Does tea expire?

Have you ever wondered if tea expires? Good news for you, the answer is no, with a side of yes, because sipping tea when it is fresh is simply the best. Keep reading to learn how to best store your tea leaves, brewed tea, and tips to prevent "unflavorful" tea. 

How long is the shelf life for tea? 

When stored properly, your tea should stay potent and fresh for about 12-18 months when stored properly. Tea has a low moisture content, which makes for a great shelf life. Although we highly recommend consuming well before that point to sip the tea when it's the most flavorful and beneficial. 

After the 12 month mark, you'll begin to taste the flavor difference in your tea along with the fading aroma. However, keep in mind that each tea is slightly different but, generally speaking, tea expires after 12-18 months. This is the main reason why Jayida Ché chooses to blend fresh small batch tea blends to ensure that when you receive your tea blends it is not in month 3 or 6. 

How should I store my tea? 

To keep your tea as fresh and flavorful as possible, store your tea in a sealed package or container and in a location that minimizes exposure to moisture, heat, light and strong aromas--such as coffee, spices, and flavorings. 

Here at Jayida Ché, we pack your tea in airtight and resealable bags and or tins to store your tea in the optimal packaging to keep it fresh, beneficial and flavorful.When your tea is exposed to excessive or harsh lighting it can cause the tea to taste metallic and not flavorful. 

We get it, though you may want to transfer your teas to containers that match your kitchen or break-room aesthetics. In that case, we recommend using something that has an airtight seal. Ceramic or metal tins are one of the best options to keep your tea safe from moisture, heat, and light. Also, a fantastic option to keep the elements at bay. Always, always keep your tea in a cool, dry environment.

What’s the shelf life of brewed (steeped) and "left-over" tea?

Okay, so you have a cup of tea that you didn't get to finish sipping. Instead of discarding it, you place the cup of tea in the fridge. Now the question is, how long can it be stored in the fridge for? Your cup of tea can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Going past that time frame will diminish the flavor of the tea and you run the risk of consuming bacteria that may have begun to grow. 

This same criteria can be applied to a pitcher of tea and or cold brew tea (after you've strained the tea leaves). 

Now, you might be asking about used tea leaves that I would like to second steep at a later date. This is a great question. We should all second steep our tea leaves, especially when we know we are sipping fresh, high-quality, and flavorful tea. Your "left-over" tea leaves can be stored in the freezer for 3-6 months and stored in your fridge for 2-3 days. Check out this short clip to see how we store our "left-over" tea leaves. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Jayida Ché TEAm. We honestly love to talk and sip tea all day, everyday. goodtea@jayidache.com" Contact us here