Herbal Teas Degrade Over Time?

[muie]

Is it possible for herbal teas to loose potency over time once they have been opened? I'm talking about a relatively large bag of 100g-200g of South African Red Bush tea (which is in baggies) and another large bag of 100g of English Gunpowder Green Tea which comes loose in a bag. I have both Green and Red tea bags tied relatively well around the herbs in baggies from the Red and the loose one fhat ffts in a small cardboard box with ventilation.

I bought the Green Tea quite a while ago, even maybe 6 months ago since I just recently started drinking it agin. When I bought it I think only a teapoon or two per cup and I would be feeling like I had a large coffee but now Im putting about double that, as well the smell of the herb was more pronounced at first. It was a pretty long time on the other hand which proves that xanthines (main ingredients in Green Tea) are steady checicals in their molecular structure. What about Red Bush/Rooibos however?

Any thoughts on that?

The African Red Bush I got is also 100g-200gs and its in 2g gram bags brought to us from someone in South Africa directly from the source and I don't want it loosing ptency!

1. How should you conserve herbs in these situations; where u get a larger quantity and don't drink it very fast?

2. I wonder, can I use the empty Tetley tea cans that contain about 20 bags/packets of herb to store preferabily the loose Green Tea (English Gun Powder)?

Those that know of English Gun Powder they will know how dry the leaves are and they will figure out, with this in mind if this kind of tea can be stuffed in those Tetley cans and preserved just as good as in the bag!

 

[delta_9]

Is it possible for herbal teas to loose potency over time once they have been opened?

It's not only possible, it's bound to happen. Oxidation is going to occur on the surface of the leaves everytime you open the package.
Keep your tea in an airtight, opaque container and store in the fridge if you're worried.

 

[Dtergent]

I wouldn't actually recommend storing dried herbs in the refrigerator, it is more likely to get moist and degrade further there. A cool, dark place in an opaque, vacuum sealed container is good, as air and light are two main things that keep the cycle of decomposition going.

If you wish, you can break these up into small jars that are tightly sealed, so that you only have to open one "current" jar at a time.

The oils, smell, and flavor in the leaves may keep for variable amounts of time. The best solution is to smell it regularly and decide if it has gone stale. People say to throw things out after a year, but I've found that even in the muggy tropics, some dried herbs last for almost two years if stored well.

Buy whole leaves when you can, just grind when you need to. That will also extend the life of bulk herbs.

Cheers