Starting your day with freshly brewed tea is the ultimate form of self-care. There is nothing wrong with the traditional way of making Chai. However, if you find it challenging to brew a cup of tea for yourself because of having a busy schedule and looking for a quick fix, we have something delicious for you.
Have you ever brewed a cup of chai tea using store-bought chai tea concentrate? Chai tea is known for its warm and comforting flavors. Chai tea concentrate is a great way to enjoy chai tea without going through the trouble of making your own.
Chai tea concentrate can help you prepare a freshly brewed cup of tea for yourself from the comfort of your home. And that too without any complicated efforts. You can add your favorite milk to chai tea concentrate to treat yourself with a delicious cup of tea. One of the best things about chai tea is that it can be enjoyed hot or cold.
What will you do if you have some leftover chai tea concentrate after your friend’s party is over? Can you store it? Yes, you can!
Here the question arises, how to store chai tea concentrate? Keeping it in the right conditions will ensure its quality remains high. Here, you’ll learn about Chai tea Concentrate Vital Shelf Life and Storage Tips.
Chai tea Concentrate Vital Shelf Life and Storage Tips
Chai tea concentrate is a concentrated version of chai tea that can be stored for 3months to 2 years. We will let you know the shelf life of chai tea concentrate, how long you can store chai tea, and the best storage tips for keeping this concentrate safe for longer durations.
Chai Tea Concentrate Shelf Life
Homemade chai tea concentrate has a shorter shelf life, and it expires in a maximum of 5 days. However, if you don’t want to brew tea at home, you can easily buy chai tea concentrate from the grocery stores.
Like evaporated milk, chai tea concentrate (Tazo chai concentrate) that is purchased from a store has a long shelf life. Chai tea concentrate has an average shelf life of 12 to 23 months. Chai tea concentrate is also available online at Amazon and Walmart.
It is totally safe to consume during this time.
Once this time passes, bacteria start growing in the concentrate. This growth of bacteria indicates that you are most likely to experience food poisoning if you use this concentrate. Symptoms like diarrhea and stomach upset may also occur. So, using expired chai tea concentrate is not recommended at all.
Do You Have to Refrigerate Chai Concentrate?
The chai tea concentrate must be refrigerated. Once you refrigerate it in an airtight container at optimum temperature conditions, you can use it for longer. Also, the store-bought chai tea concentrate like Tazo chai tea concentrate should be kept in the refrigerator once you open it.
How Long Can You Keep Chai Tea Concentrate in the Fridge?
Having discovered the shelf life of chai tea concentrate, you might be interested in knowing how long you can keep chai tea concentrate in the fridge?
If you make chai tea concentrate at home, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (at a temperature of 38 °F – 40 °F).
If you want to extend the shelf life of the chai concentrate, add one teaspoon of citric acid per quart of water.
This will prevent mold from growing. The concentrate can also be frozen for up to three months.
How long does Tazo Chai Tea Concentrate Last in the Fridge?
Tazo Chai tea concentrates should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 7-10 days after opening.
Does Chai Tea Concentrate Go Bad?
The chai tea concentrate, like most liquids, can eventually go bad if it’s stored for too long. Nevertheless, if you refrigerate chai tea concentrate, it will stay as good as new, and you can use it to brew a soothing cup of hot chai tea or iced chai tea latte.
Keeping it in the refrigerator between 38°F – 40°F for 10 days is safe. Milk above 45°F can support the rapid growth of bacteria. Before placing it in the refrigerator, store the homemade tea concentrate in an airtight container.
How Do You Know if Chai Concentrate is Bad?
If you have chai tea concentrate and aren’t sure if it’s expired or not, we are here to help you. Here we will let you know how you can explore if the chai tea concentrate you are using is bad or not.
Here are four clear and distinct signs that will help you understand whether the chai concentrate you have is bad or not.
- The most obvious sign of an expired chai tea concentrate is you will experience a dank, pungent smell coming from your tea. This strong smell indicates that your chai tea concentrate has gone bad.
- Your tea will have mold on it. The appearance of this mold indicates that the chai tea concentrate has gone bad.
- If your tea has lost its scent and flavor, the chai tea concentrate you have is expired. The tea is expired if there is no smell or flavor, even if it doesn’t have a dank smell or mold. The loss of aroma and flavor indicates nothing left in your tea.
- If your tea concentrate has been left open for more than 10 days, it has necessarily gone bad. After this time duration, the tea concentrate might lose its flavor and potency. So, there is no point in consuming tea concentrate after 10 days.
Storage Tips for Chai Tea Concentrate
Here are a few tips that you must consider while storing chai tea concentrate in the fridge.
- Fulfill Temperature Requirements
While storing in the fridge, you must ensure that the temperature requirements are fulfilled because bacteria start growing in the milk once the temperature reaches above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Store in an airtight container.
Also, it is essential to store chai tea concentrate in an airtight container when you are storing it in a fridge. It is advantageous to keep tea concentrate in the refrigerator because it prevents contamination.
The problem with leaving chai tea concentrate in the refrigerator for too long is that toxic substances can be produced that cannot be destroyed by heat. To prevent bacterial growth, store chai tea concentrate immediately after using it.
- Increase Refrigeration Life from 10 Days to 3 Months
You can increase the refrigeration life of homemade chai tea concentrate from 5 days to 3 months. Let’s find out how this can be done.
To increase the refrigeration life of chai tea concentrate by up to 3 months, you need to pour the concentrate into ice cube molds and freeze it for around 5 hours. Once it’s frozen, transfer these cubes into a freezer bag and place them in the fridge.
When you want to use this concentrate, you can take these cubes out of the refrigerator, melt them in the microwave oven, and add hot milk to drink delicious hot Chai. Please note that after refrigeration, the tea may become cloudy. The reason is that tea leaves release caffeine and tannins upon exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Best decaf chai tea Concentrate
Decaf chai tea is a very niche market. It is prevalent among pregnant or on medication who can’t have caffeine. If you are in the market for decaf chai tea, you will want to ensure you get the best decaf chai tea.
But not all chai tea is decaf, and not all decaf chai tea is made equal. We have found the two best-decaffeinated chai tea concentrates so you can choose what best suits your needs.
Tazo Decaf chai tea features the boldest black tea leaves blended with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger with creamy notes of vanilla and a hint of sweetness.
Tazo Decaffeinated chai tea concentrate is made with care using a unique process to enjoy the rich, full-bodied flavor of a distinctive blend of spices without feeling jittery.
The Chai Company’s Organic Rooibos Chai Herbal Spiced Tea Concentrate is a unique combination that gently warms the belly and heart.
The Chai Company uses an infusion of aromatic spices, and premium quality tea leaves to create an excellent chai highlighting floral notes of Rooibos with hints of natural vanilla and caramel. This product is certified Kosher, gluten-free, and vegan packaged in 100% recycled cartons. Enjoy it hot or iced.
Photo altered by dejittr.com | Photo attribution: Bank Phrom
