Food - Drink
The Signal Your Tea Has Expired Before You Brew It
By CLARICE KNELLY
There are probably many things in your kitchen that you never check to see if they're expired, from spices to flour to tea. Teabags or dried loose-leaf tea can, in fact, expire, making the tea taste off and maybe even make you sick, and if you’re not sure if your tea is still good, there are a few simple ways to tell.
You don’t have to look at a date or brew a cup to tell if your tea has gone bad — you just need to use your senses to observe and smell it. The first thing you’ll want to do is look at your tea closely, because in the rare case that you notice mold growth, you should obviously throw it away immediately.
Another good way to tell if your tea has gone bad is to smell it, because if it has little to no scent instead of a rich aroma, then it’s definitely not fresh and won't taste its best. If after smelling and examining your tea, you still can’t tell, you can always brew the tea to see if it tastes off, in which case it's time to toss it.