Raw Living

Irish Moss (500g)

Also known as carrageen, this sensational seaweed is hard to find in the UK. But superheroes that we are, we've tracked some down and are so glad to be offering it to you. If any of you have been fortunate enough to visit any of the famous raw restaurants in New York, the chances are you tried one of the fabulous desserts they have made with Irish Moss. Well, the good news is that now you can make your own at home. We'll be testing out recipes and making sure to post our favourites.

 

Irish moss contains a polysaccharide known as carrageenan which is often used as a thickening agent. Traditionally, irish moss is boiled to turn it into a thickener, but with careful preparation (see below) it can be done the raw way too. It has almost no taste, making it the perfect base for puddings, creams, mousses and fruit pies.

 

It is also a superb source of vitamins and minerals such as iodine, sulphur, and the hard to find vitamins D and B12. It is attributed with many healing properties, particularly on issues involving the guts and digestion. It is a very alkalising food. It is known to have a beneficial effect on the immune system.

 

This is how we have been preparing our Irish moss and we have had very successful results.

 

Take 1 oz or 30 g of irish moss and rinse it in cold water. Put it in an airtight plastic container, along with water to cover. We find our empty 1 kg coconut butter tubs the perfect size. Put this in the fridge and leave for at least 24 hours. Irish moss will keep for up to seven days like this. We have found it best on day three or four.

 

When you are ready to use your moss, remove it from the fridge. Do not use the soak water as it has a fishy taste. Just take the moss from the tub and put it in your blender with 1 cup (250 ml) fresh water. Blend it to a puree.

 

If you want to make a mousse, we suggest then blending it with your ingredients of choice - such as fresh fruit, lucuma, agave, mesquite, lecithin, coconut butter. We have found 4 cups (1 litre or 2 pints) of liquid in total to make a good mousse like consistency.

 

Pictured is cacao mousse kate made with our irish moss. Recipe coming soon.

 

We'll be posting new recipes as we discover them. In the meantime, it's worth checking out Elaina Love's Ebook (click here) containing 11 recipes and info on Irish moss.

 

Kate's gone over to the moss-side - here !

 

Price: £14.75

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