I picked up a canister of Zhena's Gypsy Tea (Organic Breakfast Bliss) at TJ Maxx recently. I'm happy to report it makes a fine brew. The tea was on clearance. The price was the same as what I would pay wholesale, so I decided to give the tea a try. A friend had recently given me a newspaper clipping about Zhena and her story of tea. It is interesting. She also has a blog. I admire that her teas are organic and fair-trade.
The canister was well-sealed (airtight), and that's an important consideration if you're looking to buy tea at TJ Maxx or other discount retailers. I have had good luck buying black tea when it is sealed properly and kept away from sunlight. Under these conditions, black tea will keep for at least a year (I've kept black tea longer and it was fine, but it was well-stored). I do not recommend buying green teas in this fashion. Green tea is much more delicate and generally should be consumed quickly. I try to drink it within 3 months, 6 at the max.
The real reason I wanted to buy this tea is for the canister. I've come to feel a little like a gypsy myself.
4 comments:
you are so "gypsy" like Steph! Of course that is one of your unique qualities! Wow..you have a TJ Maxx near you???
i never had fair trade tea before..what i had was organic oolong mostly from www.teacuppa.com
I never buy tea on sale or at a discount store, since I want the freshest tea possible. They say life is too short to drink bad wine, well I think the same about tea. To make sure I always have good tea I order my loose tea from Tea Laden. I also love the elegant gold bags the tea is packed in, since it makes nice gifts.
I'd just like to round out the comments by saying that black tea, when stored properly (as Steph indicates) is absolutely fine for up to a year. So go for the experimentation! At these prices, if you don't like the tea, just contribute it to the compost!
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