Does Tea Bags Expire? (All You Need to Know Explained)

Tea is a favorite drink of many, and there may be several reasons for that. One of them is surely the fact that tea can last forever since it doesn’t go bad. Or does it? The answer to this question may surprise you, so get ready!

So does tea bags expire? Although tea bags usually don’t go bad in the traditional way, they can still expire. When the bags are stored properly, they will last for a long time, however, they’ll still start to lose their flavor after a while. And even though it isn’t much common, tea bags can even grow mold.

But for how long can tea bags last? And can you do something to increase this time? That is exactly the topic of this article, so let’s not waste any more time, and just get started!

Do tea bags really expire?

Yes, tea bags really can expire, although they are usually still usable then, just have another color and taste (more about that later, though). 

Teabags can usually last for even as long as two years without any worsening, though, and storing them in airtight containers will even prolong this time. But after that, tea bags start to lose their qualities. 

And even though this isn’t too common, a mold can even start to grow on them!

Can you drink expired tea bags?

As your parents may have told you, some food can be eaten even way past its expiration date. This goes for things like, for instance, canned corn and hard kinds of cheese, and even many drinks, tea included.

So, yes, you can drink expired tea bags without a problem, you just have to make sure that they’re not moldy or anything. Also, be prepared that they’ll probably taste a bit different.

How do you know if tea is expired?

Telling whether your tea is expired isn’t that hard, because that tea will simply have a bit of weird smell, flavor, and color as well. With that being said, though, in most cases, it is still safe to drink.

But this obviously doesn’t go for tea bags with visible mold on them – you should always throw these out.

What happens if you drink expired tea?

Just like with any other expired food and drink, drinking expired tea probably isn’t going to be the best experience in your life, because the tea is most probably going to taste weird. And this doesn’t only go for its taste, its color and smell will probably also be affected.

Can expired tea make you sick?

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that drinking expired tea is not safe. Quite the contrary, in most cases, tea bags are still usable even past their expiration date, so although they may have a bit of weird taste.

But with that in mind, it is still obviously plausible that expired tea will make you sick, especially if the tea was in a really bad shape (like, for example, having mold on it), it’s just not that common like with other expired products.

Can old tea give you diarrhea?

Yes, old tea can give you diarrhea, but, to be honest, this simply goes for every tea. Generally speaking, diarrhea can be caused by drinking just more than two cups of tea a day, and this will be even more dramatic with old tea.

Can you get food poisoning from expired tea?

Nonetheless, you can’t get food poisoning from expired tea – it may have a hideous taste that can stick in your mouth for a while, or even make your stomach hurt a bit, but there’s no food poisoning from expired tea.

Does tea expire if unopened?

Yes, even an unopened pack of tea/tea bags can expire, although it’ll take a long time, much longer than the actual expiration date on the package would suggest. But still, after a while, the tea will simply start to lose its flavor and color slowly.

What can I do with expired tea bags?

As we’ve explained just a few answers before, the most straightforward way to use expired tea bags is simply to make tea out of them, because they’re still usable.

But believe it or not, there are other awesome uses for (not only) expired tea bags – one of the most famous ones is removing odor from your shoes by simply putting a bag or two inside them. Although it sounds a little bit strange, it indeed works!

Can tea bags grow mold?

A careful reader already knows the answer to this question, because we have already mentioned that a bit above – yes, tea bags can grow mold, and it isn’t even that uncommon when they’re stored in wet conditions. 

But tea bags can theoretically grow mold even in a perfect environment, and it is therefore always recommended to use them as soon as possible.

Do Lipton tea bags go bad?

Lipton tea bags are without a doubt the most popular ones, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe from spoiling. So yes, Lipton tea bags go bad after a while, but they’re usually usable even when they’re expired – just be prepared that their flavor may be a bit different.

Does herbal tea expire?

Even though herbal (just like any other) tea can expire, unlike usual, this expiration most often doesn’t make it unusable. Believe it or not, even expired herbal tea is safe to drink, just be prepared that it may taste weird.

Do Bigelow tea bags expire?

Bigelow is another popular brand of tea bags, and even their teabags expire. With that being said, though, Bigelow tea bags can most often stay usable for a very long time, because the expiration doesn’t actually make them unusable, just taste a bit worse.

Does Chamomile tea expire?

Chamomile tea is one of the most popular kinds of tea out there, and just like any other kind of tea, it can expire. Chamomile tea, however, usually stays entirely good for more than a year.

And after that, it doesn’t get unusable – when Chamomile tea expires, you can still drink it, just be prepared that it’ll probably taste a bit weird.

Do green tea bags expire?

Green tea comes in a lot of shapes, with green tea bags being arguably the favorite one. And like any other tea, even green tea bags can expire. But despite that, they don’t really become unusable.

Yes, expired green tea bags are, at least in most cases, still drinkable, just be prepared that they’ll probably taste a little bit weird.

Does tea leaf expire?

Even though we’ve mentioned above quite a few times tea can expire, this doesn’t really go for plain tea leaves. Dried tea leaves that are kept in a dry and chilly environment basically won’t ever spoil, and if you keep them in an airtight container, they shouldn’t even lose their flavor.

Summary

Teabags (and tea in general, for that matter) are a very interesting thing regarding their expiration. Why? Well, because on one hand, there’s the fact that they can expire (this usually starts to happen after a year or two).

But on the other hand, even expired tea bags are usually drinkable – to be fair, they are probably going to taste worse than if they were fresh, but what’s most important, is that they’re safe to drink.

Also Read:

• Mold on Chocolate
• Can Chocolate Get Moldy?
• How Long Does Dough Last in the Fridge?
• How Long Do Fried Eggs Last in the Fridge?

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Image credits – Canva