Storing tea optimally – in the refrigerator?
In any healthy diet, sufficient fluid intake should always be an important component. You can meet this demand not just by drinking water, but also by drinking tea. That’s why a homemade iced tea is the perfect drink for cooling off in summer. By contrast, in winter you can reheat the chilled tea. But what exactly is the best way to store tea?
The key points
- Loose tea needs to be stored in an airtight container or in its original packaging.
- Check if the tea is still good by examining, smelling and tasting it.
- You can store brewed tea in airtight packaging in the refrigerator.
- Do not add sugar or milk until you’re actually ready to drink it.
- Hot tea needs to cool down first before you can place it in the refrigerator.
Storing tea optimally – list of contents
Storing tea correctly
You should store loose tea in an airtight container. For example, you can pack it in a sealed metal or ceramic tin. You can store tea bags in their original packaging.
Tea should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place. Moisture can cause mould growth on the bag. The tea will lose its aromas when it’s exposed to light. You also shouldn’t store tea next to spices because it can easily acquire their smell and taste.
The best way to check the shelf life is to use your own senses. Make sure the bag is sealed correctly and there is no discoloration. The tea should also smell good, and not old and stale. If the tea tastes normal once it’s brewed, it can be drunk safely even after the best-before date has expired.
Loose tea should not be stored in the refrigerator as the humidity level inside is often too high. In the refrigerator, there would also be a risk that the tea would acquire the aromas of other foods.
Nevertheless, you should ideally store brewed teain the refrigerator.
Brewed tea can be stored for a number of days, if it’s poured into a carafe, for example.
Storing brewed tea in the refrigerator
Do you want to reheat your tea or make an iced tea? But how long will the tea last in the refrigerator? It’s important that you seal the tea in an airtight container to prevent any aromas from other foods transferring over to the tea.
In addition, you will prevent the growth of bacteria and mould by storing it in a cool and airtight place.
For fresh iced tea, which you’re preparing for the whole day, it’s best to place the double-dosed and still hot tea in an ice cube pot that is 2/3 full. This trick will keep the tea clear and allow its aroma to develop in full.
Brewed tea can be kept in the refrigerator for around three to five days. You can also store brewed, green tea and matcha tea in the refrigerator without any issues. However, look out for any changes in taste, odour or appearance. It’s better to dispose of a tea that is cloudy or smells bad.
If you wish to extend the shelf life, you can for example divide up the brewed tea into appropriate portions and freeze them.
The potential storage time for sweetened tea and tea containing milk or other added ingredients is shorter. For example, we recommend you allow the freshly brewed tea to cool down at room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator in an airtight container without adding any more ingredients.
If you were to place the hot tea in the refrigerator straight away, condensation would form inside the packaging. This would make your tea watery and favor the formation of bacteria. The higher temperature inside the refrigerator would increase energy consumption and result in other food being less well chilled.
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