Archive for August, 2008
Arbor Teas is happy to announce the birth of our son, Arthur S. Lopatin, on July 27, 2008. Arthur will fill the newly-created position of Director of Time Management. In between naps and feedings, Arthur’s primary responsibilities will involve improving the efficiency of all aspects of the Arbor Teas operation, and reducing the labor necessary to run the company to allow more time for his upbringing. In all seriousness, it has been our pleasure to share our first “baby” (aka, Arbor Teas) with all of you, and we’re thrilled to share the birth of our son, as well.
Arbor Teas. Growing a better tea company… literally!
August 25 2008 | Miscellaneous | 13 Comments »
Summertime is the time of year where those of us in the tea industry can sit back, take a breath, and take a fresh look at how we’re doing business. Although our beloved customers haven’t been giving us too much time to take a breather (which is just fine with us!), we have been able to hunt down some exciting new teas, and reformulate some of our blends. Perhaps most notably, all of our decaffeinated teas and blends will use teas decaffeinated using a CO2 process instead of a water process (as is currently the case). CO2 decaffeination results in a cup with better flavor and body than water process decaffeinated teas. And as always, our decaffeinated teas will remain organic and Fair Trade Certified!
August 25 2008 | Products | No Comments »
In case there are those of you out there who wonder why an online tea company like Arbor Teas is so zealous about our environmental performance (and our impact on global warming), a recent article in Fresh Cup Magazine (one of the primary journals of the tea and coffee industry) just connected all of the dots for you. While we at Arbor Teas believe that running our business in a sustainable fashion is just the “right thing to do,” the Fresh Cup article points to a more potentially self-serving motivation. Early evidence (such as that identified by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes, or the IPCC) suggests that the effects of global warming are likely to have very serious impacts on the world’s ability to keep growing great tea (not to mention a long list of other agricultural products). While it’s not as though tea production will come to a screeching halt tomorrow, this certainly isn’t good news.
Global Warming’s Impact on Tea-Growing Regions
There is a substantial and growing body of evidence supporting the fact that atmospheric temperatures are on the rise worldwide. Unfortunately, a majority of the available data is skewed toward developed nations. Since much of the world’s tea production takes place in the developing world, there is less scientific data to evaluate when considering global warming’s potential impacts. However, anecdotal evidence from growers suggests that the tea-growing world is experiencing the same climate trends as have been identified by scientists elsewhere.
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August 25 2008 | Sustainability | No Comments »
We hope you’ll excuse this little bit of on-line bragging, but sometimes the praise we get from the blogosphere is just too good not to share… Last month, Arbor Teas was highlighted on the Michigan Innovators website, which is dedicated to highlighting those people and businesses that are taking innovative steps to move Michigan’s economy forward. “Even if you do not consider yourself “passionate” about tea, the Arbor Teas website is more than just a product catalog, it is a tea experience.” Click here to read more about Michigan Innovators impressions of Arbor Teas. Hopefully you’ll agree!
August 19 2008 | Media | 1 Comment »
Alright, so it seems that folks have enjoyed our initial posts on kombucha (including the kombucha recipe we provided). Because the level of interest on this topic seems high, we’ve provided some additional insights to guide you in making your own kombucha below:
- The ideal temperature range for brewing kombucha is 74 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. While the yeast can thrive below 70 degrees, the acetobacter cannot, and undesirable microbes might take hold. Temperatures warmer than 84 degrees will kill the SCOBY. In general, low-temperature fermentation takes longer and produces a lighter brew, while high temperature fermentation goes faster and produces a darker brew with a more powerful flavor.
- Your SCOBY might float to the top of the solution, stay the middle, sink to the bottom, or slowly move from one level to another; all are normal, resulting in good, healthful kombucha.
- Allow the fresh kombucha to “rest” in the refrigerator for a day or two — a process wine brewers call “cold stabilization.” This reduces the acidic bite and allows insolubles to settle out. The result is a clearer brew with a more subtle, complex flavor.
- Store your SCOBY covered in kombucha (at least ½ cup). It can be stored either in the warm, dark place where you ferment your kombucha, or in the refrigerator — just be sure and check it frequently, to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Although a SCOBY can be frozen (again, making sure it is completely covered in kombucha), doing so runs the risk of killing the SCOBY.
- Over a few dozen batches, your SCOBY will get old and exhausted. A ragged, dark brown SCOBY is ready to be retired (throw it away, compost it, or feed it to your dog), and replaced with one of your backup “daughters.”
August 19 2008 | Kombucha | No Comments »