Tuesday, August 18, 2009

What to do with Bee Pollen!

Bee pollen is certainly worth consuming (unless you're allergic!), but at first glance, it's not the easiest substance to eat because it tastes weird. A few years ago, I bought some bee pollen from Durham's Bee Farm online (this was before I realized I should be eating local bee pollen). I kept the two big bags in my mom's fridge, and I told her she should eat it too. I remember taking a spoonful of it and just trying to eat it that way---I thought I would just follow it up with some water. Well, the taste and texture hit my gag reflex, and I almost lost it---but I didn't. I just drank water and shuddered at the thought of eating more. I sort of gave up on it then. My mom ate it for a while though---she's good about that stuff. And my friend Jena was visiting, and she actually liked the taste. So for a while we would just put out some on a plate and try to munch on it anytime we walked by it.

We eventually threw those bags of pollen away.

This year, I learned more about bee pollen, and I thought I needed to give it another try since it is just so nutritious. I read a tip that said to keep it in the freezer. Not only does it taste better, but it also prevents it from getting moisture in it and going bad. It will last 11 years if you freeze it.

So what I do is eat (swallow) three teaspoonfuls a day. Sometimes all at once, and other times spread throughout the day. I found that anything more than a teaspoon can kind of get stuck and hard to swallow. Chase with water. Always chase with water. It doesn't taste bad this way, actually doesn't taste like much at all---and I've found that I even chew on it a little now.

Other ways to eat it:
1. sprinkle it on salad
2. add to a smoothie
3. mix into peanut butter or other gooey substance
4. take in capsule form (I'm not a big fan of this one---I'd rather it be eaten since its a food)
5. be creative!

Let me know how you try it!
(I'll add a pic of it to this post later when I'm on my other computer)

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