Irish Moss Gel

This recipe makes half a quart or more of gel.

Ingredients:

•     1C dried whole Irish moss (unsoaked)
•     2-3 C pure water (used for blending)
  

Directions:

1. Thoroughly rinse 1C of the dried whole seaweed in pure water by soaking it for 20 minutes.
2. Rinse again to remove any sand or debris.
3. Place the Irish moss into a quart jar and fill with pure water.
4. Soak overnight or at least 8 hours (so it will be easier to blend smoothly) and strain.
5. Add the moss to a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec) and add just enough water to cover it, usually 2C works well but it can vary depending on the seaweed consistency.
6. Blend until smooth, which may take a few minutes and will turn a cream color. It is pourable at this point but will solidify when chilled.
7. Pour into a glass jar and place a lid on top.
8. Store in the refrigerator for on-hand use in drinks and recipes.

How to Use:

A very popular ingredient these days in raw food deserts as it creates a thick consistency perfect for smoothies, raw cheesecakes, non-dairy ice cream, sauces, dressings, jams, puddings, and chutneys.

The blended gel can also be added to miso soup broths along with other sea vegetables. Likewise, the whole or dried pieces can be simmered and strained to create a thick nutritious soup stock.

Its skin softening and healing properties provide an excellent facial mask, using the gel recipe above straight from the blender.