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How Long Do Tea Bags Stay Fresh
The average shelf life of a tea bag is about two years. However, this does not mean that tea bags cannot last longer than this. If stored properly, tea bags can last for several years without losing their flavor. The key to storing tea bags properly is to keep them in a cool, dry place.
When stored in your pantry, you will enjoy the fresh teabags for almost one year, while if kept in your freezer; they will last for up to two years. Tea bags can be stored for 1 -2 years, provided that they are stored in sealed containers (such as ziplock bags) in a cool, dark place. As long as properly stored in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, tea bags can last for much longer than one year past the best-by date. It is also important to ensure you are storing your tea bags the best possible way in order to extend the life of their flavors for as long as possible.
Even if the tea bags do come with expiration dates and best-by dates, you will still be able to continue enjoying them for years until they lose flavor. Even though many packaged teas will print a shelf life on their package, if stored correctly, teas are probably safe for long past this date. You are probably never going to look at an expiration date on a box of tea and throw it away right away because it is gone bad and is not fit for drinking anymore. If you are not careful about the way you keep your tea, even when fermented, a raw 20-year-old puerh can go stale really fast.
The tea would still be safe to drink up to two years later, but it may not be as delicious as it was fresh. As tea ages, it just gets dry and less flavourful, provided that it is stored correctly, in a cool, dry environment. While storage may prolong shelf life, condensation, particularly from a refrigerator, will impact tea flavors.
If your tea comes in contact with humidity, it may grow mould, so you will want to get rid of it. Tea can remain fresh for years if you keep it in an airtight container that is kept somewhere cool and dry, and away from direct light. Generally, your tea should remain fresh for one year if stored room temperature in an airtight container. Like most things, keeping tea, in any form, cool temperatures will keep the tea fresher.
Only with brewed tea, you will want to keep it refrigerated, which helps it stay fresh. If you have to store your prepared tea, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. Store brewed iced tea cold in a sealed container or bag to limit exposure to air.
You want to keep the tea from absorbing flavors/scents from the environment by keeping it airtight metal or glass containers (or wrappers, in case of individually wrapped tea bags), you want to keep leaves out of UV light, and you want to keep leaves dry.
To ensure that your tea stays fragrant and full of flavonoids for a year to two, move your teabags or leaves into an airtight container soon after you buy them, and keep them far from your stovetop and sink. If the tea bags are not enclosed in bags, which can preserve tea bags for longer, I recommend keeping them in a non-transparent, airtight container, such as these airtight canisters by SilverOnyx. If you keep the tea bags in their original package, which is typically a cardboard box, then the tea bags can lose their flavors more quickly and soak up other flavors around them. Tea bags typically contain dust or fanned out leaves, tiny particles that can easily degrade to freshness much more easily than the entire leaf, particularly if not packed into separate bags.
The only way that any tea leaves actually spoil is when they are kept in extremely damp environments, where they eventually soak up enough moisture to grow mouldy, so storing your tea leaves properly is essential for keeping the tea fresh. This means that, if you keep tea leaves stored correctly, they will keep their flavors for a very long time. Properly stored dried tea leaves never expire; however, after 2 years, they lose their flavour and nutritional value. Dry tea leaves are considered nonperishable, meaning that they can be stored for long periods without the risk of spoiling.
It is not recommended to store tea leaves in a refrigerator or freezer, because cold environments may lead the leaves to lose flavor and aroma, becoming stale. Tea leaves, tea bags, and powdered teas will all last for up to 2 years before their leaf flavors are diminished, provided that they are stored in cool, dark, dry, airtight conditions.
If sealed, black tea can retain much of its flavour and aroma up to 36 months after purchase, whereas green tea is noticeably aged after 12 to 14 months, even when stored unopened and in airtight bags. My own experience has also led me to believe that even when stored in a non-transparent, airtight container, green tea that is left loosely rolled starts losing its flavour significantly about 2 months after opening the bag. If stored correctly, the green tea in a loose leaf form stays generally nice for at least 1 year. Tea does indeed get stale over time and loses its flavour, potentially making it worse to drink.
The flavor of the tea significantly decreases in quality after about 2 years. As long as you consume your tea prior to the dates listed on the packaging, your tea should be great. To prevent wasting your tea, brew just enough tea to consume in just a couple of days.
Chilling your tea over several days and nights will diminish the flavour, particularly if it has picked up odors from your fridge. If the tea has been kept out of the heat, humidity, and direct sunlight, it does not get worse, and will not get sick. Storing your tea in a refrigerator is a better option, especially with vacuum sealed bags. Tea manufacturers, just like any other food and drink products, need to place a shelf life date on their products for it to sell at stores, but this does not necessarily mean that you need to toss your whole box of tea bags when it hits it.
Does dried tea expire?
The flavour and phytochemical content of dried tea leaves may be preserved for up to two years if they are kept dry and stored away from heat, water, light, and air. The dried leaves will keep for a longer period of time if they are more fermented and whole.
How do you preserve tea bags?
You must first keep the tea bag in a wet environment. They start to dry out and turn into a haven for germs and mould. Therefore, the ideal place to keep them is in a little shot glass filled with water. As a result, they won’t leak when being kept.
Can tea bags get mold?
Mold can develop on the tea or the tea bag in a tea bag. Any setting with a high amount of humidity will include mold. By storing your tea in a low-humidity setting and keeping your tea bags in an airtight container, you may avoid mold growth in your tea.