Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?

Sam 3/22/04


> Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?


Sam,

Yes, tea does indeed go stale, and at different rates depending on type. A
black ("red" according to Chinese classification) tea is the most durable
and should last quite a long time properly stored in a sealed, opaque
container. Green tea is the most fragile, some delicate ones going stale
rather quickly. Some people say days; months is more likely. Oolongs fall in
the middle, but keep well usually. Generally, the lighter or greener the
color of the leaf, the more quickly it will go stale. Going stale, for this
discussion means losing its aromas and flavors by degrees. My rule of thumb
is to keep the green teas well stored and to use them well within half a
year.

So, what are your favorite teas?


Michael

Sam Strano wrote:
>
> Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?

Two things to add to Michael Plant's excellent response:

1) Black tea stored properly (dark, airtight, no moisture)
should keep 1 to 2 years.
2) Puerh, on the other hand, does best if you toss it out
on a compost pile and let it ripen.


Randy

Sam Strano > wrote in message >. ..
> Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?

Depends on the tea, e.g. a fresh Darjeeling first flush lasts for 8 to
12 month (the more fruity and the more "oolongish" the shorter the
period), a Darjeeling Inbetween lasts for 4 to 6 month (also mostly a
question of the fleeting "fruity" character), in contrast a Darjeeling
second flush lasts up to six years!

Dieter

In article > (Mon, 22 Mar 2004
12:35:59 -0500), Sam Strano wrote:

> Does tea go stale [...]

Yes.

> [...] and if it does how long does it take?

Greens go stale faster than Oolongs which go stale faster than blacks. I'm
sure you'll get more general answers than this.

Personally, I recently drank some Ceylon tea which was being stored in an
open plastic bag in its original cardboard box. The owner said it had
been in the cabinet "at least five years." It was delicious.

Dieter Folz wrote:

> Sam Strano > wrote in message >. ..
>
>>Does tea go stale, and if it does how long does it take?
>
>
> Depends on the tea, e.g. a fresh Darjeeling first flush lasts for 8 to
> 12 month (the more fruity and the more "oolongish" the shorter the
> period), a Darjeeling Inbetween lasts for 4 to 6 month (also mostly a
> question of the fleeting "fruity" character), in contrast a Darjeeling
> second flush lasts up to six years!
>
> Dieter

I've often wondered about this.

Seven years ago I had a friend who traveled to India bring back a
*large* can of Runglee Rungliot Darjeeling loose leaf tea for me. It
stayed in my cupboard for four years before I opened it, because I
wasn't drinking loose leaf tea at the time. It was in a sealed plastic
bag inside the can.

I started using it a few years ago and am still enjoying it. I've tried
fresher black teas and can tell that there's a difference, but I figured
I'd just keep going with it as long as I liked it. At the current rate,
this study looks like it will go on for another 3 - 4 years! :-)

-dreq