Plenty of stocked tea?
If you are a tea lover, we bet you have got at least 3 types of tea lying in your kitchen - most of which are to cater to your different moods, am I right or am I right?
Stocking great teas is absolutely fine until they expire or do they even expire? We hardly think about the lives of our teas but it’s something every tea drinker should know!
Firstly, yes, tea does go bad and loses its essence with time. Although the dry leaves usually last longer, it is a fact that the strength deteriorates with age.
So, how to tell if the tea has gone bad?
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The sniff test - Tea leaves tend to lose their aroma with time as the natural oil evaporates over time. So just take a sniff and if they don’t tempt you by their aroma like they did before, or you get a damp smell - your tea is unfit for consumption.
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The touch test - Dried tea has a great shelf life but when it gets too old or near to its expiration, it starts losing its sturdiness. So just take a handful of your loose leaf and see if it breaks easily or becomes powdery. If it has indeed lost its texture and appeal, then discard it.
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The liquor test - A brewed version of tea is termed as the “liquor”. If the color of your liquor has changed over time (usually it gets darker for black tea), you may not enjoy it anymore.
- The taste test -. With the tea getting old, the taste also fades away which is one of your biggest indicators that your tea has indeed gone bad. If you find the taste of the tea weaker than before or it is somewhat chemical like taste, then throw that batch out! This obviously trumps all the tests.
Shelf life of Tea
Above are some of the different factors that determine the shelf life of tea, but ideally packaged tea lasts in the pantry for 6-12 months. Make sure to store your loose leaf tea in airtight containers in a cool dark place - away from moisture and extreme temperatures. It is highly recommended to drink tea after purchasing it within a year.
Are you a chai tea lover and always struggle finding that perfect chai blend? We have got our Chai Bags specially for you. We have carefully selected each of the 11 spices and herbs in our signature 11 spices chai. And not only that, we add some extra love to our Chai Bags, 1 gram more than any other tea bags to be specific! Our other flavors such as Saffron Masala and Dirty Chai.