HELOISE Keep tea bags fresh with proper storage

Dear Heloise: Twice a year I have company who drink iced tea. I buy tea bags for their visit, but months go by before I get the hankering for iced tea. Can you tell me the best way to keep tea bags fresh so that I don't have to throw out the ones I have and buy new bags? A Fan, Fort Myers, Fla.
After checking with a couple of major tea manufacturers, we found that tea bags stored correctly will still be good to use for up to 18 months.
What's best? Store tea bags in an airtight container (best to stay away from metal containers, as some can cause tea bags to have a metallic taste) in a cool, dry place. They should be kept away from sunlight, moisture and air, which cause them to become stale.
Here are a couple more tea facts for you: Refrigerate tea after brewing -- don't let it sit on a counter. Also, brewed tea should be discarded after 48 hours, while tea brewed in the sun should be thrown out after just 24 hours.
For even more information on teas, coffees and recipes, send for my pamphlet Heloise's Flavored Coffees and Teas. To receive a copy, send $3 and a self-addressed, stamped (60 cents), long envelope to: Heloise/Teas, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5001. Make your own ginger-flavored tea by adding a small piece of peeled, fresh ginger (or candied ginger) to a pot of freshly brewed tea. This is one of my favorites! Heloise
Dear Heloise: My hint is for any lady who has trouble finding her keys in her purse. I am always able to grab my keys quickly because I have them attached to a small stuffed-animal key chain. The animal is light and soft, so the keys do not settle to the bottom of my purse. Also, they are easy to identify by touch when I reach in without looking. Mrs. Amy Webb, Springfield, Va.
Dear Heloise: I am an avid crafts person, and for a long time I've thought of a problem and finally decided to tell you about it.
Many times, I go to estate sales and see craft projects on sale that are only partly done. The deceased didn't get time to finish it, and there are usually no directions to complete it.
I keep a copy of my pattern in with my yarn or thread projects as I work on them so that if I kick the bucket, someone can finish what I started. Mrs. Melba Dougherty, Salem, Ore.
Dear Heloise: I am not a cook, but I did fix some chicken in the pressure cooker and wanted to save the stock. My wife didn't have a fine mesh strainer, so I strained it through a plastic one that didn't work too well.
After wiping out the strainer, I put a coffee filter in the bottom of it and re-strained the stock. This worked really well. Chet Klod, Lexington, Ky.
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