When Does Tea Expire, Is It Safe To Drink?

Roasted, toasted, fermented, and rolled. How can tea expire? But, it does! But when does it expire? Can you still drink expired tea? Can you do anything to extend the expiration of your tea? Then there is the expiration date of a tea bag (if you use one). Is your tea cabinet as full as mine? knowing when your tea expires is an important detail to fresh tasting tea.

Does tea expire?

Yes, tea does expire. You will be able to find aged tea 5,10, 20 years old or more. These are spectacular special teas that have been aged to perfection. Some teas are created to age.

Today we are not talking about those teas. While these teas do still have an expiration date. Today we want to discuss those teas that stack up in your cabinet. What are some of the factors in tea expiration?

Air – Your tea should be kept in air-tight containers. Just because tea is sent to you in nice bags and containers. This does not mean they are airtight or permanent storage.

Temperature – The lower the temperatures the better. Lower temperatures help keep tea fresh.

Light – Or lack thereof. The darker the storage the better the storage. UV light helps break down the properties of your tea.

Humidity – The less humidity the better. You want your humidity to be set at around 50-60%. This will slow down or halt the growth of bacteria and mold.

Not everyone can have the perfect setting for tea. I myself do not like air conditioning and my house can reach temperatures in the high 80’s before I turn on the air. Not the best for my teas. But heat and humidity are some of the scenarios that affect tea.

The real test in expired tea is scent and taste. Those two senses should say it all. Yet realize, some bacterias do not have a scent.

There are (of course) different teas and different productions. Teas that are less or not fermented have a much shorter shelf life and expire sooner than most. Those teas are like matcha or Longjing.

How fast does a tea expire? It can take a few years or a few months depending on the way tea is stored.

There are a group of teas that you can still use after expiration. These teas are fermented. They will not lose as much flavor after expiration. IF they are stored correctly.

Pu’erh – The longer a pu’erh is stored it becomes richer and mellow. Pu’erh can be raw or ripe. Possible storage is 5 to 50 years. It’s not an easy answer. But we do know a pu’erh tea can last a long time.

Some White – Often referred to as one-year tea, three-year medicine, and seven-year treasure. The white teas will become better for medicinal purposes as they age. One after use for the tea once it’s past its drinking prime. Plus, most white teas you receive are already aged.

Certain Oolongs – depending on the fermentation. An oolong can last well past its expected use date. The more fermented and processed the longer a tea can stay preserved. Especially if that tea is stored in a safe and secure place.

How long does brewed tea last?

Brewed tea left out at room temperature expires after about eight hours. Put that same tea into the refrigerator and it can last for up to four days.

Do not place brewed tea into the refrigerator in an open cup. Make sure you still use an airtight container. Tea can absorb scents from items that are in your refrigerator. So make sure to cover that tea, you don’t want any surprises when drinking.

How to tell if your tea is expired

One way or many? While there is not just one way to tell if your tea is expired. There are many. When we test if our food is bad the first thing we do is stick our nose close and sniff. We trust our senses. The last thing we do is taste a product we feel may be spoiled. It’s the same with the tea in our cups. Even before the tea is brewed in our cups we can tell if it’s expired.

In time the natural oils in the tea leaves will dissipate. As the leaves start to really dry out there will be changes. These changes are what your senses will notice. 

There are definite ways to find out if your tea is expired. There are visual signs: 

Bacteria

If there is moisture in your tea there is a very sure chance that bacteria can grow. When bacteria is in your tea you will smell an acidic scent (hopefully you will catch this before you taste it).

Oozy leaves

If the tea leaves are wet, damp, or sticky. ICK! Just don’t even try. These are signs of bacteria as well.

Mold

Mold catches a lot of our attention. If it’s in our homes or on our walls we know it’s going to spread and it’s not going to be pretty. For our health or our wallet. You may not be able to find mold on your tea leaves. If you keep your tea leaves dry, mold will not be there. Mold cannot grow in dry areas or products. Mold can be brown, white, light green, or even yellow.

Next would be your sense of smell. A powerful weapon in detecting things that are good and bad.

Weird Scent

You know better. Don’t even try it. If a tea smells “off” don’t!

Lack of scent

If your tea is lacking a scent, it’s just the way the tea is telling you it’s time is over. It’s spent its last moments waiting for you to finally brew it, and then it was gone. No scent, no tea. Don’t drink it.

Taste

There are teas that will lose their taste. Most teas when old enough but stored properly will lose their taste. You should have caught this at the scent. If by chance you missed it and you are drinking your tea and realize it tastes like warm water. Realize your tea is expired.

The last and final thing you can do to double-check your tea is to brew your water and rinse your leaves. Is there a change? Did it get better? Did it get worse?

I trust my gut. If in doubt don’t. That is something you need to put on your tea cabinet. It’s not worth it. 

Is there a way to tell if tea is fresh?

There is a way to tell if tea is fresh. It’s actually the same way that you tell if your tea is expired. It’s your senses:

Touch – Touch that tea. A good tea will feel sturdy. It should not crumble and while it should not be brittle but it also should break easily. Feel your tea leaves once they are brewed. They should feel slightly slippery and smooth.

Scent – Ohhh the smell of a fresh tea. WOW. It’s like a light goes off in your soul. While each tea will carry its own scent. That scent will be strong and it will smell fresh and earthy. Some teas will have their own fragrance for that tea. You will know if you are smelling fruity tea or a sweeter tea. 

Taste – Oh the taste of a bad tea. We’ve all been there. Restaurant tea, say what? A good tea will be bold. You will taste the notes of the tea. Each tea has notes that are recognizable, if you do not recognize those notes in your tea, most on.

Is it safe to drink expired tea?

The short answer is yes. BUT.

The reason you drink tea is for the great taste as well as the incredible health benefits. As tea ages so do those properties. The antioxidant qualities of the tea diminish over time. Once the tea is expired both flavor and health benefits.

Expired tea will have a dull flavorless lack. It will taste stale or “old”.

Even tea that has been stored correctly will expire. You can drink expired tea but the experience may not be the best. The lack of flavor is a big negative.

While it will not hurt you the benefits are lost in the expiration. 

I suggest not even drinking expired tea, but if you must do not exceed 6-12 months past expiration.

How about those tea bags?

Do tea bags expire?

OF course, they do, just like tea the bags that carry our tea grow old, they expire. Teabags can be used after the expiration date, Some suggest up to two years after the expiration date.

However, if those tea bags have not been stored properly. If there is mold or mildew on or in the bags. If you notice movement such as a pest inside the bags. These bags are to be thrown out and not used. 

Similar to tea store your tea bags in a dry, cold, and dark environment.

Teabags (as well as tea) should be stored in a cool, dark place. Make sure to store them away from any direct sunlight or heat sources.

At room temperature, tea bags should be considered expired after 1.5-2 years

You can extend the life of a teabag by storing it in an airtight container.

You will find teabags using the expiration dates such as:

• Best by

• Best if used by

• Best before

• Best when used by

• Best taste date

These are not expiration dates. They are an estimate or suggested timeframe that the tea bags will be at their best.

Teabags will not “spoil” per sai, but they can break down and lose “flavor”. Not so much lose flavor but the contents inside may lose flavor. The teabag itself should have or add no flavor to the tea. I’m not convinced that a teabag has a flavor. Anything that is breaking down in your cup of tea may leave a taste or compromise the taste of your tea.

Do not store in the refrigerator or freezer. This won’t help preserve the life of your teabag. In fact, the opposite may happen if the tea bags collect any condensation or moisture.

Our tea storage suggestions

 

What to do with your abundance of tea

Please do not share or give expired tea to anyone. I personally throw away any tea that is given to me that has been expired. If you have an abundance of tea that is getting close to expiration there are a few things you can do.

Throw a party and include the tea. Everyone loves a cup of tea. Laugh and share a story over a cup of tea. Explain out of your abundance of tea you needed to use up some of your tea. You decided to invite your tea-loving friends over to share in the last pot of (name your) tea. Don’t forget the biscuits and scones.

I love to share my tea. Because I am often scent boxes of tea to review and share with my friends and followers I get a lot of tea. I always share. The tea that is left after images and review is passed down to a few of my friends. They know who they are 🙂 

Bake a cake? Or a cookie. How about a marbled tea egg? Use that tea before it expires by creating your first tea baking experience. There are some great recipes on the web.

So many teas, so little time. That’s why we end up with cupboards full of tea. Let’s take time out today to go through our inventory and rotate our stock and share those teas before they expire. Let the world know about those teas you hide so deep in your tea closet.

And when you can no longer share your teas you can look to alternative ways to utilize them. Like: 

Hydrate your skin – place cooled tea bags on your skin to hydrate and calm. Tea contains antioxidants to soothe your skin. Green tea contains the most antioxidants.

Shoe odors – place expired DRY tea bags inside your boots or shoes. By doing this the odor inside the boot or shoe is absorbed by the tea in the bag.

Reduce eye inflammation – Brew your tea bags, cool and place under your eyes. This is for a calming effect and reduces puffiness. You can also place the teabags in the fridge for a cooler approach.

Foot Soak – Add a couple of tea bags to your foot soak. This is a great way to add tea to your foot spa experience without trying to clean up loose teas and herbs.

Sunburn – Brewed tea bags can ease the inflammation of a sunburn. Again the antioxidants assist in the healing of the skin.

Deodorize – that stinky closet. Hang a few tea bags with a good scent in your smaller spaces. The air will smell better and your area will be deodorized naturally.

Resurface wood – brewed tea bags cooled and wiped on wood surfaces used to polish the surface. After application buff and your furniture will shine.

Gardens – throw used tea bags into your garden or compost pile. To add beneficial properties to add to the soil of your garden.

Clean a greasy pan – Add a couple of tea bags to the pan, add water and let sit overnight. Grease and any stuck-on mess should be easier to remove.

Bath – Oh! expired or not, drop a couple of bags into your bath and enjoy the aroma. The tea will also aid the body and calm the soul.

Firestarters – this one made me laugh. So dry out your teabags super good. Dip into the wax and there you have it, a fire starter.

Bug bites – I actually keep a few of these in the bathroom in a zip lock bag. When there is a bug bit, just dampen the tea bag and apply. It really takes the itch off.

What is the best way to store tea?

You will want to store your tea away from the elements:

• Light

• Heat

• Air

• Odor

• Dampness

Container – Store teas in a secure dark tinted glass container. Stainless steel and airtight is the best choice. No containers? Put your tea into a brown paper bag for a short period of time.

Temperature – store at room temperature, do not freeze your teas. Keep teas away from all heat sources. One time I used my crockpot under my tea cabinet. Big mistake, the heat really warmed up that area.

Darkness – Teas love to be kept in the dark. Store them in a pantry or cupboard where they will be secluded away from light sources.

Water – Don’t store your teas in areas that are damp. Do not store over the stove because the humidity from the heat can disrupt the leaves. 

Scents – Unless you want your teas to pick up that spice scent from your spices don’t store them around other species. Teas will absorb the scent around them.

Always seal the original pouch or container if you cannot find a container to secure them in.

Try to use your teas within a months time after opening (good luck)

Precautions 

• Don’t store in glass or plastic containers. Light can still filter through to the leaves even if stored in a pantry or cupboard.

• Never use a wet utensil to remove the tea leaves

• Make sure your container is airtight. The less exposure to the elements the longer life you will give your tea.

• Freezing your teas is not something I suggest. The freezer or refrigerator can cause condensation. There are ways to do it in detail. No reason for anyone to really freeze a tea if they follow the other methods of storing tea leaves. 

Conclusion

I was looking at my tea cupboard. It used to be a shelf, that once was a small box that sat on my counter and thought about tea expiration. When should I say goodbye to some teas I’ve been holding on to for a long time. I don’t have to toss them? There are many variables that could make your tea go bad. There are many more to keep your tea safe for years. Yes.. years. So, how long does tea last?