.
- Create a regular monitoring routine – Set up a regular routine of checking on the flower you’re storing, shaking up the buds to get some airflow and checking your hygrometer and thermometers for optimal conditions.
- Set up odor neutralizers – Maintain discretion with odor neutralizers such as carbon filters or Ozium.
- Secure the space – Keep a lock on the room or containers where you are storing THCA flower for ultimate security and protection.
- Avoid cross-contamination – Don’t store different THCA flower strains in one container, to avoid cross contamination of flavors and aromas that are true to strains.
- Properly label – Be sure that all of your storage containers are properly labeled to avoid losing track of the strain, date of harvest, etc.
How to Store THCA Flower: The Final Word
With the information you’ve gained today, you now know how to store THCA flower properly. So when you purchase wholesale THCA flower, or bulk amounts to consume on your own – you can properly store them for freshness and longevity.
Now, if you’re looking for wholesale THCA flower to buy – you’re also in the right place. Elevated Trading is the industry leader for quality bulk THCA flower, edibles, concentrates, and beyond.
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