Collecting and storing bee pollen is a rather difficult and time-consuming task. But at the same time, every beekeeper should know how to handle this apiary product.

Therefore, try to approach the process of collecting and drying pollen as responsibly as possible so that at the end you get a high-quality and useful product.

Why does pollen quickly lose its beneficial properties?

Quite "unpleasant" properties of pollen are considered to be that its life-giving properties quickly dissipate, even despite the high-quality storage conditions, and first of all, the vitamins and amino acids that it contains disappear.

This feature is due to the fact that even after the pollen has been collected, various biochemical reactions continue in it, due to which the loss of important nutrients occurs.

Collection This beekeeping product usually takes place in summer and spring with the help of pollen traps, but not during the main honey collection. This option can increase the profitability of your apiaries up to 130% or more.

So what is the correct way to collect bee pollen? Choose a pollen trap every day before dark, as the pollen you leave overnight can get damp.

Drying pollen. After it is collected, it needs to be dried:

• in a darkened room (drying cabinets can be used);
• it must be well ventilated;
• the temperature there is about 20-40 ° C.

The collected pollen should be scattered on sheets of paper in a layer that does not exceed 1 centimeter. Thus, dry it for 3 days.

And remember to stir the pollen from time to time. Also, this process can be done faster by raising the air temperature to 40 degrees, but observing the humidity (not higher than 10%). This will reduce your drying time by several hours.

When the pollen is ready, it will have certain signs:

1. You will feel that it is in the form of separate solid lumps that you cannot crush;
2. Pouring dried pollen onto plywood from a height of 20-25 cm, you will hear a sound that resembles a metallic ringing.

In the pollen you can see a variety of dirt, and so you can get rid of it with a fan, for a hair dryer.

Second way to dry pollen

To ensure a long shelf life and good preservation of the pollen, you need to preserve it immediately. It is desirable to place our valuable beekeeping product in a sterilized glass jar and seal it with a seaming machine.

Dried pollen can long time persist if drying in a vacuum lasts about 1-1.5 hours at a temperature of 12 degrees. It is advisable to store pollen in a refrigerator.

A good way to preserve the flavor of pollen. Since honey and powdered sugar absorb moisture from the pollen, they can be mixed in a 1: 1 or 1: 2 ratio. It's simple enough and reliable way, which will allow you not only to preserve the valuable beekeeping product, but also improve it taste qualities(beekeepers should be aware that pollen is bitter).

And remember that do not store pollen in warm and humid climates, otherwise insects may appear in it. In a clean and dry room where our important product, there should be no extraneous odors. And, of course, the presence of mice, insects, etc. is unacceptable.

The pollen that we dried must be stored for no more than 1 year. But if you do mixed it with honey, then it will be suitable for some time (up to 5 years). However, pollen will gradually lose its healing properties. After 6 months after storage, it will lose 20-25% of its valuable properties, after a year about 40-50%, and after a couple of years it will completely lose all useful substances.

So, the main thing is to properly dry the pollen, and then store it in a room with a specific temperature and humidity. And follow some more rules that we have put a little higher. I wish you success in this difficult endeavor, and benefit from this wonderful beekeeping product!

The shelf life of pollen is determined by its properties and preservation conditions. This is one of the most valuable products beekeeping, which, unfortunately, very quickly loses its properties.

How pollen is collected by bees

The healing properties of pollen are much higher than that of honey. Apparently, bees also think so. Each striped worker, flying out to the field, collects not only nectar, but also pollen. Transferred to the beehive, it acquires a different name - obnozh. This is because bees carry pollen on their feet.

The value of pollen for people increases due to the fact that bees, when collecting pollen, process it with special enzymes, as a result, it loses some of its allergenic properties.

However, during storage, the beneficial properties of this product are very quickly lost. High-molecular compounds such as amino acids and vitamins are destroyed especially quickly.

This rapid degradation is explained by the fact that after collecting in the polish, they continue for a long time. biochemical processes... Poor resistance of pollen is related to its purpose. After all, these are male carriers of plant genetic information. Their life is fleeting, because after the pollen has got on the stigma of the pistil, it germinates and becomes already part of the mother plant, in which the seed and the fruit are formed.

Preparing pollen for storage

The pollen is collected using special pollen traps. From them, the product is taken away for storage until evening. Otherwise, the polish left overnight may damp.

The problem is that fresh pollen, even when processed by bees, contains a lot of water. In order to preserve all the useful properties of this product, it must be thoroughly dried. For this, beekeepers use special drying cabinets. The shelf life of the footboard depends to a large extent on the drying procedure.

Drying of pollen should be carried out in a special room where the following conditions are created:

• lack of light, especially sunlight;
• constant supply of fresh air;
• air humidity no more than 10%;
• temperature in the range of + 20 ... + 40 ° C.

The collected pollen is first scattered on special sheets. V ideal option all of it should lie in a very thin layer. The permissible maximum of its thickness is no more than 1 cm. Throughout the drying process, the pollen must be mixed. However, this does not last long - about 3 days.

The degree of readiness of the pegboard for storage is determined by a number of signs. Dried pollen has certain properties... Now these are no longer fluffy loose lumps, but small peas that are difficult to crush.

There is one more sign of readiness - if you pour out the dried scrap on plywood or a sheet of metal from a height of 20 cm, a sound similar to a light metal ringing will appear.

If all these signs appear, then the product can be cleaned of impurities and stored.

There is another, better way to dry bee pollen. We are talking about the use of vacuum installations. In this case, it will take only 2 hours of time and a temperature of about + 120 ° C to dehydrate the cuttings.

Storing the forage

How to store pollen with the maximum guarantee of its properties? In order for the pollen to remain good for as long as possible, useful product, it needs to be preserved as quickly as possible.

This is done in the following way.

1. The glass jar must be sterilized with heat treatment... You can scald it with boiling water, and then hold it for a few minutes. hot oven... Dry and hot can the dried pollen is stacked, after which the jar is closed with an airtight lid.
2. Long-term storage of the foot can be ensured by placing it in a jar with a vacuum lid.
3. A good way to preserve the beneficial properties of the pollen is to mix it with honey, which is an excellent preservative. Pollen will retain its properties for a long time if it is thoroughly stirred in young liquid honey in 1: 1 proportions. In this case, a tasty, healing and nutritious product, used for colds and viral diseases.
4. The leg can also be preserved using icing sugar... Only in this case you need 2 times more powder than pollen. In this case, it is impossible to preserve with granulated sugar, because the dried polish does not interact with sugar grains and a homogeneous product will not form.

Terms and conditions of storage

No matter how you preserve pollen, it will gradually lose its nutritional and healing properties. So, when discussing the terms and conditions of storage of this product, we are talking about how to minimize losses, as well as how long pollen can remain a food product suitable for consumption.

When it comes to preserving fresh, undried and unpreserved pollen, then the main concern of a person is to create conditions under which it will not be contaminated with bacteria and fungi. Protect the product from mold, rotting or fermentation with high content water and carbohydrates are difficult. For this reason, keep such pollen only in a well-sealed container and in the refrigerator on the top shelf. Under these conditions, storage for 6, and preferably 3 months is permissible.

If we are talking about dried, but not canned, polish, then it must be stored under the same conditions, but not more than 1 year, in extreme cases - 1.5 years. Experts believe that it is possible for 2 years. Of course, by this time the pollen will not lose its nutritional value but talk about healing properties ah it will already be difficult.

For such pollen, there is another problem - this is defeat by the moth butterfly. This is a small insect, something like a moth that specializes not in wool, but in food products... If a butterfly lays eggs in a container with flour, small grains and pollen, then after a while this product can be thrown away, since small caterpillars will crawl in it.

Protect from the fire, of course, the refrigerator and vessels like glass jars... Food does not always save plastic bags, since these butterflies are capable of making small holes. However, it is necessary to constantly monitor that the banks do not remain open for long.

The most promising storage product is pollen mixed with honey until it is homogeneous. Honey inhibits the destruction of complex organic molecules and, of course, itself is great product with high food and medicinal value... In addition, such a mixture also acquires a specific, very pleasant taste... She gets a chance to be pushed out of the list taste preferences children all kinds of sweets and other sweet temptations.

It is believed that a properly made mixture of honey and dried pollen can last 5 years. This is really so - during this period, such a mixture will not be covered with mold, will not undergo fermentation or other forms of bacterial attack. Not only that, it will still be useful even for young children. However, this is still too long. It may still be delicious, but not nearly as healthy.

Oddly enough, but pollen processed by bees, which has become bee bread, does not last so long, even when mixed with honey.

There are times when the bee bread taken out of the honeycomb deteriorates in a few days. However, she does not just reduce her taste or medicinal properties, but it can become moldy or fermented. It is not for nothing that bees pack this product so carefully into honeycombs, brewing it on top with wax.

The problem here is the amount of water. After all, bees do not dry bee bread. A person is also unable to reduce the moisture content of the product.

Perga mixed with honey can stay in good condition for 1 year or more. However, this can only be achieved with proper storage, i.e. at low temperatures and in the dark.

From all the requirements for the terms and conditions of storage described above, consumers of useful bee products can draw a number of conclusions:

1. If you have to buy unprocessed pollen on the market or in the supermarket, then you should immediately take fresh, not yet candied honey.
2. To a homogeneous state, pollen with honey can be mixed in a mixer or coffee grinder. Simply dried pollen will not dissolve even in liquid honey.
3. If you don't want to mess around with mixing, then the pollen should be packed in a jar and put on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

This product must not be frozen. After thawing it, only the semblance of freshness will remain. In addition, the biochemical processes of destruction of organic matter that occur during freezing and thawing of pollen will nullify the healing properties of the product.

Just like propolis and royal jelly, bee pollen has a lot of valuable and useful for human body substances and microelements. When flowers are pollinated, bees catch the pollen with their furry paws and carry it to the hive. Processed with the secretions of the jaw glands, the pollen turns into bee bread and becomes food for the worker bees.

Bee collects pollen

Beekeepers have found a way to obtain this pollen so that people can use it in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes... Pollen contains all the essential amino acids, vitamins, proteins and minerals. It is widely used in both traditional and non-traditional medicine. With a systematic approach, it can cure a number of diseases.

Collection method, drying, and correct storage pollen affects its healing properties, so all norms must be observed without fail.

Pollen collection can take place both with the participation of bees and independently. In the second case, you can simply pour pollen from the flower into a plastic container. However, this method is not recommended by beekeepers. If the bees have not treated the dust particles with their special secret, the product will not have its beneficial properties.

The best time to harvest is spring and summer. To collect the pollen brought by the bee, you need to install a special trap on the hives. Every time a pollen will fall into it when a bee flies inside.

Reference. It is necessary to collect pollen from the hive until the evening, you should never leave the product until the morning, because this way it will become saturated with moisture and deteriorate. In addition, the active hours of the bees last until lunchtime, after which the activity decreases. Therefore, it is easier to collect raw materials until evening.

From the hive, the polish must be moved into a small container. Plastic or glass will do better than metal: oxidation is likely. However, such a container will be intermediate, it has yet to be dried. And since the primary raw material is 20-30% water, it can be stored in this form for at most 24 hours.

Natural drying

This method assumes a specific time and environment. The principle is quite simple, but the conditions must be met as closely as possible. The collected pollen is laid out in a thin layer up to 20 mm on clean sheets of paper or parchment in a room with low humidity and sufficient ventilation.

The room temperature should be no more than 45 degrees, and direct exposure to sunlight must be excluded. It is better to cover the top with a thin cloth or gauze so that dust does not get on the board and insects do not sit down. 3 times a day, the raw materials must be mixed so that the drying is uniform.

This drying time usually lasts up to 5 days, depending on the initial water content of the product. Readiness can be recognized by sound. If you sprinkle dry pollen on a table, the sound will be like a metallic clink.

Drying cabinet

This procedure is of higher quality and more professional. Drying in a special cabinet significantly reduces the process time, and the raw materials do not need to be mixed. In addition, with such processing, the possibility of changes in temperature and humidity of the air is completely excluded, as a result of which the pollen can lose its useful qualities... If desired, you can build a drying cabinet yourself.

Depending on the equipment, moisture is removed from raw materials within 1-2 days. Manufacturers usually indicate exact time... In such a cabinet, you can dry up to 10-15 kg of product at a time. The drying process is carried out using special infrared lighting, desired temperature supported automatically.

After the drying stage, you need to sift the product from excess litter and dust using a fine sieve, fan or hair dryer. Thus, it will be stored longer and will not lose its useful properties.

Pollen Drying Cabinet

Correct storage

Important. The shelf life of bee pollen, subject to all conditions, is no more than 2 years. So that the product does not lose its most valuable properties, you must strictly follow the storage rules.

The question of how to properly store ready-made bee pollen at home should be taken seriously. A storage container is best made of dark glass with a tight-fitting lid. The room requires relative darkness, dryness, cleanliness and a temperature of 20 ° C. If there is no special storage, then you can safely put it in the refrigerator. Cold helps to preserve nutrients and prevents the appearance of insects. Freezing of finished pollen is contraindicated.

Before you pack the product into jars, they need to be sterilized with alcohol or steam. So you can be sure that no bacteria will interfere with the storage conditions of the pollen.

How to extend the shelf life

Finished pollen can be preserved with honey. This method can extend the shelf life of your product by up to 5 years thanks to the natural preservative properties of honey. At the same time, pollen will not lose its valuable qualities at all.

Beekeepers advise taking the ingredients in a 1: 1 or 1: 2 ratio. The mixture is placed in sterile jars that are closed nylon caps... The covers must be pre-treated with paraffin or wax.

Pollen storage

The benefits of canning

If you preserve the meat with honey, then you can not only extend its shelf life without losing its properties, but also achieve a number of additional advantages. Of all the advantages of this method, the following facts should be indicated:

• After conservation, the characteristic bitterness is eliminated.
• Mixed with honey, pollen will be much tastier and more pleasant. It will be much easier to feed children with such usefulness.
• In combination with honey, the healing properties of the pollen are enhanced.
• This mixture contains more vitamins and nutrients.

Conclusion

If all the rules and conditions for collection, drying and storage were observed, then in your jars for the near future there will be a small storehouse of colossal medicinal and simply useful substances for the human body. Such a lifesaver jar will stimulate the work of all organs, protect the immune system, contribute to the general tone and will be useful for both adults and children.

Is there anything more useful natural honey? Among beekeeping products there is a substance in which the concentration of medicinal properties is even higher. This is pollen or bee pollen. The second name reflects the collection method: bees collect the yellow mass and carry it to the hive on their limbs.

By the way, bee pollen and flower pollen are not the same thing. At the end of the last century, people learned to collect a valuable substance without the participation of bees. On the one hand, this helped to reduce the cost of the product, on the other hand, it had to sacrifice utility. The fact is that during harvesting, bees moisten their load with saliva, which contains special enzymes. They are not in the flower mass, and the final product, accordingly, does not have such a healing effect. In addition, bees neutralize allergens contained in flower pollen, therefore, the likelihood of allergic reactions from the body decreases.

To maximize the shelf life of the bee pollen, it should be thoroughly dried immediately after collection. This procedure helps to increase concentration useful components in a smaller volume of the product. The yellow mass is poured into trays 1.5 cm thick and sent to an oven at a temperature of 40 degrees. Dries to a crumbly state. Strict adherence temperature regime necessarily, otherwise the destruction of important enzymes and hormones will follow. After drying, you need to get rid of impurities and debris; at home, this can be done with a fan or hair dryer.

The fresher the polish, the more useful properties it contains. Their concentration is halved by the end of the first year of storage, and after 24 months the beekeeping product does not represent any health value.

The use of pollen is indicated for people with diseases of cardio-vascular system... Due to the ability to remove excess cholesterol, the substance improves the condition of blood vessels and blood quality. Taking pollen as a supplemental drug enhances the effectiveness of liver and pancreas treatment.

By using bee pollen, you can resist viral diseases, because it has an antibacterial effect. In addition, the substance helps to strengthen immunity, increase mental and physical activity... Special compounds support the body during hormonal disruptions.

Method of use

How much pollen can you consume per day? The dose for an adult is approximately 10-15 g per day. The substance is taken 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening, half an hour before meals. It is advisable to do the second reception 4 hours before bedtime. The granules must dissolve in the mouth until they are completely dissolved. The course lasts 1 month and is repeated 3 times a year.

Children should be given pollen after consulting a doctor. The daily dose at 3 years is approximately 4 g.

Contraindications for use are allergies, diabetes, frequent bleeding.

Storage location and temperature

For long-term storage bee pollen is poured into an airtight container. At home, it can be a bank or plastic bag, the main thing is to close it tightly to prevent insects from getting inside. The substance must not be compressed, otherwise it will "suffocate".

Do not store pollen in a warm and humid place, otherwise uninvited guests will not be avoided. Ideal storage conditions are a dark, dry place with a temperature of 0 to +14 degrees, so feel free to put the container with the clump in the refrigerator. The shelf life, subject to the aforementioned regime, is 2 years.

However, you should be aware that as a medicine, the beekeeping product is stored for a shorter period of time. The fact is that even in the most ideal conditions useful substances are lost over time, and pollen no longer has the value that was at the beginning of the storage process. For the treatment of diseases, it is better to use a bee pollen not older than 1 year. When buying from a pharmacy, pay attention to the period indicated by the manufacturer. If it is close to the end, it is better to abandon the purchase.

You can extend the shelf life of pollen by using a natural preservative. Mix it with honey in a 1: 2 ratio. At home, such a mixture will be an excellent prophylactic agent in the period of viral and infectious diseases. Pollen increases the concentration of substances valuable for the body at times, and honey extends the shelf life and improves the taste of the product. The mixture can be stored for up to 5 years in a cool, dry, dark place.

Important

• Pollen contains less nutrients than bee pollen.
• The older the pollen, the less valuable components it contains.

The benefits of a natural medicine in the form of bee pollen are clear. If there are no contraindications for use, you can strengthen and maintain health by taking just 1 tablespoon a day. The main thing is to take care of keeping the beekeeping product fresh as long as possible.

Your brownie.

Took a course for the treatment of chronic prostatitis. I did it as recommended at the Vesely Shershen apiary - 2 courses with a break. In the first month of admission, I felt some changes in the prostate, but the inflammation did not completely go away. When taking the second course, I began to feel much better. For 8 months now, the prostate is not worried. I am very grateful to you for your products and for the advice provided.

Ignatenko Vladislav

Artemovsk

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For a long time I was looking for suppositories for hemorrhoids on a natural basis, since in the pharmacy very often a chemical preparation is included in the composition of the suppository. I saw that in the family apiary the Cheerful Hornet only contains cocoa butter and propolis. I was very happy and ordered immediately. I was pleased with the candles - the problem has not been fully resolved, but the progress is significant.

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Zaporizhzhia

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Kanonenko Olga

He suffered a serious crisis and suffered a stroke. My daughter found information that helps well with this problem to restore wax moth. Having called, we received advice that it is better to take a wax moth with a tincture of podmor as a course. And so they did. I have been accepting for 4 months now. Changes to the face. But for a complete recovery, I want to take another 2-3 months. Thank you and your bees for the good products.

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Dnipropetrovsk

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Vasilyevka

Many thanks to the bees and the Merry Hornet. I have been ill for many years diabetes mellitus... In addition to medicines and special nutrition, nothing helps in life. But I am an optimist and I try to do more healthy way life. When buying acacia honey from Dmitry, he advised to buy a tincture of beesworm to lower sugar. Not very trusting, I acquired. And she did it for a reason. After 1 month, sugar began to rise less often (more often it was her own fault, since she did not follow the diet). I drank it for 3 months already. I feel much better. Something even appeared to be efficient. Dmitry, thank you very much.

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After a year of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis and drug resistance in the hospital, the doctor himself recommended trying wax moth tincture. I searched the Internet for a long time and stopped at the Vesely Shershen family apiary, where I received a full consultation and, after receiving the products, gave instructions for use. I was also interested in the treatment regimen for tuberculosis of a wax moth with propolis tincture, since I have not heard this anywhere else. Already after 3 months of admission, the disease turned into a closed form and by the 7th month the holes also disappeared. Now, being already healthy, I drink prophylactically 3-4 times a year. Thanks for the second life.

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Dneprorudny

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