If you recently cleared out your pantry and found an old forgotten box of tea bags, you may be curious whether or not they’re still safe to drink.
Of course, the quickest option would be to brew a cup and see if it still tastes good enough to consume.
You can drink tea well past the expiration date with no negative consequences to your health as long as the tea hasn’t started developing mold. The primary change that occurs in tea when it expires is that the taste becomes duller and less intense than before. Drinking expired tea is safe but less pleasurable. Inspect the tea before consuming it to ensure it has no mold spots.
Below you’ll find some helpful tips for how to store your tea to conserve the full robust flavor profile and how to avoid drinking spoiled tea.
After all, nobody wants to drink a hot cup of tea expecting a delightful floral flavor but ending up with a flat and dull taste on their tongue.
Is It Safe To Drink Expired Tea?
In general, expired and old tea isn’t dangerous to consume. You may notice that the flavor isn’t as robust as it once was and it may seem a bit dull on the back of your tongue. It leads to a less enjoyable tea drinking experience but there isn’t an issue of safety.
For the unique and rare cases when you spot visible mold growth on your tea, then you should certainly dispose of the bags without consuming them.
While mold doesn’t always lead to any type of illness, you want to avoid it on items such as tea and perishable foods. It can taste disgusting and may lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath and nausea.
When looking at your tea, try to decipher when the best-by date was. If your tea is a couple of weeks or even a couple of months expired, you may not notice any distinguishable difference in taste.
However, once it gets to a few years expired you’ll almost certainly note the lack of flavor and fullness in your cup of warm tea.
You may notice that the tea leaves have changed color and perhaps darkened after sitting in your pantry for so long.
This isn’t necessarily a sign to discard immediately and you can make a cup and give it a taste before throwing out the whole box.
What Can Happen If You Drink Tea That’s Gone Bad?
Firstly, there is a difference between something being expired and something that has gone bad. In this case, gone bad is referring to visibly decomposed tea that is no longer safe to consume.
If you notice mold spores on the tea leaves, this is a clear sign that it’s well past its prime and has officially “gone bad.”
If you consume this mold, you may be at risk of developing a fever and having to get medical attention. Oftentimes, nothing happens when humans inevitably consume a bit of mold or bad food.
In some instances, you can get food poisoning or a whole host of gastrointestinal issues that may leave you bedridden for a few days. Usually, these symptoms pass with rest and hydration but your doctor will provide you with professional guidance and care.
Prepackaged tea bags sold in grocery stores around the world don’t go bad quickly, so if there is visible decomposition going on, they likely have been sitting for a while.
If you find a long-forgotten box in the back corner of your pantry, do a visual inspection before opening it.
How Can You Tell If Tea Bags Have Spoiled?
Depending on the variety you purchase, tea often has a pleasant aroma that is relaxing to many people. As you’re brewing a fresh cup of herbal tea or Earl Grey, the smell casts a wave of calm across the room.
In cases where the tea has spoiled, you may begin to notice a strong pungent aroma that is starkly different than what it normally is. If you notice this, you have a clear indicator that the tea has spoiled and should be tossed and replaced.
Tea bags that have come into contact with moisture can become musty and grow mold, which can cause an unpleasant smell.
If your tea bags are lacking in scent and perhaps even flavor, this is a sign that they’ve gone well past their best-by date, and to some people, they would now be spoiled.
Many people consume tea daily for its wide range of health benefits, such as the polyphenols found in herbal tea.
Once you notice that your cups are beginning to taste off, they’ll likely be lacking in the original levels of antioxidants as well.
How Long Can Tea Bags Be Stored?
Depending on the method you choose to store your tea, tea bags can last for varying lengths of time. Tea bags can be kept in the pantry for a couple of years without a noticeable effect on the taste and aroma. If you have a more delicate tea with loose leaves, then this period may be shorter.
After the expiration date, many tea bags are good for another 6-12 months. You’ll have to make the call on this with a visual inspection followed by a taste test of the tea to determine if it’s still good enough to drink or if a replacement is in order.
The ideal way to keep your tea fresh is to throw it in a sealed container and by placing it in a cool dark space. As long as there is no flooding or intense weather fluctuations that make the tea too hot, you shouldn’t worry too much about the tea losing its kick.
If you’re storing tea bags in their original box and not placing them into a sealed bag, they may lose flavor a bit quicker but should still keep well for 9 months.
Unless you’re an avid tea drinker who knows the difference between various notes of flavor, you likely won’t notice much of a difference.
How Should You Store Tea For Long-Term Storage?
To prevent your tea from spoiling, the best thing to do is to consume it before it reaches this point. If you want to store it for a longer period or you want to mix and match a variety of flavors over several months, there are a few helpful tips for storing your purchase.
The key to keeping tea bags mold-free is to avoid any moisture. Storing them in a cool dry place, such as a pantry, is a popular choice among many households. Once moisture finds a way into the tea leaves, mold is close behind.
Another key tip is to store loose tea bags in an airtight container, such as a plastic bag. This further helps to prevent moisture access and it keeps them contained and at their ideal freshness.
The scent and flavor won’t leak out, leaving you with bland cups of tea for your morning fix.
One option for storing your tea for a longer period is to place them in your freezer. The cold air prevents the degradation of the leaves and effectively “pauses” the process.
This won’t be an indefinite solution but it works for a longer-term solution when compared to the pantry method.
Of course, if you’re drinking tea regularly you shouldn’t have to worry about storing it for months and months on end. A cup or two a day can easily go through a pack within a month at most. You can pop your tea bags on the countertop and not worry too much about them spoiling too quickly on you.