Does tea expire? In this article, we’re going to find out! We’ll be checking the expiration dates on different types of teas, and seeing what you can do to make them last longer.
Let’s get brewing!
Does Tea expire? The short answer
So does tea expire? Not really. Because tea leaves are so low in humidity, they don’t expire in the way other foods do. What happens instead is the leaves slowly lose their luster, flavor, aroma and health benefits.
This is why tea has a “best by” date. If you find a pack of tea that has passed this date, it doesn’t mean that it’s not safe to eat, it just means it is past its peak freshness and the aroma will have declined.
When tea actually goes bad
Of course it is possible for tea to actually go bad, but only if it is exposed to a lot of humidity or other contaminants. If your tea has been exposed, you may want to check for a musty or moldy smell or visual signs of spoilage. If your tea is in its pack, this shouldn’t be the case.
Why does tea expire
So while tea doesn’t go bad like other foods, it can still expire and pass its peak flavor and aroma. But why does tea expire? There are a few factors working against your tea's freshness.
Oxidation
Oxidation is your teas biggest enemy, especially if you're a fan of green teas like us. Oxidation is what turns green tea leaves into black tea, and in a controlled environment it can have desirable effects on the leaves. However, you don’t want your tea oxidizing at home.
If your tea has been oxidized, it will take on a duller color and flatter, more bitter flavor. Bright notes (fresh, grassy, floral, citrusy) will fade first and over time you’ll lose the aspects that made the tea really special.
Moisture
We discussed moisture before and it’s something you’ll really want to avoid when it comes to keeping your tea fresh. This can cause the tea to expire faster and enough moisture can even make the tea leaves go bad.
Heat and Light
Heat and light can accelerate the expiration of a tea. This is why you want to keep your tea in a pantry away from your kitchen stove. You’ll also want to keep the tea in an opaque container that doesn’t let light through.
It is common for people to store teas in glass jars, but these can actually make your tea expire faster.
Surface area
The higher the surface area, the more quickly the tea will expire. Tea bags will expire faster than loose leaf tea, but they probably didn’t have much flavor to begin with (there I said it).
Matcha is ground into an incredibly fine powder, so it will expire the fastest. As you’ll see in the next section, matcha is by far the most sensitive tea.
When does tea expire?
So when does tea expire? How long can you enjoy your favorite daily cup before you have to worry about it losing its freshness? That all comes down to the type of tea, and whether the package has been opened or not. Here is a chart that breaks it down.
Puerh Tea
Puerh tea doesn’t really expire and most people claim it gets better with age. Puerh tea is the most famous category of fermented tea, and it needs to come from Yunnan province to get this name.
There are many other types of fermented teas or Hei cha that come from other parts of the world, and these also can improve with age.
White Tea
Does white tea expire? That depends. Because white tea is not heated at a high temperature like green tea, it still has aging potential as the enzymatic oxidation occurs over a long period of time.
So some tea drinkers like their white tea fresh, but others like to age it. While white tea aging is a relatively new phenomenon, the flavor is expected to improve with age just like a puerh.
Black Tea
Does black tea expire? Not quite, but it doesn’t really improve with age either. Because black tea is fully oxidized during processing, there is very little enzymatic activity left once the tea is dried.
Over time, black tea might lose its aroma and complexity rather than develop new flavors. While it can remain drinkable for years if stored properly, most black teas are best enjoyed within a few years of production, before the flavors become flat or dull.
Oolong Tea
There are two main categories of oolong, and the type you have will determine how long it will take to expire. Lighter, greener (unroasted) oolongs tend to behave more like green tea and are best enjoyed fresh. Darker or roasted oolongs, on the other hand, can hold up well over time and may even develop deeper, smoother flavors as they age.
Green Tea
Green tea is the most sensitive category of tea when it comes to expiration. Green teas are meant to be a celebration of these bright, fresh and vegetal flavors and these are usually the first to fade with time.
When your green tea oxidizes, it’s not like it will begin to taste like a black tea, it will just lose its flavor altogether and become flat, one dimensional or even bitter.
Matcha
Technically matcha is a type of green tea, but it deserves its own section because it is so extremely sensitive. Matcha is meant to be a super fresh, green vegetal tea and just a few weeks after opening it can completely lose its edge.
Because it’s ground into a fine powder, it has a ton of surface area and expires very quickly. Well packaged and well stored matcha can last for up to a year, but once the tin is opened you really want to drink it as soon as you can
What can you do to prevent tea from expiring?
So what can you do to prevent tea from expiring? You can’t really prevent tea from expiring, but you can extend its life through proper storage. Try to keep your tea sealed in an airtight container away from light, heat and humidity.
Also, try not to hoard teas (a reminder I need myself from time to time). Have a few opened and try to consume them within a month or two. It may be tempting to buy in bulk to save money, but if you buy a kilogram bag of green tea, you may not get through it before it goes bad.
If you want to get some fresh teas and explore the best pesticide free green tea we’ve found in Japan, feel free to browse the selection on our website. We’ll be waiting for you!
