Honey Infused with Pollen

What we claim as our invention is a method for creating a product with extended shelf life that contains a variety of pollens, pollens that cause allergies in mammals, including bee pollen as well as manually collected tree, grass, and shrub pollen using the following steps

• (a) Collect pollen manually throughout the year. Pollen from all known allergens is targeted (pine, oak, cedar, juniper, ragweed, and more) To collect the pollen simply shake the pollen from the allergy causing plants into re-sealable bags. Label each bag with the pollen type and the date collected. Store in airtight container in the freezer at temperatures not to exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit. A Dyson DC 35 Multi Floor vacuum can be used to suck lighter pollens from plants.
• (b) Collect bee pollen using a pollen trap on a beehive. (The most effective pollen traps are the Sundance pollen traps.) Position beehives in all areas from which bee pollen is desired. Turn pollen trap on for a 2-3 hours, collecting pollen immediately upon turning trap off to prevent spoilage. To prevent damaging/destroying beehive, collect pollen weekly to ensure that the hive retains enough pollen to remain healthy. The collected pollen should be labeled with location of collection, date collected and pollen source. The pollen should be stored in an airtight bag in a freezer and kept at a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• (c) After the desired quantity and variety of pollen has been collected throughout the year, a product containing a mixture of pollens can be created by warming a convenient amount of raw unprocessed honey to between 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit. (i.e. the same temperature that bees typically maintain their hive temperature which ranges from about 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit). In a blender, combine the known amount of warm honey with a known amount of frozen pollen. The pollen should be completely submerged in the honey such that the blend can easily mix the 2 ingredients into a frothy substance. Use a single pollen type or multiple varieties depending on the desired pollen mixture. If a variety of pollen is required, measure desired amounts of each individual pollen into mixing bowl, stir the mixture such that the variety of pollens are evenly distributed. Blend the pollen and warmed honey on high cycle until mixture becomes frothy.
• (d) Adjust the ratio of honey to pollen by adding raw unprocessed unfiltered honey (honey temperature should be between 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit) to the frothy mixture. Add enough pollen to the honey such that the ratio of pollen to honey (by weight) should be between 0.017% and 0.025%. The raw, unfiltered, unprocessed honey will act as a preservative for the pollen yielding a product with a storage life of several years without requiring refrigeration. For optimum shelf life, a honey with a moisture content less than 17% should be used such that fermentation will not occur. Use a honey with a moisture content less than 18.4% to maintain USDA grade A standards.
• (e) Stir honey and the pollen mixture until ingredients are evenly distributed. Bottle the product and close with an airtight seal to prevent moisture from entering container. During the bottling process, the honey must be stirred every twenty minutes so that the distribution of the pollen particles remains consistent.

What we claim as our invention is a method for creating a product with extended shelf life that contains a variety of pollens, pollens that cause allergies in mammals, including bee pollen as well as manually collected tree, grass, and shrub pollen using the following steps

• (a) Collect pollen manually throughout the year. Pollen from all known allergens is targeted (pine, oak, cedar, juniper, ragweed, and more) To collect the pollen simply shake the pollen from the allergy causing plants into re-sealable bags. Label each bag with the pollen type and the date collected. Store in airtight container in the freezer at temperatures not to exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit. A Dyson DC 35 Multi Floor vacuum can be used to suck lighter pollens from plants.
• (b) Collect bee pollen using a pollen trap on a beehive. (The most effective pollen traps are the Sundance pollen traps.) Position beehives in all areas from which bee pollen is desired. Turn pollen trap on for a 2-3 hours, collecting pollen immediately upon turning trap off to prevent spoilage. To prevent damaging/destroying beehive, collect pollen weekly to ensure that the hive retains enough pollen to remain healthy. The collected pollen should be labeled with location of collection, date, and pollen source. The pollen should be stored in an airtight bag in a freezer and kept at a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• (c) After the desired quantity and variety of pollen has been collected throughout the year, a product containing a mixture of pollens can be created by gently warming 3 pounds of raw unprocessed honey to approximately 93 degrees Fahrenheit. (i.e. the same temperature that bees typically maintain their hive temperature which ranges from about 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit). In a blender, combine the warm honey with approximately 33 grams of frozen pollen. Use a single pollen type or multiple varieties depending on the desired pollen mixture. If a variety of pollen is desired, measure desired amounts of each individual pollen into mixing bowl, stir the mixture such that the variety of pollens are evenly distributed.
• (d) Blend the pollen and warmed honey on high cycle until mixture becomes frothy. Mix the blended ingredients with approximately 350 pounds of raw, unprocessed, unheated, unfiltered honey. The raw, unfiltered, unprocessed honey will act as a preservative for the pollen yielding a product with a storage life of several years without requiring refrigeration. Stir until the pollen mixture is evenly distributed. Bottle the product and close with an airtight seal to prevent moisture from entering container. During the bottling process, the honey must be stirred every twenty minutes so that the distribution of the pollen particles remains consistent.