How To Keep Your Tea Tasting Fresh For Longer

Tea is a beverage that has shaped societies, sparked revolutions, and is a drink that millions of people enjoy every day. Even with its widespread consumption and popularity, a significant amount of tea goes stale in the pantry in many households. To prevent good tea from spoiling in your home, you’ll need to find ways to keep it from going bad.

To keep your tea tasting fresh for longer, always store it in an airtight container and in a cool, dry place. Never keep tea in the refridgerator or freezer, and never store it near strong smelling foods, as tea leaves may absorb these aromas. Opt for teas known to have a longer shelf life, including black and oolong teas. Buy tea in small batches, and purchase it directly from the source.

If you love tea, you're likely familiar with the nuanced flavors this beverage can offer. There are even tea sommeliers, as some tea varieties are as precious and complex as wine. Tea, like wine, can also have a high price tag, which is why you never want your favorite tea to lose its flavor. Below is a list of all the best ways to keep your tea fresh and tasting great for as long as possible.

13 Ways To Keep Your Tea Tasting Fresh For Longer

1. Keep It Airtight

Tea leaves last longest when they are kept in an airtight container. They are sensitive to oxygen, moisture, and other elements, and can quickly lose flavor when the leaves aren’t correctly stored.

Never leave loose-leaf tea or tea bags open to the air. Instead, use airtight containers, such as Tupperware, aluminum tins, or specialty tea containers. Storing tea in the proper container will help it maintain its freshness and nuanced flavor for longer.

2. Store Tea Away From Strong Smells

Tea leaves, especially those from the camellia sinensis plant, from which black, green, oolong, and other teas are derived, absorb odors. Even faint aromas can find its way into tea leaves if you they are exposed to a scent for long enough.

Remember to keep your tea away from other strong-smelling items. Avoid placing your tea next to coffee or where you store spices, as they can absorb these pungent aromas and compromise the flavor of the tea. Instead, always keep your tea sealed and far away from anything with a pungent odor.

3. Purchase Tea Known For Its Longevity

Not all teas have the same shelf life. Some types of tea can last more than twice as long as others. Most black teas last the longest, with some varieties able to stay fresh for two years or more.

Other teas known for their longevity include oolong tea and certain white tea varieties. Green tea, however, is known to have a much shorter lifespan, often staying fresh for a maximum of six months. Some herbal teas also have a short shelf life, especially varieties with dried fruits and residual sugars.

4. Buy Quality Loose-Leaf Tea Instead Of Tea Bags

To ensure your tea lasts as long as possible, it is recommended to purchase loose-leaf tea whenever possible. Loose-leaf tea almost always lasts longer than bagged tea. Tea in bags is often broken down into a fine powder, which is exposed to air, is usually older, and tends to go stale faster. Loose-leaf tea is usually fresher than tea in sachets, and it is easier to store in air-tight containers for an extended period of time.

5. Don’t Put It Tea The Fridge Or Freezer

If you want to keep your expensive tea fresh, your first instinct might be to put it in the freezer or refrigerator. While your freezer is excellent at keeping many foods fresh for longer, it is not an ideal home for your tea.

You should never put tea in the refrigerator, as the humidity and odors in the fridge can quickly ruin the taste and aroma of your tea leaves. The freezer is also not a good home for your tea leaves. Extreme temperature fluctuations and below-freezing temperatures can damage the tea leaves, stripping them of their subtle flavors and aromas. Freezer burn can also destroy a tea’s flavor.

6. Keep Your Tea Leaves Away From Heat

You should not store tea in extreme temperatures. Just as the freezer is not an ideal place to store your tea, you should also avoid keeping it near a heater or any other heat source. High temperatures can cause the tea to lose its flavor over time.

Instead, store your tea in a cool location, such as your kitchen pantry or a cabinet that is far from a heat source. Choosing a cool spot for your favorite tea will help it stay fresh for longer.

7. Store It In A Dry Place

Tea should never be exposed to moisture until you pour hot water on it and consume it. Nearly every type of tea absorbs moisture like a sponge. Therefore, if you store it in a humid location, it will absorb the moisture and lose its freshness. In cases of extreme humidity and improper storage, your tea can become moldy, rendering it unsafe to drink.

8. Keep Your Tea Out Of The Sunlight

You should always store tea in a dark location, out of direct sunlight. Just as UV rays can damage your furniture and skin, they can also destroy your tea. When you expose tea leaves to direct sunlight, especially for prolonged periods, it will break down the structure of the tea. Exposure to light will negatively channge the flavor of the tea.

When selecting a tea storage container, consider using one that locks in freshness and also blocks UV rays. This is one reason why many companies sell tea in metal tins.

9. Buy Tea In Smaller Batches

One tip to ensure you always drink tea at its peak freshness is to buy it in smaller batches. If you order tea once a season, you are more likely to drink it at peak freshness. This is something you should pay particular attention to if you prefer green and herbal teas, which have a short shelf life. 

10. Ensure You Are Properly Rotating Your Stock

If you’re someone with a substantial tea collection, take inventory of your tea and organize it in a logical manner. Always keep your open and older tea in the front. This encourages you to drink it before it loses it flavor, and prevents it from getting forgotten behind newer teas. When you keep your tea organized, you are less likely to have the tea expire before you even open it.

11. Label Tea With Purchase And Expiration Dates

Another way to ensure you drink your tea when it's fresh is to label it appropriately — especially loose-leaf containers — with the purchase date and the expected expiration date of the product. 

When you properly label your teas, you are more likely to consume them within their peak freshness window, and before they expire. Writing purchase and expiration dates also act as a reminder, and let you know when you should purchase a fresh batch of tea.

12. Buy Directly From The Source

When purchasing tea, consider buying it directly from the source to ensure maximum freshness. If you buy directly from a supplier, not only do you often save money, but you are also more likely to get the freshest product.

If, however, you purchase your tea from a retailer, there is a strong possibility the tea has been on the shelf for months before you brought it home, which cuts into its shelf life.

13. Only Break The Seal When You Are Ready To Consume 

When you first purchase tea, it is often in vacuum-sealed containers that are completely void of air. As soon as you open vacuum-sealed containers, the shelf life of the product inside begins to decline immediately. 

Therefore, you should only break the seal when you are ready to regularly tart consuming that specific tea. This ensures you won’t waste any of the tea by letting it get stale.

Summing Up Ways To Keep Your Tea Tasting Fresh For Longer

A cup of tea is how many people start and end each day. If this sounds like you, do everything possible to ensure that these first and last moments taste as delicious and fresh as possible. To keep your tea tasting fresh for longer, store it in a cool, dry, dark location in an airtight container. Buy loose-leaf tea and purchase it directly from the source whenever possible. Opt for teas known to have a longer shelf life, and purchase your tea in smaller batches.

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