Does Green Tea Expire?

Tea has been consumed since time immemorial. Originating in Eastern countries, green tea is a famous beverage and part of everyday life all over the world.

With every sip of green tea, people are heading towards a healthier life.

When consumed regularly with ample exercise and a healthy diet, it works well in keeping you in shape.

You must have heard about the health benefits and qualities of green tea many times. But, have you ever thought about the expiry date of the green tea lying in your pantry?

Well, it is a well-known fact that foods do tend to get spoiled after a specific time. However, do green tea leaves also have something called an expiry date? Let’s find the answer to this question!

Does green tea have an expiry date?

Tea leaves don’t ‘expire‘ in the real sense. Unlike other foods and drinks, tea does not have an ‘expiry date‘.

But, it does have a ‘best before date‘ which means that it is ideal to use the tea before the specified date.

Thereby, even after the “best before date” has lapsed, you can use the tea safely.

The only issue is that once the tea goes past the best before date, it tends to lose its flavor. And, the change is quite prominent when you consume it.

The shelf life of any sealed tea pack is between 12 months to 36 months. But, in the case of loose-leaf tea, it is shorter because the leaves easily absorb the moisture and odor from the environment.

So, what about tea bags? Do green tea bags expire?

Well, the tea bags that have crossed the best before date will only be drier and not quite rich in flavor. You can still consume them.

However, if the tea bags have mold on them, are smelly, or are infested with bugs, you should discard them.

Does green tea go bad or lose its flavor?

As mentioned above, green tea leaves lose their flavor with time or once they expire. And, that is exactly when you can say that the ‘tea has gone bad.’

This happens because the compounds present in tea undergo a chemical process and get affected by being exposed to humidity, high temperature, and excessive sunlight.

This brings down the tea quality. However, if you are successful in storing tea away from all of that, it can easily be kept intact for a good two years.

Dried tea leaves that undergo more fermentation will last longer than the ones that undergo comparatively less of it. That is why black tea has a longer shelf life when compared to green tea.

Thus, it is important to store tea the right way, especially green tea leaves.

Does matcha powder expire?

Once you open a pack of matcha, you must ideally use it within 3 to 4 weeks. The maximum time you can push its usage to is 8 weeks, nothing longer than that.

Following this rule will ensure that you have a fresh, perfectly tasting, and brightly-hued matcha each time you consume it.

At this juncture, you must be wondering what happens to the matcha lying on the shelves of supermarkets. Does unopened matcha powder expire?

Well, it can stay good for one year. If you have anything that has crossed that time frame, you can simply use it for baking.

What is the right way of storing green tea?

Generally, you can use green tea for one year if you store it at room temperature.

As green tea does not retain its freshness for too long, it is better to purchase it in smaller quantities and finish off the pack fast.

That is the best way out!

The main enemies of green tea are moisture, heat, light, air, and odor. If you manage to keep it away from these 5 enemies, you can extend its shelf life.

Keep your tea bags or loose-leaf tea in an air-tight container.

Is there a way of extending the shelf-life of green tea?

By storing unopened green tea pouches in the freezer, you can extend the shelf life of the tea.

However, once you have opened a pouch, you should not store it in the freezer again as it will get dampened.

How to know if your tea is spoiled?

The easiest way to find out whether your tea has gone bad or not is with the help of your senses. Yes!

If the tea gets spoiled, it will no longer have its distinct pleasant aroma.

Remember that the tea term ‘tea has gone bad’ only means that its natural oils have been evaporated with time and it has turned less flavorful.

Safety measures with green tea

Drinking green tea past its expiry date is not wrong. Green tea leaves do have certain kinds of bacteria that can multiply if kept for too long.

So far, there have been no reports of illness due to green tea but you must exercise caution in this regard.

For this reason, don’t consume the tea if it is way too far past the date stamped on the pack (the past 2-3 years is okay).

Always brew green tea at a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius for 3-5 minutes. This will kill the bacteria present in the leaves if present.

You should do what is best for you and drink tea beyond the expiry date responsibly.

It is okay if you don’t feel like drinking it. There are many other ways to use it and you can find some of them below.

Ways To Use Expired Green Tea

Is your pantry overflowing with green tea and you want to get rid of it? Are you wondering how to use expired green tea bags, loose leaves, and powder?

There are many different ways of using green tea other than consuming them. As already said, safety comes first.

Here are some ways of using green tea that have crossed its best-before date.

1. Use the tea leaves to get rid of odors. For example, if you have been working in the kitchen and have smelly hands you can use tea leaves to get rid of the unpleasant smell. You can also hang tea bags in cupboards so that they absorb odors.
2. You can use teabags by using them as eye compresses. If you suffer from puffy eyes, dip two tea bags in cold water and place them over closed eyelids for about 20 minutes. And, then relax.
3. You can dump the tea leaves in your garden’s compost bin. Use them as fertilizer later. This way you are minimizing waste and are doing a favor to Mother Earth and our environment.
4. Use it for your skin and hair. Treat your skin with a facial toner made out of brewed green tea. Simply dip cotton pads into the tea and apply it like any normal toner.
5. Green tea works well as a makeup remover too. Use a washcloth dipped in slightly warm tea to remove the entire makeup residue on your skin.
6. Brewed green tea also works on oily scalp. Rinsing your hair with green tea is a great idea to get shiny hair. This is a natural and pocket-friendly way of taking care of your hair.
7. If you like keeping your home spick and span, green tea is your new best friend! Brewed green tea works wonders in cleaning greasy windows and mirrors. It is astringent by nature.
8. It is also effective in mopping floors and cleaning pieces of furniture. Don’t forget to do a patch test before using the green tea on any new furniture so that it doesn’t get harmed.
9. Help get rid of smelly feet. If you are suffering from smelly feet, you can always soak your feet in strongly brewed green tea (ensure that it has cooled down). It is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial by nature and helps in getting rid of any kind of malodor.

Now, you know what to do with expired green tea powder, don’t you?

The bottom line

Green tea does not expire; it just loses its flavor over time because its natural oils get evaporated. You can extend its shelf life by storing it the right way.

Also, consume green tea that has crossed its “best before date” responsibly.