Does Loose Leaf Tea Expire?

Loose tea leaves are the most favorite tea option who love tea.

Does Loose Leaf Tea Expire?
No, loose tea leaves do not expire. But they do lose flavor, aroma, and color over time. However, they are still good for consumption. In some tins of loose tea leaves there’s an expiry date for its best by date, but not for the use-by date. Let’s look at what the expiry date actually is stands to reason that over time, old tea can taste less flavorful, flat, stale, or weaker as time goes by. This happens mainly because tea is sensitive to temperature fluctuations and moisture escaping from leaves. It can be preserving the goodness of loose tea leaves in many ways for a longer time especially through proper storage.

Is It Ok to Drink Expired Tea Leaves?
Yes, it is completely okay to drink them. It certainly won’t kill you or even make you sick. In the worst case, it will give you less flavorful tea. Some people were drinking loose tea leaves that were as old as 3 to 10 years. Tea which they must have forgotten exists in their pantry. However, as I’ve mentioned above, they did complain of its less than prominent flavor. 
However, some ways to bring back the subtle tastes of expired tea and, will help you if you have any loose tea leaves that you don’t want to drink due to fear of a weak flavor. And at the same time if you don’t want to waste money by discarding it. But you have to know, it not give you an exact fresh aroma flavor. It doesn’t take more time or cost than buying fresh ones. 
1. Light roast the tea leaves in a pan under very low heat. When you smell the freshness from the tea, take it out of the heat and use it. 
2. Steep in the cup or pot a little longer than you usually do and if you’re still not convinced of a return of the freshness, flavor, or aroma it gives. But be careful when using green tea, it will give you an extra better tasty.

Simply it is the time that you need change or make sure your way of storing loose tea leaves. 
How Do You Store Loose Leaf Tea?
Storing properly is an important step to preserve the qualities and features of loose tea leaves. Luckily, there are many and more ways to store tea leaves. Especially, since they don’t very often come in tins. Even if it does, consider the following for a tasteful tea experience until the tea lasts. Or beyond its expiry date. 
1. Store them in stainless steel, airtight containers. No plastic and glass containers, even if airtight. 
2. If you don’t have airtight or stainless-steel containers, use paper bags as a backup. But, keep the bag tight, away from the air.
3. Store at room temperature. This is very important to preserve all the volatile features of your loose tea leaves. Temperature fluctuation can damage the tea. Keep it away from all air conditioning units, ovens, heaters or even windows. 
4. Keep them in a dark area, preventing sunlight. It can be the back corner of the pantry or on a shelf where no light reaches. 
5. Store away from water and water sources like boiling water. Humidity can bring severe changes to loose tea leaves. 
6. Away from other spices in your pantry. Loose leaf tea, or tea in general, can absorb aromas very quickly. Reducing the true flavor and aroma altogether.

Now you might be thinking, what’s the point of all this storage?
If the tea leaves are still expired, it’s expired. Well not really, the shelf life of different types of loose tea leaves are approximately
Green tea – 12 months
Black tea – 24 months
Oolong tea – 18 months
White tea – 24 months

Does Loose Leaf Tea Go Moldy? 
No, they don’t. Providing they’re not exposed to conditions where mold is likely to grow. In fact, I can tell you for a fact that people have managed to find and drink 20- to 30-year-old loose leaf tea just fine after it’s been under proper storage such as Pu-erh-tea, Tea brick

Furthermore, in China, people regularly consume 20-year-old tea. 

Same is true in countries like Sri Lanka and India. And these are actually more expensive!
So, if you find your loose tea leaves moldy, it’s due to improper storage. Or very rarely due to poor quality. That’s why always you have to buying high quality tea from high quality tea sellers or the companies. MiniKitchen’s Retail Tea shop has a wide choice of flavors for your taste buds, also bestsellers and highly rated. 

Does Herbal Tea Expire? 
No, herbal tea does not expire. gain providing it’s not left in conditions where mold is prevalent. Herbal tea also just tends to reduce its flavor and aroma qualities over time. Hence, you might be disappointed to find a loss in taste, flavor, or aroma after the expiry date. Meaning the date that is the best use it before. But, as discussed earlier, it all comes down to proper storage. In fact, all the discussion given above applies the same way – it’s the same for herbal tea.

Does Tea Need to Be Stored Airtight?
Yes, they have to be stored in airtight containers. The less the tea gets exposed to air the better the flavor. Because air has different temperature levels. As on said, tea is sensitive to temperature and moisture. So, keep it airtight as much as possible.

Can I Store Loose Leaf Tea in Glass Jars? 
Not usually, glass is transparent and the ability for light or heat to pass through is greater. So, if you store tea in a glass container, it’s more likely to be prone to different light and temperature levels. The same applies to plastic containers additionally affects the odor, because plastic absorbs them more readily. In situations where you have only glass containers available to hand, try colored glass containers. But, keep them away from light and heat sources. 

Do you know?
It takes 2000 tiny leaves to make one pound of finished tea. So never waste them. At the very least, Follow the article about “Ways of Re-using Leftover Tea Leaves”

Rapping-up
Loose tea leaves don’t expire, even if it’s herbal or any other type. However, there is a, “best before date” as expiry date for its best flavors. In many Asian countries old tea is commonly drank, despite it being more expensive. Yet, still maintaining the high-quality features of loose tea leaves – even after any ‘best before’ date requires proper storage. Not only that, but tea is temperature-sensitive. So, be sure to consider all aspects of temperature, light pollution, and moisture fluctuations when storing tea loose tea leaves. With all these factors being met the best way possible, you can still drink expired tea leaves.

“Life is like Tea, it’s all in How you make and How you taking care it”

Reference: 
https://teahow.com/does-loose-leaf-tea-expire-why-when-and-how-to-prevent-it/
Trying to give more, accurate, updates, moderated information to citizen who love Tea. Thank you very much for the referral that I used for make this article – Jeewaka