Can You Reuse Tea Leaves?

Black, green and oolong tea are all made from the same plant.

Some types of tea take very well to being steeped multiple times, which can dramatically reduce the cost of the tea you drink. Even after the leaves are spent, you can use tea leaves or tea bags as compost, a skin treatment or as a natural odor absorber.

Tea Type Matters

Some teas take to resteeping better than others. Black teas often give up a lot of their flavor during their first infusion, but many green teas can hold their flavor for a resteeping. Oolong tea, which is less oxidized than black tea but more so than green tea, usually improves in flavor after the first steep. Avoid resteeping most flavored teas as the flavoring essences typically disappear after the first infusion.

Considerations

To get the best results from resteeping your tea, play around with infusion times. Try adding fifteen seconds to each consecutive infusion. Some high-quality black teas can be resteeped once, rarely twice. Green teas can withstand two or three infusions, while oolong teas usually offers between five and eight steepings.

Other Uses

Steeped tea leaves, even bagged teas, can be dried, then added to your compost pile or put in the fridge to absorb odors. Chill your used tea bags and put them over your eyes for a few minutes to reduce puffiness.

References

• Discovery.com: 5 Reuses for: Tea Bags
• SpecialTeas: Multiple Infusions of Green and Oolong Teas
• Washington Post: Steep, Pour, Sip, Repeat