Does bubble tea go bad? Originated from Taiwan in the early 1980s. It is tea-based together with chewy tapioca balls and can also be made with toppings like grass jelly, aloe vera or red bean.
Bubble tea is made by blending in tea, milk, fruit, fruit juice, and tasty tapioca pearls and shaking it vigorously till it all mixes in.
There are different flavours and the top five are; honeydew, strawberry, mango, coffee and milk tea.
Only bad thing is that bubble tea is quite high in sugar leading to health effects like heart disease, obesity, liver problems, and diabetes.
So, does bubble tea go bad?
Bubble tea itself won’t go bad but the tapioca pearls will become stale and no longer chewy or appealing after some hours. The tea itself can last 1 to 2 days in the fridge but the pearls will only keep their chewy consistency for 3 to 6 hours,
So, it is best consumed immediately after preparation in order to enjoy maximum deliciousness and top quality.
Tapioca pearls on their own will last 9 – 12 months after production, without being subject to cooking, but once added to the tea, it becomes vulnerable.
Do not store it in the refrigerator or in a cold area because cold temperatures will harden it, making it unpleasant and not chewy.
Expired bubble pearls won’t hurt you but they won’t taste great either.
How Long Does Bubble Tea Last In The Fridge?
Freshly cooked bubble tea can last 24 hours in the fridge because it is best consumed when fresh after preparation.
If you’re to refrigerate bubble tea at all, it must be consumed before it stays whole 24 hours in the fridge.
Bubble tea will eventually go bad after a while especially if milk is part of the ingredient.
Due to the fact that the refrigerator will harden pearls, it is best you drain the pearls out from the tea before storing them.
Also, it is best to store bubble tea on the top shelf of the refrigerator and keep it covered.
If it is not bottled with a lid, then cover it with a film or tin foil to prevent substances from getting in and contaminating it.
Keeping it on the top shelf will prevent it from being knocked down by accident while trying to get other foods in and out.
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Can You Freeze Bubble Tea?
Yes, you can freeze bubble tea only that the pearls will be slightly firm than it was.
Actually, freezing tapioca pearls will make them last longer and you can unfreeze them when ready to serve.
Freezing will not affect its chewy nature and consistency that bad.
To freeze tapioca pearls properly, follow these steps;
Put pearls into a ziplock bag and flatten the bag to get rid of air.
Then place the bag flattened in the freezer.
When ready to use, boil the tapioca pearls for 5 minutes and stir occasionally.
Then turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 5 minutes, after which you drain out the hot water and run cold water over it.
Then pour tapioca pearls into a bowl of sugar syrup, serve with bubble tea and enjoy.
If you wish to freeze the cooked form, this is the best time to freeze it, to prevent it from hardening – when it is inside the syrup.
Ensure it is completely cooled before freezing and freeze in portions to prevent food waste
So, you can defrost and use it in batches because refreezing is not recommended.
It is unsure how long bubble tea lasts in the freezer,
But uncooked tapioca balls will last for months in the freezer, at least, longer than they would have lasted in the fridge or at room temperature.
Do NOT refreeze tapioca pearls after they have been cooked.
Does Iced Tea Go Bad?
Eventually. The best way to know if an opened bottle of iced tea is bad is to smell and look at it,
Observing keenly for off odour, off flavour or off appearance. If any is found, discard it immediately.
Discard tea with dents and damaged packages such as leaks, rusts, and bulges on the cans or bottles.
Bad iced tea may contain bacteria that will result in sickness, especially if stored improperly and for too long.
Store iced tea in the fridge for the recommended maximum time of 8 hours once brewed,
That is because the sugar and fruits will begin to ferment.
But without sugar present or fruits, iced tea can last 3 – 5 days in the fridge.
Unopened iced tea can last for as long as 18 – 24 months if kept away from direct sunlight.
How Long Does Iced Tea Last?
Unopened bottled iced tea will last for 12 months after the manufacture date.
Canned iced tea will stay for as long as 18 months.
Once prepared for drinking, it should be refrigerated for a day for optimum freshness.
Opened bottled iced tea will last 7 – 10 days refrigerated and 2 – 3 days unrefrigerated.
It will no longer be safe for consumption when it begins to smell like wine or gets mouldy.
Usually, we’ve noticed that tea is best for the first day, good for 3 – 4 days,
After which it starts to decline with a really weird flavour, and if sugar or fruits were added, it will begin to ferment after 4 days.
This is quite unpleasant and that is why, you either consume iced tea entirely or store it properly and use it up promptly, in order to enjoy the freshness.
Note: as a consumer and producer, always observe bubble tea, its shell life and storage before consuming.
How Long Does Bubble Tea Last After Opening?
Unopened and uncooked tapioca pearls will last 12 months, but once opened, the shell life begins to decrease.
For this reason, you should coat the pearls in honey, sugar syrup or fructose concentrate for preservation, and then freeze them.
There are 4 main ingredients in bubble tea responsible for determining the shell life especially once it is ready to drink and once it is opened.
They are; tea, milk, sweeteners, and tapioca pearls.
Shell life also depends on the nature of preparation and storage conditions.
So always keep bubble tea away from direct sunlight, in a cool and dry condition.
Protect from water and air as well, which is why the lid should be tightly fitted.
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How Long Does Bubble Tea Last At Room Temperature?
If the room temperature is over 90⁰F, bubble tea should not be left out.
Bubble tea with tapioca pearls can be left out for 2 hours under mild temperature.
Bubble tea can last a couple of days but the tapioca pearls will no longer be as good as they should be after a few hours,
The chewy texture and sweet flavour will decline.
Generally, avoid drinking tea that has been left out overnight, it may harbour bacteria and mould that can lead to health issues.
Already prepared bubble tea will stay for some hours at room temperature, although the ice will melt and water the tea,
So it is best consumed as soon as it is prepared till 45 minutes later.
How Long Does Bubble Tea Last After Expiration Date?
They will last 9 – 12 months after production and 1 week – a few months after the expiration date.
Precisely, bubble tea can last 16 – 18 months past its expiration date, unopened.
Once opened, refrigerate and consume promptly within 7 days.
Although, consuming on the first day will give optimum freshness and quality.
Expired bubble tea will not hurt you, but it will taste really awful and won’t give you a great flavour.
Bubble tea and tapioca pearls are still safe to use provided there are no discolourations,
Presence of whitish spots, moulds or smell of off odour, if any abnormality is found, discard it.
What Is The Difference Between Bubble Tea and Milk Tea?
Bubble tea has a tea base, flavouring, tapioca pearls and then sometimes, the addition of milk.
Not all bubble tea is milk tea, but some varieties comprise milk in it.
On the other hand, milk tea is simply tea combined with milk – whole milk, powdered milk, or soy milk, or almond milk.
When milk tea is made, the froth that forms when the drink is shaken is similar to that of the chewy pearls that bring bubbles to ‘bubble tea’.
Bubble tea may have milk in it, but the distinctive feature is the presence of chewy tapioca balls.
Bubble tea and milk tea do not taste alike, they have varying nutrients and varying ingredients, with only milk as the common ingredients (in rare cases).
The tapioca is usually flavourless, it becomes sweet thanks to the syrup,
While milk tea has less sugar than bubble tea.
Milk Tea has more protein, calcium and phosphorus but bubble tea is not detrimental and not very nutritious either.
How Long Can Milk Tea Sit Out?
Tea can sit out for only 4 – 8 hours, after which it should be discarded.
However, milk tea has a perishable ingredient present – milk.
Hence, it can only sit out for a maximum of 2 hours at a very high room temperature of 40⁰F – 140⁰F.
Food poisoning bacteria will grow rapidly in temperatures between 40⁰F – 140⁰F, this will contaminate the milk faster, making it unsafe to consume.
As soon as milk tea is brewed, drink it promptly or keep it in the refrigerator or freezer.
If the temperature is 90⁰F, milk tea should not sit out for more than 1 hour.
After the maximum time has elapsed, milk tea will begin to have dull colours, curdled and lumpy texture, foul smell and sour taste.
How To Preserve Milk Tea?
The best way to preserve milk tea is to keep it refrigerated.
An unopened bottle of milk tea will last 1 month in the refrigerator
while once opened, it will only stay fresh for 3 days refrigerated,
So, gulp it up! When storing milk tea in the fridge, ensure the temperature is kept at an average level,
Make sure the milk tea is sealed with plastic wrap and lid before refrigerating.
This will prevent it from mixing in with other flavours of foods in the refrigerator.
It is recommended that you separate milk tea from the toppings (if any) before refrigerating.
Why Does Boba Get Hard?
Boba gets hard if the pearls get too cold, come in direct contact with ice, or stay in a cold temperature for a long.
Cooked boba that is hard did not cook well long enough or was not covered in sufficient water.
You will need more water, at least up to 50% of the pot.
In order to keep that chewy feel, add the ice last to the boba.
Also, another step is by sugar coating the boba in honey, sugar or fructose.
The coating will serve as a protective membrane from becoming too soft and mushy, or too hardened.
Avoid putting cooked tapioca pearls in the refrigerator because they will harden and shrink.
Can You Keep Bubble Tea Overnight?
Fresh bubble tea can stay overnight and even for as long as 24 hours if kept in the refrigerator.
It is best consumed fresh and hence, the refrigerator helps preserve it because fresh quality can be obtained only within 24 hours.
Keeping bubble tea overnight will also depend on how long each ingredient can last and what kind of bubble tea is in question.
Bubble tea should not be left overnight with the tapioca pearls in it,
That’s because although the tea will stay put, the tapioca pearls won’t be very okay.
Some bubble tea has ice blended in them, looking like smoothies, this type should not be left overnight, to avoid the ice melting.
Melted ice will affect the flavour and texture by morning.
How Long Does Bubble Tea Last After Brewed?
After brewing, bubble tea can last 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator without the tapioca pearls.
Within this time, it will be safe for consumption but not as tasty as it would have been on the first day.
To make bubble tea last long after brewing, follow these steps;
Use purified boiled water,
Sift leaves using a filter cloth and add in mixtures – cream, sugar, milk, and tapioca pearls, while the tea is still hot.
Then, when it cools down to room temperature, store it in the refrigerator.
Always use purified water at the right ratio, the correct temperature of water to suit the type of tea, and the appropriate time for infusion.
This will ensure longevity and freshness, know the kind of tea leaves used – if they are not fermented, slightly fermented, or highly fermented.
Knowledge of this will determine how long it will last and the kind of storage method to preserve it for long.
How to Know If Boba Is Bad?
Signs to know a bad boba are;
If the tapioca pearls have discoloured
There are moulds present
If there is an off odour
They look different from how they were.
Good boba is smooth and slightly chewy, while bad boba is the exact opposite.
Good boba is firm, while bad boba is mushy or soggy.
Research says bad boba won’t hurt you
But why take a bad boba when you can preserve and protect it from going bad, or you get a new batch?
Bad boba doesn’t taste great and doesn’t look appealing.
Boba should be kept at room temperature and not in the freezer, uncooked.
After cooking, it will only last 8 – 10 hours, it should not be refrigerated either and it is highly recommended to use them that same day.
To extend the shelf life, place in sugar syrup and then refrigerate or freeze.
What Does Bubble Tea Taste Like?
Bubble tea tastes like a well-balanced, sweet and milky beverage.
It is quite sweet but not overpowering because the tea blends and balances the sweetness and creaminess of the boba flavours.
It is a cold, frothy drink with flavours, sweeteners, and milk, with tapioca pearls at the base of the drink.
The taste of bubble tea depends greatly on the flavour used, and the different ingredients.
It is sweet, cool, refreshing and delicious.
Bubble tea not only has an excellent taste but also an incredible aroma.
Fruit-based bubble teas are also sweet, with flavours coming from fruit puree or fruit powder.
Depending on the tea used, you may get a bit of a grassy taste.
The most classic and father of bubble tea is the black milk tea flavour.
Bubble tea began with this flavour before others began to come out.
How To Make Bubble Tea?
First, make a syrup of water and sugar, then boil the tapioca pearls following the instructions on the package.
Then brew your tea till it gets to your desired consistency and add the syrup, ice, milk and tea into a glass, in the right measurements.
Add the soaked boba pearls and enjoy.
Making homemade bubble tea gives you the opportunity to be in charge of the ingredients to be used.
You can choose to add toppings like egg pudding or coffee jelly.
Homemade bubble tea will save money and you can comfortably avoid harmful ingredients.
You can choose to use the warm brewing method or the cold brewing method.
You are also in charge of the milk, whether soy milk, almond milk, oat milk or powdered milk.
The addition of ice increases the volume of the drink and cuts down calories.
For a sweet but not very milky taste, use 1 3/4 cups of tea, 1/8 cup of milk, 3/8 cup of syrup, 1/4 cup of ice and 1/2 cup of tapioca pearls.
For a milky and not sweet taste, use 3/8 cup of milk and 1/8 cup of syrup instead.
Then, for a balanced bubble tea with a sweet and milky taste, use 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of syrup.
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How To Preserve Bubble Tea?
Before cooking, store pearls in a cool, dry place of 77⁰F.
Once opened, reseal properly and use within 2 days.
You can use a vacuum sealer to ensure all air is removed.
Uncooked boba will last longer because it has been dehydrated,
It is best kept at room temperature because refrigerating will draw out moisture.
Once cooked, consume promptly and if you’re to freeze, soak in syrup first to prevent it from hardening.
The most important thing in bubble tea is the boba, which is why it needs intensive care.
To preserve the tea, drain out boba from it, it is not recommended to store tea together with boba in it.
Conclusion.
We all need something like tea to kickstart some days with, bubble tea is a beautiful option.
It can be served piping hot or ice cold, suitable as a drink or snack.
It is served in transparent cups with a fat straw so that the tapioca balls can come up through the straws and you can chew them as you swallow the liquid.
The name, bubble tea, is because of the tapioca balls and the floating bubbles which come up as a result of the vigorous shake.
Out by the beach, on a picnic, or just relaxing on the balcony, bubble tea either warm or iced will soothe you well.
But bubble tea cannot be enjoyed if not fresh,
That’s why this article is embedded with knowledge on the longevity and preservation of bubble tea. Gulp up!
Remember, does bubble tea go bad? How long does it last?