PUCampin wrote:

We are big tea drinkers. Properly brewed tea for us tastes good for 24hrs. After that it starts to taste old. We usually consume it all before it gets to that point though.

AllisonAndrews wrote:

It ate my response, but here is a copy and paste from another site:

From Susan Krumm, family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County:

While tea leaves can become contaminated with coliform bacteria, the most probable cause of the introduction of bacteria to tea is through errors in food handling. To support this, the Tea Association showed that tea brewed in a clean urn at 175 degrees or higher and stored at room temperature had no detectable coliform counts during the first 16 hours of storage. Thus, if the tea is brewed at an appropriate temperature, storage conditions and/or cleaning and disinfecting of the tea dispenser becomes the primary areas that could lead to contamination.

Here are some recommendations to minimize the risk that may come with drinking iced tea:

• Sun tea is not recommended. The practice of making “sun tea” by steeping the bags in a container of water in the sun may be a higher risk than brewing tea at high temperatures because it provides an environment where bacteria are more likely to survive and multiply.

• Iced tea should be brewed at 195 degrees for three to five minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

• Store tea bags or loose tea in a dark, cool and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not store tea bags in the refrigerator. Do not store tea in containers above the stove because it is too humid and warm. You can store tea bags in a freezer container, within the freezer.

• Never hold finished brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature. The recommendation is to make only enough for immediate use.



Brew-in-the-fridge iced tea

1 quart cold water in a container

4 or 5 tea bags (or one Numi Iced Tea one-quart size tea bag)


Refrigerator for two hours or overnight (the longer the tea steeps, the better the taste.) Remove the tea bags by squeezing them gently between two large spoons. Add fruit sections, sugar, sweetener or ice, as desired. Keep tea refrigerated. Enjoy!