Irish Moss Benefits - Nutrition that Thickens Your Superfoods!
Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) is a type of seaweed that has been used commercially for its high ratio of carrageenan constituents that are used as a thickening agent in many products.
Irish moss is a "red seaweed" variety, but generally turns a whitish brown color when sun dried.
Seaweed As Superfuel
We use this wonderful seaweed as food!
Carrageenan, the magical component to this seaweed, has long chain polysaccharrides that form a mucilaginous gel when extracted, either by blending or cooking.
It creates an excellent base for
shakes
and
smoothies,
providing these long chain sugars or polysaccharides. These sugars help to "time release" the nutrients from foods and herbs into the body over a longer period of time.
This means slower uptake... so you can get more out of your drink or shake, depending on activity level. It is great in dessert recipes to increase thickness of raw cheesecakes, raw ice cream and puddings.
In Jamaica, it has a reputation for being an aphrodisiac and cure for male impotence. Jamaicans serve it as a thick vanilla drink beverage. Likewise, in Scotland, it is made into a kind of jelly similar to tapioca. This seaweed, as its name implies, was used as food by the Irish to survive the potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century.
A Useful Thickening Agent
Making Irish moss into a thickening gel is easy. One of the best parts about making it this way is that it stores for long periods of time in your refrigerator, literally months when kept cold.
We always have some on hand to add to our recipes, like almond milk,
for a nice, smooth, thick texture, in addition to all the benefits that polysaccharide rich foods provide. It is virtually tasteless with a subtle seaweed scent that is barely noticeable. It basically takes on the flavors of the foods you use with it.
Types of Irish Moss Seaweed
1) Whole, partially dried seaweed - lighter-med brown 2) Dried in smaller pieces - darker brown color 3) Powdered - grey colored 4) Fresh Irish moss
I have used the first three versions. It does not grow where I harvest seaweed, so I've never had it fresh.
The whole moss is of a higher nutritional quality. It is definitely fresher, with a soft rubbery texture. Most foods tend to retain more of their nutrients when kept in their whole state, rather than powdered or dried in small pieces.
You can use the powdered variety, which can sometimes be found in the bulk herb section of some health food stores. It has lost a little nutritional quality compared to the whole seaweed, but it is more convenient to add to desserts like our cheesecake recipe. You just add it straight to any recipe.
The easiest to find at stores is the version that comes in harder dried pieces or flakes.
Carrageenan Gel Recipe:
1C Irish moss (whole, fresh, or dried flake pieces)
It takes a few minutes for it to blend and will turn a creamy color.
It will continue to thicken as it sits for a few hours
Store it in an air tight jar in the fridge.
You will need a high speed blender to make the gel. It takes between one or two 50 second blends on high speed to break it down completely, creating the smooth thickness you want.
Nutrition Includes:
protein
manganese
iodine
phosphorus
calcium
zinc
beta-carotene
magnesium
bromine
potassium
selenium
B-vitamins
pectin
Vit C
This nutrient rich seaweed also contains taurine, and other sulfur based amino acids in greater number than any other type of seaweed.
Also is one of the highest polysaccharride sources of all the seaweeds!
Soothing Qualities:
It is a demulcent and known to sooth all mucous membranes in the body, this amazing sea vegetable is especially healing for digestive irritations and a variety of ailments including: arthritis, nausea, indigestion, heartburn, constipation, and ulcers.
A thick broth of this sea moss is said to sooth and heal respiratory conditions. It acts as a general lung tonic and is able to absorb excess fluids from the lungs and expel them from the body.
You can add some to your
miso
soup along with other seaweeds like
kelp,nori
or
dulse.
It provides antiviral, antibacterial and anticoagulant properties and is great for the skin, to sooth and soften a number of conditions.
Sometimes I use it as a face mask, using our gel recipe straight from the blender!
