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Hey yall!!!  Remember how I went on that awesome trip to tour the Bigelow Tea Plant?  I learned soo much about the history of the family and the tea!  I wanted to share a little bit about the tea they are known for and how it got it’s name and started this great company!

First I will tell you about the history of this lovely tea.   Ruth Bigelow’s first love was tea and she had heard about this popular tea from the South during Colonial Times.  She was told it had some orange peel and sweet spice in it.  She decided it sounded so delicious she would try to recreate it herself.  After weeks of experimenting she finally found the perfect blend.  Ruth and her friends adored the tea.  One of her friends actually served the tea at a social occasion and told Ruth “Ruth, your tea has caused nothing but constant comments.” Ruth still searching for the perfect name for the tea loved the name “Constant Comment” and it stuck!

The tea was first packaged up in a small glass jar.  Ruth was trying to sell her tea to a grocer one day and he declined it stating he had never heard of her product nor had he received any calls for it and until he did he could not carry it.  A customer also in the store asked her about the product she was trying to sell, Ruth opened the jar and the customer took a whiff and one whiff was all it took, she decided to buy a jar.   Constant Comment started to take off, although slowly.  It was switched to a more traditional tea tin and Ruth created flyers and they sold it in small orders to specialty accounts all around the world.

In 1949 the New England Sales representative announced he was going to resign the line stating Constant Comment was not doing well in the gift shops.  This would be a devastating blow to the Bigelow tea business, so they asked for a little time.  Remembering that fateful day in the grocery store when that one customer couldn’t resist buying Ruth’s tea after taking a whiff of that luscious aroma they decided to repackage the tea into the glass jars again and invite the consumer to “Open and Whiff”.  The results were immediate and Constant Comment was quickly selling! And the rest is history!

Constant Comment went on to be the big success it is today, it of course now if package tea bags, in Bigelow’s special foil packets that lock in all the flavor and freshness.  Here is the fun part, only the Bigelow family know the ingredients of Constant Comment, that is a super awesome family secret!!

Now I adore Constant Comment, to me opening up that foil pack and inhaling the rich scent just reminds me of the holidays.  Constant Comment just smells like Christmas and family and comfort.  It is truly a scent I could whiff all day long (how about some Constant Comment candles, hint hint).  And the taste, oh my goodness the taste!  Rich, flavorful and just instantly comforting, it is almost decadent!

So fill your mug with Constant Comment a tea steeped in family history!

I also love baking with Bigelow Tea and with the holidays coming up I know Constant Comment will be making it’s way into quite a few of my recipes.  First up is this super simple shortbread with a Constant Comment glaze.  They are amazing little bites of sweetness topped with a lovely glaze flavored with Constant Comment.  They are just divine!!!

Chatting about Constant Comment

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 flour
• 1 stick cold butter cubed
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cold water
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teabag Constant Comment
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a food processor blend the flour and sugar.
2. Add in the butter and pulse till the dough comes together.
3. If your dough doesn't come together add in the 1 Tablespoon of water slowly until a stiff dough is formed.
4. Form your dough into a 1/2 thick rectangle and chill for 15 minutes.
5. Trim off the edges and cute into little squares.
6. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 325 for 18-20 minutes.
7. Let cool.
8. In a measuring cup warm your 1/3 cup of milk and steep your Constant Comment tea bag for 10 minutes.
9. Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until you get a glaze suitable for drizzling.
10. Drizzle your shortbread bites with the glaze and serve!

So have your tried Constant Comment?  I bet you can’t wait to now!!!