Crossword Genius

Issued blood without too much kept stored (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bottled

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'stored' is the definition.
(bottling is a kind of storing)

'issued blood without too much' is the wordplay.
'issued blood' becomes 'bled' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'without' indicates putting letters inside ('without' can be similar in meaning to 'outside').
'too much' becomes 'OTT' (short for over the top).
'bled' enclosing 'ott' is 'BOTTLED'.

'kept' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bottled that I've seen before include "Preserved in jars" , "confined by Nebuchadnezzar?" , "Attacked in pub" , "Stored in glass" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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