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Sea moss gel is a seaweed packed with essential minerals. It’s simple to make and easy to add to your vegan meals!
If you travel among the “Sebian Alkaline” Vegan circles, you probably have heard of Sea Moss before.
If not, this will be a great introduction to learning about this amazing seaweed and how to turn it into a gel for everyday use in your recipes!
What Is Sea Moss?
Irish sea moss, also known as sea moss, has a deceiving name. It’s really a seaweed, not a moss. The Chondrus crispus species or the Genus gracilaria variation are the most common ones you will hear about, and what we will be discussing in this how-to guide.
Chondrus Crispus vs Genus Gracilaria
Chondrus crispus
- commonly grows in “cold water climates” like off the shores of Ireland, Great Britain, and Iceland.
- darker varying in colors from dark purple, red, green, or dark yellow. They look like “leaves” in a sense, very flat fan-like wide shape tops. (It kind of reminds me of how dulse seaweed looks).
- It’s higher in nutrients, has a stronger flavor, and produces a darker gel.
Genus gracilaria
- comes from “warm water climates” like South America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
- It is a lighter beige-brown color and has thin “rubbery” fingered string like tops.
- Genus Gracilaria is the kind most people use, the kind I use the most, and what will be demonstrated in this blog post.
- It is still high in nutrients, virtually tasteless unlike the Chrondus variety, and produces a lighter gel.
Natural Source of Carrageenan
Carrageenan makes up approximately 55% of its volume in Sea moss. Therefore it’s a natural source of carrageenan and that is what helps it “gel”.
You might freak out upon reading “carrageenan” as it has been linked to being “bad” for human consumption causing intestinal inflammation in some people. But there is a difference between a carrageenan extract and how it occurs naturally in whole seaweed.
As you know, any isolated compound extracted from its whole food will be devoid of nutrients and the same goes for carrageenan that has been extracted from red seaweeds.
Sea moss is perfectly healthy and safe to consume as it’s not just an isolated form of carrageenan, but instead a whole food.
Sea Moss Nutritional Benefits
Some vitamins and trace minerals found in sea moss include:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sulfur
- Iron
- Selenium
- Folate
- Potassium
Some other benefits include:
- It can act as an expectorant, meaning it can help with expelling excess mucus from your lungs.
- Great for skin. It helps the body to create collagen (especially when taken with natural herbal vitamin C), which is what your body is designed to do. No need to it steal from our animal friends.
- Acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, strengthen connective tissue and accelerates recovery from joint injuries.
- Used for centuries to soothe the digestive tract and relieve gastritis and ulcerative conditions.
- Sea moss has a time-released effect meaning it delivers nutrients over a longer period of time for a more sustained nutritional uptake.
What Kind to Buy and Where to Get It
Both the Chondrus crispus or Genus gracilaria is fine to buy, but make sure it is wildcrafted sea moss. Wildcrafted sea moss is how sea moss naturally grows devoid of any human intervention.
(Typically all wild produce is better than farm produce even “organic” produce but that is a topic for another day).
It is harvested in a very eco-friendly way meaning harvesters take only parts of the sea moss plant, so the plant can regrow.
Avoid pool grown sea moss, sea moss grown in “ocean farms”, or Irish Moss powder or flakes. Sea moss powdered flakes and power have been cooked dry in an oven and don’t have the nutritional benefits like the fresh stuff.
With wildcrafted sea moss, typically you can tell the difference by the color. Wildcrafted is richer in color than farm-grown ones.
Trusted places to purchase wildcrafted sea moss (be sure to research these sources on your own; as I find more sources I will continue to update the list):
- Markus Rothkranz Irish Sea Moss (where I get mine from)
- Ty Conscious Kitchen
- Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company (they have the Chondrus crispus variety)
How to Make Sea Moss Gel
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Prepping your seaweed
- Remove your sea moss from the package. (It will have a slight smell. That’s a good thing!). Thoroughly rinse your seaweed to remove any salt, sand, and debris. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Grab a bowl and fill it with water. Place your sea moss in and soak for 4 to 8 hours. (Photos 3 & 4)
Making your sea moss gel
- After soaking, drain water from the bowl. You will notice it has lost some color (almost translucent) and has expanded 3x its original size. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Add your sea moss and fresh spring or filtered water to a high-speed blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. Pour into a glass jar and place a lid on top. Store in the refrigerator until it solidifies. (Photos 3 & 4)
How to use your Sea Moss Gel
- Raw vegan desserts
- Homemade jams like my Alkaline Blackberry Jam Recipe
- Soups and broth
- Smoothies
- Homemade puddings, sauces, and dressings
- Teas
- Homemade breads
Sea moss is such a great source of nutrients and so simple to make. It is a GREAT source to add to your curvy vegan diet!
Recipes that Uses Sea Moss Gel
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Sea Moss Gel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried whole sea moss packed
- 1-2 cups spring water
Instructions
Prepping Your Sea Moss
- Remove your sea moss from the package. (It will have a slight smell. That's a good thing!).
- Thoroughly rinse your seaweed to remove any salt, sand, and debris.
- Grab a bowl and fill it with water. Place your sea moss in and soak for 4 to 8 hours or overnight.
Making Your Sea Moss Gel
- After soaking, drain water from the bowl. You will notice it has lost some color (almost translucent and has expanded 3x its original size.) That’s normal.
- Add your sea moss and fresh spring water to a high-speed blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
- Pour into a glass jar and place a lid on top. Store in the refrigerator until it solidifies into a gel.
- Use in raw vegan desserts, homemade jams, vegan bread, smoothies, and soups.
- Sea moss gel can last in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 weeks and in the freezer for 2- 3 months.
Notes
A Tip for All Recipes on Vegan With Curves
To make more or less of any recipe here, click on the serving amount and move the slider up or down. The recipe will automatically adjust the ingredient amounts.- The amount of water use will depend on how thick you want your gel to be. I personally never measure anything. I just use enough water to get your blender going.
- Use raw whole sea moss NOT the dried flakes or powder. That stuff has already been cooked and has lost a lot of nutrional value.
- Sea moss gel can last in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 weeks and in the freezer for 2- 3 months. To freeze, put your Irish moss in ice cube trays.
Nutrition
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