Honey

[Pax]

I'm drinking peach oolong tea with honey right now, it is SO good!

So, tell me...what is bee pollen and how do you eat it (plain, on food, in food)???

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So, tell me...what is bee pollen and how do you eat it (plain, on food, in food)???

It's little pellets of actual flower pollen, collected by honeybees. They go from flower to flower, getting more golden powdery pollen and patting it into balls which they pack onto their back legs. When they get a big pellet gathered, they head back to the hive, where the pollen is made into honey.
Beekeepers who collect and sell pollen have special little contraptions they put on the hive doorway that lets the bee enter, but knocks the pollen ball off their hind legs as they enter, the pollen pellets falling into a collection tray. (My daughter told me about this). Of course they don't take ALL the pollen or the bees would die off!
Here's a random website describing and selling bee pollen:
http://www.draperbee.com/info/beepollen.htm
(I have not ordered from them, I don't know them)

My first taste of the little grains of pollen was years ago- it has a unique honey/fruity/chewy/grainy taste, somewhat strong. I just toss a 1/4 teaspoon at a time on my tongue and chew it up. You only eat a teaspoon or two a day- it's not the kind of stuff you'd eat a bowl of! I developed a real liking for the taste and texture. It's not for everyone, so one should order a small amount the first time- look for it in a big health food store. It's usually kept refrigerated (or should be).

[Pax]

It's little pellets of actual flower pollen, collected by honeybees. They go from flower to flower, getting more golden powdery pollen and patting it into balls which they pack onto their back legs. When they get a big pellet gathered, they head back to the hive, where the pollen is made into honey.
Beekeepers who collect and sell pollen have special little contraptions they put on the hive doorway that lets the bee enter, but knocks the pollen ball off their hind legs as they enter, the pollen pellets falling into a collection tray. (My daughter told me about this). Of course they don't take ALL the pollen or the bees would die off!
Here's a random website describing and selling bee pollen:
http://www.draperbee.com/info/beepollen.htm
(I have not ordered from them, I don't know them)

My first taste of the little grains of pollen was years ago- it has a unique honey/fruity/chewy/grainy taste, somewhat strong. I just toss a 1/4 teaspoon at a time on my tongue and chew it up. You only eat a teaspoon or two a day- it's not the kind of stuff you'd eat a bowl of! I developed a real liking for the taste and texture. It's not for everyone, so one should order a small amount the first time- look for it in a big health food store. It's usually kept refrigerated (or should be).

Very cool! Thanks for the info, I'll have to look for it at my local natural foods store.

[emily_in_nc]

Isn't it true that if you're allergic to bee stings you shouldn't eat bee pollen? Thought I read that once...but I may just have dreamed it (or it's an urban legend!)

Emily

[matagi]

Isn't it true that if you're allergic to bee stings you shouldn't eat bee pollen? Thought I read that once...but I may just have dreamed it (or it's an urban legend!)

Emily

No that is quite correct, you also shouldn't eat royal jelly and depending on what bee protein you are allergic to, honey can also be a problem.

[light_sabe_r]

People who eat honey are less likely to get Hayfever. A teaspoon of LOCAL honey (from hives in your local area) does wonders for allergie sufferers.

Plus the fact it's anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant containing wonder therepy... My favourite local variety (when it's availible) is White clover and DAMN that's nice!

never heard about the BEE sting/pollen pellets before...

hmmmm...

.

[Brandi]

I got a honey ginger green tea for christmas! it is my favorite right now. But this week I am all about the fresh honey roasted peanut butter i ground at the healthfood store. OMG! It so yummy! i made cookies with it yesterday and had to give half away so I wouldn't eat them all!

[mudmucker]

I use honey from a local apiary very close to me and I love it. Not only am I supporting my local farmer which I try to do as much as I can, but the honey is raw and unprocessed with the comb and is delicious. The product never has been warmer than the temperature naturally occurring in a bee hive and basically retains all the pollen, enzymes, and minerals and well, everything but the bees. I too have heard like light_sabe_r, that if you take a tsp of local honey you can abate some allergies because of resistance building to the pollen in your area.

Another product I am trying, not local obviously, is using brown rice syrup. It is a gluten-free, wheat-free product that is sweet, but not as sweet as honey. I use it in the homemade granola bars I make for my bike rides, in smoothies and in some cooking. I want to try making my own GU for my bike rides and know that if you use karo syrup and other recommended sweeteners the glucose content can cause dramatic insulin surges in addition to consistency changes. I haven't determined yet if the brown rice syrup would cause similar surges.