Bubble tea tends to come in large sizes. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find it hard to finish my drink, and I hate to see it go to waste.
Generally, bubble tea doesn’t last long, and you’ll have to finish your drink as soon as possible, not to mention that it tastes better when fresh.
Nonetheless, if you’ve made a large batch of bubble tea or ordered a giant cup from a café, it’s possible to store it overnight. It won’t taste as good as a fresh one, of course, but it will keep all of its flavors.
Today, I’ll tell you all you need to know about how to keep bubble tea fresh overnight. Keep on reading if you want to enjoy your drink for another day!
How Long Can You Store Bubble Tea?
If your bubble tea is fresh, you can keep it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Keep in mind that bubble tea will be best when you consume it fresh. So, if you have to store bubble tea in the fridge, try to consume it before it reaches the 24-hour mark.
When it comes to tapioca pearls, unfortunately, their texture might change after staying in the refrigerator overnight. Tapioca pearls will not last as long as the rest of the bubble tea, so it’s best if you can store the liquid tea without the tapioca pearls.
It might be a good idea to drain out the tapioca pearls from the bubble tea if you want to store it in the refrigerator. While you won’t be able to enjoy the tapioca pearls with the tea the next day, the tea part of the bubble tea will still taste good. Sacrifices must be made!
That’s why I go for jelly toppings when I know I won’t be able to finish my drink. Jelly toppings stand the test of time much better than tapioca.
Bonus tip: Cover the lid of your drink with a cling film to keep it as tasty as ever.
Vegan Bubble Tea
Vegan bubble tea isn’t only healthier, but it also lasts longer, especially when refrigerated. By taking dairy out of the equation, your drink can last for more than a day in the refrigerator.
That’s why I love plant-based milk! After breaking the seal, it can last for around 7 to 10 days, depending on the content of the milk.
Of course, your tapioca won’t last that long, so you still want to drink the creamy goodness within the next day.
How Long Can You Store Tapioca Pearls?
The maximum amount of time that you should store tapioca pearls is around four hours. While you can keep them for longer, the quality of the tapioca pearls will start to decrease after four hours, and you might not want to eat them anymore. Sad, I know, but good things don’t last forever.
Generally, tapioca pearls are okay to eat for even several weeks after they are made. However, the problem with storing them for this long is that they will quickly lose their texture and quality.
While they will still technically be okay to eat after a few weeks, they will no longer burst when you eat them, taking the fun out of the drink.
Therefore, you should avoid putting cooked tapioca pearls in the refrigerator, as it’ll make them harden or shrink. The more they stay in the refrigerator, the less tasty they’ll be.
Storing Cooked Tapioca Pearls
To keep this chewy goodness in good condition, you need to immerse them in a simple sugar syrup. Then, cover them tightly with plastic wrap or keep them in an airtight container. This should help them last for more than a day in the refrigerator.
By doing this, you’ll slow down the hardening process. So, it’s still best to consume these sweet pearls while fresh.
Storing Uncooked Tapioca Pearls
If the tapioca pearls have not yet been cooked, you can store them for around two days. All you need to do is put these heavenly pearls in a sealed, food-safe plastic bag and remove the excess air. Then, keep the package in a cool, dry area.
You don’t even need to put them in the refrigerator unless it’s advised by the manufacturer. Whenever you feel like having a cup of bubble tea, you can prepare some fresh tapioca in no time.
Different Kinds of Bubble Tea
There are many forms that you can buy bubble tea in. Some bubble teas are more like slushies or smoothies. They are blended drinks that can come with a variety of different ingredients, but they will have ice blended into them.
Most commonly, bubble tea is made with milk tea. The ingredients may vary slightly, but milk tea is essentially mostly milk and sugar.
Often, other flavorings will be added to make the drink sweeter and more flavorful, but these do not affect how long the tea will last when you want to store it.
If you get a blended bubble tea, it’s probably not a good idea to store it overnight. The ice in the tea will melt, and it won’t have the same flavor or texture in the morning that it had the night before.
It will probably still be safe to drink the next day, but it will not be the same as it had been. If you store blended bubble tea overnight, chances are that you will wake up the next day, try it, and then throw it out because it is no longer good.
You might want to consider keeping it in the freezer. Although it won’t taste as good as a fresh one, it’ll be drinkable.
On the other hand, milk tea is a lot easier to store overnight. That’s because the ingredients are just milk and sugar, so you could store it for up to a week. It will stay good as long as the milk is fresh. However, you shouldn’t keep milk tea past the milk’s expiration date.
The problem is, if you buy this drink in a café, chances are that you do not know what the milk’s expiration date is. In this case, just keeping it for a week should be fine.
Is There a Difference Between Bubble Tea and Boba Tea?
If you have seen both of the terms bubble tea and boba tea, you are probably confused about what the difference is between these two drinks. However, there really isn’t a difference at all.
The two names came about as the drink became more popular in the United States. Whether you refer to the drink as bubble tea or boba tea is based mostly on the region that you live in.
Still, when people say “boba,” they’re most likely referring to the little round pearls at the bottom of bubble tea. These bobas are made out of tapioca starch and are also referred to as “bubbles” or “tapioca pearls.”
There are actually a few other ways to refer to bubble tea, including milk tea, boba, pearl milk tea, and tapioca tea. These are all referring to the same general drink, but you will most commonly see it being called either bubble tea or boba tea.
Final Thoughts
So, how to keep bubble tea overnight?
Well, the best way to store your bubble tea is to drain the liquid and refrigerate it, as your tapioca pearls won’t make it through the night.
Still, you can add some fresh tapioca in the morning and enjoy a cup of tasty boba.
Remember to finish your bubbly drink before it reaches the 24-hour mark.
Happy sipping!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.