Does Loose Leaf Tea Expire

Try smelling the bags or loose leaves first.

Does loose leaf tea expire. While tea does always have an expiration date it s there more as a suggestion when to use the tea by in order to get maximum flavor. It s not uncommon to see expiration dates that are two or even three years away. However they re still good for consumption. Fresh loose leaf tea is flavorful.

Whether you purchase loose leaf tea or tea bags the packaging is bound to come with a best before date. In some tins of loose tea leaves there s an expiry date for its best by date but not for the use by date. But it does have a best before date which means that it is ideal to use the tea before the specified date. Unlike other foods and drinks tea does not have an expiry date.

Tea leaves don t expire in the real sense. Does the tea expire or go stale if the tin has never been opened. Tea will eventually lose flavor but dry leaves will last a very long time. If you do this the tea will give you a full year of use and maybe longer than that.

Thereby even after the best before date has lapsed you can use the tea safely. No loose tea leaves do not expire. The shelf life of tea depends on a variety of factors such as the best before date the preparation method and how it was stored. If there s no.

But they do lose flavor aroma and color over time. The short answer is. Loose leaf tea will have longer expiration date than tea bags. Let s look at what the expiry date actually is.

This date usually indicates how long the tea will maintain its ideal taste for. After brewing all types of tea last for 3 5 days in the fridge and 6 8 months in the freezer. Tea bags usually contain dust or fannings small particles that can lose freshness much easier than whole leaf especially if they are not packed in individual pouches. Tea made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant is enjoyed both hot and iced.

Both loose leaf tea and tea bags usually have an expiration date on the packaging but usually that date is pretty far into the future. I ve got several tins of loose tea that have been in the pantry for at least a couple years and some tins that have been in the pantry for more than 5 years. Before brewing packaged tea bags and loose leaf tea lasts for 6 12 months in the pantry and 1 2 years in the freezer. The trick is to store it properly.

The smaller the leaf the faster it will expire. Whether you re storing your unprepared or brewed tea in the pantry fridge or freezer always store it in an airtight container to keep out the light moisture and other contaminants.