Shelf life of kava

[Spud Murphy]

Does kava ever go bad or loose it's strength overtime. I just reseal the bag it comes in and stick it in the press till Its time to use it again, would putting in in the fridge or freezing it make any difference. Not made kava but the root powder

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Does kava ever go bad or loose it's strength overtime. I just reseal the bag it comes in and stick it in the press till Its time to use it again, would putting in in the fridge or freezing it make any difference. Not made kava but the root powder

It is certainly good for at least a year that way with only fairly minimal loss of potency. Some can keep several years that way. For very long term I am guessing freezer is better, but even better is just drink it, eh?

In general, one of the tests for kava before it can be sold is moisture content. Below a certain point and kava's inherent mold killing properties kill any potential mold. Kava has some interesting anti-mycotic properties. Above that point and the kava gets overpowered and is susceptible to mold. You don't want to drink moldy kava.

 

[kavamehameha]

As long as it's properly stored (cool, dark, dry place) I'd say that kava doesn't go bad for many years. I once had a bag of kava which was opened about two years before, and it was perfectly fine to drink, just like new. However, kava slowly starts to lose potency after about a year.

 

[Ricardo Piquant]

I recommend transferring from the bags into glass flip top jars.

 

[Crunked]

Because I can only get kava in Australia through personal importation, I need to store significant quantitites. I divide the kava (root, micro or instant) into 30 day quantitites, vacuum seal it and then freeze it. I haven't noticed any drop in potency.