Everyone knows how to make a cup of tea, right? Just boil the water and pour it over your tea bag…well, not exactly. While making a cup of tea is refreshingly simple, we at Bigelow Tea do want you to enjoy each tea variety every time you put the pot on to boil. Watch Cindi Bigelow offer important tips and guidelines for brewing the perfect cup in this wonderful video from our Tea-V channel:

If you’re happy brewing cups of Bigelow Tea with teabags, but still curious about some of our loose tea options, we’re delighted to help you with that, too! First, measuring the tea is important; If you’re making a pot of tea, the general rule is one teaspoon per cup, plus one more “for the pot.”

Drop the leaves straight into the pot if you’re using a strainer; or into the infuser basket if that’s your chosen method. Pour the boiling water over the leaves, and then wait 3 – 4 minutes for black tea, a little less for green, and a little more for oolong. Of course, Bigelow Tea can provide you with necessary (and stylish) options for your loose tea brewing. Our butterfly infuser adds a whimsical touch, and can easily fit in a purse or a pocket!

We also have infuser teapots to suit all needs and styles, including pot options for one person, or inviting over the whole crew for tea! Check out our tea pots made of glass, cast iron, or ceramics.

Curious about our loose tea? Go ahead and try some – and “loosen” up with Bigelow Tea!

Image via Office.microsoft.com

Portability is a concept that has caught on with most of us. Essentially, we can carry our virtual offices with us wherever we go. We feel naked without our cell phones and electronic organizers.  We grab a quick bite to eat en route to our next appointment or activity. We rush through the business day and squeeze every minute out of every vacation. Enter the venerable Bigelow Tea and our individually wrapped tea bags, which allow tea drinkers to stay on track while at work or play.

When you’re on the road to work, or off on vacation, your morning boost of energy is key; perhaps you’ll need of our caffeinated teas like Earl Grey. To focus on that important presentation (or putting up that complicated 6-bed tent) Green Tea is ideal for dusting away your cranial cobwebs. And, after camp is all set, or that stressful meeting is finally over, you can chill out with a caffeine-free herbal tea.

We know that finding time for a leisurely afternoon tea might be impossible at work, and even hard to swing during a busy vacation. So be prepared; pack your favorite Bigelow Tea assortment the night before, placing them in a tea wallet, Ziploc or your computer bag/purse. And you’ll need a snazzy travel tumbler for those quick sips in the car, carrying it wherever you go. There’s no better libation-to-go than tea!

Nothing says convenience like our eco-friendly foil-wrapped teabags. So, when you’re on the road, working, or planning to-the-minute summer vacation fun, we recommend packing your Bigelow Tea favorites right along with your favorite socks. Anytime and anywhere, at work or at play, it’s Bigelow Tea: don’t leave home without it!

Photo courtesy of Examiner.com

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of everything Mexican. Many confuse Cinco de Mayo as celebrating the Mexican Independence day, but the day actually celebrates Mexico defeating French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Interestingly enough, Puebla is known for its chocolate…

The first people to drink chocolate were the Mayans and Aztecs who grew the plant and processed the seeds into a paste. They mixed the chocolate paste with chili peppers and other natural ingredients to make a tea-like drink reserved for royal and religious occasions.

Sounds like a great way to recognize Cinqo de Mayo too; luckily, this traditional chocolate-tea idea can be modified for modern day appeal, and Bigelow tea has many tea and chocolate combinations in mind! After you’ve enjoyed your Cinco de Mayo tacos (and maybe a Bigelow Tea Ultimate Pomegranate Margarita) consider one of our decadent tea and chocolate dessert ideas, like this easy-to-prepare Darjeeling & Dark Chocolate Pots. Here’s the recipe, this tea-sation will add some extra spice to your fiesta.

Darjeeling & Dark Chocolate Pots

Ingredients:

½ cup whole milk
2 tea bags, Bigelow® Darjeeling
¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao content) or semi-sweet chips
1 egg
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

In a glass measuring cup, heat milk in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until very hot. Alternatively, this step can be done in s small saucepan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.

Place the tea bags in the hot milk and allow steeping for 2 minutes. Thoroughly squeeze out teabags into milk before discarding.

Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in a blender and process until finely chopped.

Pour the hot tea infused milk over the chocolate and blend until smooth, about one minute. Add egg and a pinch of salt and blend again to incorporate fully. Note: It is important that the milk is hot to ensure the chocolate melts completely and creates the right consistency.

Divide mixture evenly between four tea cups (or individually sized ramekins) and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. During this time, the mixture will firm up to the consistency of pudding.

Serve chilled, with any combination of the following garnishes: whipped cream, fresh raspberries, or fresh mint leaves. And to give it that peppery-like Aztec flair, substitute the Darjeeling tea for the Orange & Spice Herb Tea!

Cinco de Mayo is the perfect holiday to celebrate not only with family and friends, but Bigelow Tea and chocolate. All perfect combinations!

Image Courtesy of Epa.gov

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

~ Chief Seattle, 1855

This year is the 40^th Anniversary of Earth Day and communities all over the world have made great strides in the ongoing effort to protect our planet. We’ve come far, but there’s still much work to be done. This is a phenomenal time in our history when each of us can effect change through sustainable initiatives like energy efficiency, recycling, reducing air and water pollution, and forest preservation. Challenges like Climate change are often opportunities in disguise. Annual events like Earth Day and Arbor Day (on April 30^th), are valuable resources whose goal is to re-energize people in their efforts to live sustainably.

At Bigelow Tea, our respect for the environment is reflected in everything we say and do, which is why we established a Sustainabili-TEA program. We are definitely Green advocates – of Green Tea and Green Power! One of the ways that we, as a company, have reduced our impact on the environment is through the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of our corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant. Also, 85% of our teabags are wrapped in biodegradable or recyclable packaging because waste reduction has become a way of life for us.

There’s an old Native American proverb which says “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” So please join Bigelow Tea in their unwavering commitment to create a global green economy so that future generations may thrive. After all, it’s the right thing to do.

Many of us crave a nice cup of tea after a delicious meal, but have you tried to get a cup of good hot tea in a restaurant?

The tea is rarely steeped sufficiently, and the teabags can be stale from sitting in the storage room for who knows how long. To add insult to injury, the tea can be lukewarm by the time it reaches the table.

At Bigelow Tea this won’t do for our customers. So, when in doubt – B.Y.O.T. (Bring Your Own Tea)! It’s easy to keep a small selection of your favorite tea bags in your purse…Bigelow Tea bags are the perfect size to fit in even the tiniest of handbags.

As you know, our tea bags come individually wrapped–so you don’t have to worry about any loose tea floating around the bottom of your purse!

How do you know when you’re better off using your own tea bag?  Here’s one tell-tale sign; if there are full menu pages dedicated to wines, cocktails and coffee, but tea is lumped in the back with soda and hot chocolate section, there is a good chance the restaurant doesn’t put the time or care in to their tea offering. That’s your cue to grab a Bigelow Tea bag from your private purse collection instead! Be discreet, no need to insult the waiter, but now you’ve got a guaranteed delicious cup of Bigelow Tea every time. It’s essential.

Bon appétit!

Believe it! Your Bigelow Tea teabags and the wrappers that envelop them have a significant impact on the aroma and taste of the tea you drink! While many people think wrappers and teabags are simply forms of packaging, at Bigelow Tea the bag and the foil wrapper are carefully crafted components, integral to the overall tea-drinking experience.

When tea lovers got together with Cindi Bigelow for a Tea Social in New York City in January, Cindi talked to her special tea guests about the often-overlooked teabag and its wrapper. Stephanie from The Tea Scoop was at the event, and afterward she shared a fantastic summary of Cindi’s lesson on her blog. Check it out!

As part of the event, participants learned that wrappers (or barriers) are rated from 0 to 10, with a 10 keeping the teabags freshest. Bigelow Tea wrappers are rated a 10. Simply opening the wrapper of a Bigelow Tea bag and enjoying the aroma of what’s inside gives consumers an idea of how important a wrapper can be. As Stephanie at the Tea Scoop happily noted:

“When I sniffed Bigelow, I found the strength of the aroma startling.”

Cindi also asked the guests to tear open teabags and see what’s inside. Some teas contain filler: tea dust, stems, and “prills” of flavoring and small leaves. Bigelow Tea, however, contains tea leaves, real ingredients (like orange rind in Constant Comment) and spices—never dust or prills. As Stephanie at The Tea Scoop put it, “I was completely blown away by the difference.”  Check out Cindi’s demonstration in this video:

Try this at home and see; smell and taste the difference a premium tea bag and wrapper makes. At Bigelow Tea, we take the quality of our ingredients and materials seriously, so we can provide the best tea-drinking experience possible!

What a special year….this year we are celebrating 65 years of being in business!  That is an amazing milestone for this family owned and operated company.  Little did my grandmother, Ruth, know that when she was concocting her recipe for “Constant Comment,” that we would be so blessed as to have a company that would prosper not just for our immediate family, but for all those that have worked with us over the last 65 YEARS!

I thank my lucky stars each and every day.

It looks like we are on track to have another banner year, selling our teabags to the all of those supporters who appreciate and buy over 100 flavors of Bigelow Tea.  In addition to making a beautiful product, we also have the opportunity to give back to our communities which so many of us do here at Bigelow Tea.  I have always said, Bigelow Tea is a true gem.

This year the little gem is 65 years old and as shiny as ever.  We have much to celebrate, and I look forward to the years ahead.

Cheers!

Cindi Bigelow

Shopping for the holidays is easy and fun at Bigelow Tea (www.bigelowtea.com) with a wonderful offering of festive treats from our 2009 Holiday Gift Collection.

“Our holiday gifts have been tastefully chosen and packaged with our customers in mind,” says Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea. “We wanted to provide adults and children alike with a fabulous selection of teas and treats to choose from and I think we’ve succeeded!”

Royal Drum Tower

There’s something for everyone at Bigelow Tea! Try out the Royal Drum Tower, with its festive drums and treats, including our Eggnogg’n^® Holiday Teas ($36.95).

Snowflake Goodie Basket

If you fancy curling up by the fireplace with a mug of Bigelow tea and nutcracker cookies, all served on a snowflake tray, then the Snowflake Goodie Basket ($32.95) is for you!

Holiday Glitter Tin Bucket

During the holidays, we always make time to catch up with friends and family, so why not bring along the perfect hostess gift? Our Holiday Glitter Tin Bucket ($34.95) comes complete with a spruce mug and guest towel, hazelnut biscotti, holiday snacks and teas!

Holiday Teas and Treats

Show your boss some appreciation with our beautiful Holiday Teas and Treats ($49.95) basket, generously filled with festive goodies.

Holiday Tea Assortment

For the purist, try our Holiday Tea Assortment (80 teabags for just $12.95!)
Shop at Bigelow Tea from the comfort of your own home. And, may you and yours have a joyous Holiday season!

Why not let these recipes inspire you for dinner tonight.  Easy to prepare and better yet to eat!  Let us know how it goes!

Pomegranate Pepper Steaks

Pomegranate Pepper Steaks

Ingredients:

1 cup (250mL) boiling water
12 Bigelow® Pomegranate Pizzazz Tea Bags
3 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced in strips
2 tablespoons (30mL) olive oil
4 – 6oz. (168g) round steak, tenderized
Salt to taste
Dash of pepper
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (opitional)

Yield: Serves 4

You’ve just sipped your last drop of Bigelow Darjeeling Tea and – just before throwing out the used teabag – a little voice inside your head screams “WAIT!”  You deftly lift your hand away, and place the used teabag on the counter. Staring intently at the teabag, the light bulb inside your head then suddenly flashes and the cobwebs disappear, as all those old home remedies come flooding back to you. Better write them down, in case you forget again! So here’s a few:

COLD SORES

These unsightly sores can be relieved (not cured) by placing a warm used teabag on the affected area, applying pressure from three to thirty minutes.

HALITOSIS

Bad breath is just plain embarrassing!  A daily regimen of black tea, like Bigelow English Teatime®, is just the right tonic for this social faux pas.

FOOT ODOR

No one likes to have smelly feet usually caused by bacteria from prolonged shoe wear.  Soak your feet in a tub of hot water and 5 new teabags, for 30 minutes. Refreshed!

BLACKHEADS

Place a warm, used teabag on the affected area once a day, until the blackhead disappears. For this application, use green tea only. For this issue, ehow.com says Green Tea is best.

DARK CIRCLES

Soak a couple of new teabags in cold water. Squeeze them and then place them over your closed eyes, for at least 10 minutes. Soon you’ll lose that raccoon look! (NOTE: Warm, used teabags can replace an herbal tea poultice.)

Now, time to silence those inner voices and perhaps succumb to the pleasure and taste of a relaxing cup of Cozy Chamomile®