I know most teas have a use by date of approximately 2 years, but I find that they usually have lost most of the flavor by 6 months. I purchased 1100 tea bags in a sack, and this should last me about 6 months although I am a little concerned about wastage as I've had teabags before that seem to lose flavor quickly.
Tea is a delicate product which requires some care so that you can preserve its qualities intact. All varieties have their special characteristics to preserve them, but there are general rules for all of them, as the place where the container and store it, so that their conditions aren't altered. Maybe we don't consider these details, but it is important, even to care tea that we buy in the supermarket. Ideally consume them as soon as possible, but if we keep for several weeks or months, we can do it in a container that have hermetic seal. The best containers are ceramic or tin, not the glass, as it let in light and accelerate deterioration. It is advisable don't save the tea for over a year.
I use my tea bags everyday cause my kids make tea like they make koolaid , but I would think that about a good 2month would be the limited, I always look at the tags that say use by whatever date.
I usually only buy a small packet each time. After it's finished I'll go and buy some more. This way I can ensure that I finish them quick and not keep them for too long. I don't buy tea in bulk.
I wish my tea can last as long as 6 months because I drink tea everyday. I usually buy tea leaves, which comes in a container that is about 4 ounces or so. One container of tea leaves only lasts me about 3 months. I would have to purchase another container of tea leaves let's say 2 for every month. I know it won't last for more than a month because I drink at least 12 cups of tea everyday.
We store our teas in a plastic container away from sunlight, but since we drink them rarely, they tend to last for months, and even years. (some tea packs were just given to us.) I never knew that they tend to lose flavor as time goes by, no wonder last Dec. I took tea again and it seemed to taste a bit bland than before. I thought that I just put less sugar in it.
Considering how cheap tea is to begin with, I never thought to even look for it in bulk. I make iced tea daily, but a box of family style tea bags is only $1.50 and it makes like 6 quarts, so it will last me a week. I would just buy it as I needed it. The most I've ever bought in advance was three boxes of it.
I don't drink that much tea so I always by a small packet (25 bags I think) and that lasts me for maybe two months. I've always thought they'd be good for at least a year but apparently they do start losing flavour faster than that.
I usually keep my tea in sealed containers so I think that makes them last a bit longer than they originally would have had they been stored in a more open environment. My tea bags usually last me for a whole year since I buy them in bulk and it takes a while to finish them all, but I do know what you mean that they sometimes lose a bit of their punch after a while. I personally don't mind it that much and whenever this happens I just double up on the tea bags, or if it's really that intolerable I just make iced tea out of them which I find is still great even with a weaker tea taste.
