Should I drink it?

September 24, 2008 3:35 PM

How long would a pitcher of iced tea made from store bought juice crystals last (ie. Nestea) in the fridge?

I made a jug of iced tea from juice crystals about 2 weeks ago and it has been sitting in the fridge (uncovered, if that matters) ever since. Is it safe to drink? My google-fu has failed me. :(

posted by gwenlister to food & drink (11 answers total)

If you're not sure, then the answer is "no". Don't take the chance. Pour it down the drain.

How much money would you be wasting, anyway? Twenty cents?

And if it has gone bad, and you drink it anyway to save that twenty cents, the penalty is a couple of days of vomiting and the trots. Not a good wager.
posted by Class Goat at 3:42 PM on September 24, 2008

The safe thing to do here is to go with your doubt and not drink it. You might consider making it in serving sizes in the future. You don't indicate that there is much to lose by just pouring it down the sink. Don't stress over the loss, some wasted tea is a small cost for peace of mind.
posted by Vague_Blur at 3:47 PM on September 24, 2008

Yeah, good point. Down the drain it goes. Thanks. :)
posted by gwenlister at 3:54 PM on September 24, 2008

Too late for you, but for others with the same question, I've drunk ice tea that's been in my fridge twice as long and wouldn't have any qualms about doing so again. (In my case, brewed rather than instant, and loosely covered, but not airtight.) I wouldn't drink your particular ice tea, not because I feared food poisoning from it, but because I think instant ice tea is nasty regardless of whether it's newly made or two weeks old.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:04 PM on September 24, 2008

How exactly does refrigerated sugar water go bad?
posted by smackfu at 4:10 PM on September 24, 2008

How exactly does refrigerated sugar water go bad?

Water that has been sitting out, uncovered, in your fridge is going to have bacteria in it. Give those guys some sugar, and they'll be extra happy. The cold temp in the fridge (and even the freezer) only slows bacterial growth, it doesn't prevent it. The sugar-water not likely going to rot, per se, because it doesn't have the same complex structure to break down like an old tomato would. But it will still have lost of nasty bacteria growing in it that could make you sick if you put them into your GI tract.
posted by vytae at 4:19 PM on September 24, 2008

Regardless, if it was uncovered, it would likely taste rank from picking up other aromas from the fridge.
posted by kimdog at 4:22 PM on September 24, 2008

It's unlikely to go bad in terms of bacteria, but uncovered in the fridge for 2 weeks, it will pick up odors. You're better off to keep it covered. When my homemade iced goes off, it gets a fermented tang.
posted by theora55 at 4:27 PM on September 24, 2008

Recommended limits

Beverages - 7 to 10 days after opening.
posted by b33j at 4:34 PM on September 24, 2008

Does it make any difference if it's soda? Because I've had 2-liter bottles of soda open in my refrigerator for way longer than 2 weeks.
posted by smackfu at 6:21 PM on September 24, 2008

Corporate drink mixes last for centuries, mixed with water or not. I would drink it no problem.
posted by telstar at 7:57 PM on September 24, 2008