Store Tea in Airtight Containers to Extend Shelf Life and Keep Flavors Intact

 

 

If you’re a stickler for a quality cup of tea you might want to obsess over more than just your brewing method. How you store your tea can affect its flavor and shelf life, and different teas have different shelf lives.

Tea won’t go “bad” per se, but its flavor will go flat over time and it can also absorb flavors from its surroundings. Brian Keating, author of How to Make Tea: The Science Behind the Leaf, explained to Food52 that most black tea can last for about two years with proper storage:

“The most important thing you can do to extend the life of your loose leaf tea is to pack it in an airtight container and do your best to protect it from changes in temperature—anything between 60° F and 80° F is safe.”

 

Individually-wrapped tea packets that aren’t sealed in plastic or aluminum packets should be stored in the same way as loose leaf tea. Of course, you can be much lazier with sealed tea bags (like the Twinings packets you might buy at your local grocery store) because they’re airtight and don’t require special storage. For more tea tips read the rest of Brian’s conversation with Food52.