Raw Food Alchemy by Amie Sue
Irish Moss is unprocessed, raw seaweed, which can be used as a gelling agent without cooking. It is easy to use, but can be difficult to find in health food stores. You can purchase it online though. It’s an amazing as a thickener and emulsifier (able to bind fat and water- based ingredients) and can help cut down on nuts in many recipes. It is also known as pearl moss, carrageen moss, seamuisin, curly moss, curly gristle moss, Dorset weed, jelly moss, sea moss, white wrack, and ragglus fragglus. In its fresh condition it is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown.
I am claiming Irish Moss as the “Ingredient of the Year”! I love this stuff, not so much due to flavor but due to its magic ability to create wonderful effects in your recipes. I processed some of this Irish Moss into a gel…I got a bit over zealous and ended up with a quart of gel. Most recipes only call for 1/4 cup so a little seems to go a long way. So what to do with all this gel?! Not wanting to be wasteful, I relied on myself to be resourceful.
The gel I made had already set up in the jar so I knew it was going to be hard to measure out 1/4 cup sections, so I threw the gel back into the blender and whipped it back up again. I then measured out 1/4 cup sections and put it in a muffin pan. I then placed it in the freezer. A few hours later I popped them out of the muffin tins and threw them all in a freezer Zip-lock bag. Now when we need some Irish Moss Gel we can just grab it and go! Read below for use ideas.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
To use in a recipe, use 1-5 Tbsp of Irish moss gel to 1 cup of product. Quantity depends on the recipe you are making and the thickness desired.
How to make a larger amount of Irish Moss Gel
(recipe provided from my student handbook from Living Light Culinary Art Institute)
Ingredients: Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Preparation:
Health Benefits and Uses:
The gel is used in different recipes or you can simply add it to a salad dressing, a mayonnaise, smoothie or any other dish that requires thickening. Use 2-3 tablespoons of gel for 1 cup of dough or liquid. It works very well also to keep nut milks from separating while in the fridge and to make them thicker (one teaspoon will suffice here).
Irish Moss will make any liquid fluffy and is a substitute for gelatin and other thickeners. You may use it for sweet deserts, ice-creams, shakes, parfait, mousse, pies, as well as savory dishes, nut cheese and nut “yogurt “. This product can thicken your recipes and give a gel like texture that you would get from adding a bunch of fat and nuts. So you really can make guilt free raw desserts and dressings!
[...] 1/4 cup Irish moss [...]
[...] I’ll blend them into a paste for using in various interesting recipes. I got the idea from Nouveau Raw who use irish moss in their bread recipe (which is next on my list to try!) Soaking Irish Moss for [...]
I would like to try using Irish moss in dessert recipes. Which website can I purchase it at cheaper prices?
Susan,
I like to get my Irish moss through Raw Food World Store (on-line) http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=100395&products_id=1004835.
I have come to learned that finding the cheapest Irish moss isn’t always the best, you want to aim for quality and so far I have really been pleased with the one that they sell. I have bought “off-brand” ones and fund them undesirable. They were filled with all sorts of junk. amie sue
Oh the advertures i am having in the raw kitchen! Aimee-Sue, i am wondering why your irish moss is so white and mine is quite brown. Are there different kinds?
Hello Robyn!
I am so glad that you are having fun adventures in the kitchen! They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home… seems only right that we serve the best tasting, nutritious foods from the heart. :) Regarding the Irish moss, the picture of my Irish moss is AFTER the soaking process. When you are referring to yours being a brownish color, is that before or after soaking? Can you send me the brand name of the one you are using? I have learned over the years to buy a good quality one. I always look for one that is closest to being a whitish/tan color. So, let’s start with the brand you are using and if your coloring is when it is dry or soaked. That will be a good starting point for me to help answer this.
Have a blessed evening! amie sue
Is the Irish Mossmeasurement (2 ounces) prior to or after soaking?
Thanks!!!
Morning Chris,
2oz before soaked. :) Have a fun day in the kitchen!
Hi Amie-Sue,
thanks for posting this info on Irish moss – I just made up a large batch of gel and want to try your freezing technique on it. Have you used the frozen gels successfully? Does the gel strength stay the same after freezing?
Thanks for your help!
Suzanne
Hi Suzanna,
Personally, my frozen Irish moss seemed to work just fine. I don’t do it very often but so far when I have, it worked.
What can you use if you can’t find or don’t have on hand Irish moss? Or is there no substitute?
Hi Mici,
It all depends on the recipe and what you are making. Sometimes you can get away without using it, or one could use ground flax, chia seeds or psyllium…. again it just depends. If you find a recipe that you have in mind, let me know and I can give a better answer. :)
In the CC cookies, and Italian bread sticks- any alternatives? :D
Hi Cheynne…. CC cookies? Help :)
You can omit the Irish out of the breads, it is there for texture but it will still be amazing! amie sue
Chocolate Chip cookies. :D Sorry, laziness descended upon me momentarily.
You really make it seem really easy with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be really something that I feel I would by no means understand. It kind of feels too complicated and very huge for me. I am taking a look forward in your subsequent submit, I will attempt to get the cling of it!
I would be happy to help you further on this topic. Please let me know what questiona you might have that I can clarify. amie sue
I have irish moss powder that I purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs. How do I convert this in the recipes? I Have tried it a couple times and seems that maybe I should use a lot less than I am using. So far I have tried half. Seems I can taste it a little too much. I am afraid that if I use too little I will not get the texture that the recipes are going for. Have you experimented with this? Do you think the paste “works” better? Would you recommend making a paste from the powder before using in recipes? I have just been throwing it in dry.
Good morning Amy,
I don’t have any experience with dealing with irish moss powder, just the in the whole form, so I can’t really be of any help. A few months back I wanted to try the powder version but Mountain Rose Herbs was out of it. I should order some now and check it out. It sounds like you have done quite a bit of testing with it and I encourage you to continue. Keep a log of measurements and outcomes and soon you will find the right quantity to use and how it words best. Have a wonderful day, amie sue
I just read in Matthew Kenney’s dessert book not to soak Irish Moss more than 3-4 hours, or it starts to lose some of its gelling properties.
I can’t say that I have lost any gelling properties with the length of time that I soak mine. My main goal to make sure that I get ride of that smell and taste of any seaweed. :)
Hi there, I LOVE Your site and I so happy I found it! I have a question about the irish moss. I don’t own a commercial blender (blendtec or vitamix). Will I still be able to blend irish moss into a gel form without a high powered blender? Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!
Good morning Jenn,
You should be able to achieve the Irish moss paste with a high powered blender with no problem. I recommend that you stop the blending process now and then and test the consistency. Put a little of it on your forefinger and rub it with your thumb. You don’t wan’t any lumps or granular feeling. Keep processing until it is smooth.
Can you use xanthan gum instead of the Irish moss?
Hi Debbie,
I don’t have any real experience with xanthan gum so I can’t give an honest answer to your question. Sorry. amie sue
Hello Amie,
I am amazed at the amount of work you must put into this website, and that these delicious looking recipes and advice are available free is fantastic!
I have been considering making some of the cheesecake recipes, in particular the Pumpkin Spice. I am hesitant to use lecithin because I try to avoid processed foods. I was hoping your food techniques section might have a lecithin section and shed some light on the matter. I’d appreciate any opinions/info regarding lecithin.
Also, I was wondering if Irish moss might work as a replacement for lecithin in the cheesecake recipes. If not, do you have another whole food, alternative suggestion?
Thank you for all your hard work.
Good morning Vanessa,
Thank you very much for your kind words. It is a labor of love and passion.
The Pumpkin Spice cheesecake is truly amazing and I really hope that you make it. They do make a raw lecithin, called sunflower lecithin made from…sunflowers. That is the one that I use now because I have to avoid soy. I highly recommend trying it. Here is a link to the one I buy. I do however have to order it because I have yet to find it locally, but well worth it.
http://nouveauraw.com/special-raw-ingredients/raw-lecithin-thickener/
Irish moss should work as well. Here is a link about it incase you haven’t seen it. http://nouveauraw.com/raw-techniques/irish-moss-gel/ I personally haven’t tried in this recipe but I would use about 1 cup of Irish moss gel. Be sure to really go through the soak and rinsing process to omit as much of the seaweed smell and taste.
One last suggestion… You could just omit the thought of using lecithin or Irish moss and make this “pie” in individual serving cups. I tend to do this more and more because it is such a sweet way to present it for parties. I use plastic or glass 3-5 ounce cups. It makes it easy for people to eat as they tend to nibble on it as they walk around and mingle, plus it helps with portion control. If you go this route you don’t have to worry about the pie holding shape. It is almost more like a custard. Just an option to keep in the back of your mind.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to help. amie sue
amie-sue
Thanks for all your wonderful experimentation and discovery. The irish moss I use is from Transition Nutrition and it seems to be the cleanest and finest I’ve come across. I understand they supply Living Light Culinary Institute, Cafe Gratitude and some of the other companies mentioned in this stream. Its available from some Whole Foods and their company website, transitionnutrition.com.
Thank you Paul for your kind words and for sharing that resource. I have never seen Irish moss in a store so that is great that WF is picking it up. Have a great weekend!
Aloha from Hawaii:)
I am looking into trying the nut free pie because my husband is allergic to lots of nuts and was wondering if i could use irish moss powder if it has the same power?!
Thank you so much
P.S. i’m so enjoying your website,loving it!!!
Hello Natalia,
I haven’t used the Irish moss powder before so I am not sure what ratio to use. I have a few pies on hand here that are nut free.
Keylime Pie – http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/desserts/key-lime-shooters-cleanup-test/ (crust has nuts but you can make it with oats or other ingredients) I just made this for my husband 2 days ago and made 1/2 of it without a crust at all.
Strawberry Chocolate Nut- Free Pie – http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/desserts/strawberry-chocolate-nut-free-pie/
Does he have a favorite pie?
Have a great day! amie sue
I was wondering about irish moss. Another website claims that it causes inflammation. They claim that irish moss should be avoided. Is that true? If it is, what can be used in its’ place in your recipes?
Hi Marlene,
There is a bit of controversy floating around regarding the use of Irish moss. Personally, I will continue to use every now and again for certain recipes. This is not an ingredient that I consume very often so I don’t believe that the small amount I will ingest is enough to hurt me. The properties that Irish moss in some recipes can’t be replaced so it will be a case by case situation. If you have a particular recipe that you have in question please let me know and I will do my best to help.
Here is an article from Elaina Love… after reading it and doing further research you will need to decide for yourself how you feel about it. http://elainalove.com/2012/10/13/the-buzz-about-irish-moss/
Just scanning thru your site. I could tell almost instantly that you really have a passion for what you are doing. This is the best w.s I have come across for raw food information. I have spent alot of time searching.
Your followup is praiseworthy. Great customer service… cept we arn’t customers, so well done. I for one really appreciate your time and effort.
Your site has really helped me understand what all the different ingredients are, what they do and how to use them.
Thanks very much :)
Thank you Lalita, this site is a true passion of mine and I work on it daily. I do my best to help when needed. Have a blessed holiday. amie sue
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added”
checkbox and now each time a comment is added
I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Thanks!
We are trying to figure out why this would happen psoriasis… in the meantime, if it does it again, please let me know. The mysteries of web-sites! aaah hehe Have a great day, amie sue
Hi I love your site is has so many wonderful recipes thank you for offering them to us. I am new to making raw desserts/foods. I made your mudslide pie several days ago it was delicious!! My next venture is going to be tiramisu. I had some questions about substitutions for the Irish moss. I saw you had posted an alternate recipe using Agar Agar was there any feedback on how that worked? Also are there any other substitutions you could use such as lecithin? Or coconut oil to help thicken? If so how much would you use in place of the Irish moss/Agar Agar?
Thanks,
Lyndsey
Hi Lyndsey… no one has responded as to whether or not they tried the agar agar, so not sure on that. I am hoping to find the time to make it this weekend with the agar so I can give a for sure recommendation on using it or not. I am also messing around with blending raw kelp noodles to a paste to use instead. The experimenting just takes me time.
The lecithin is pretty important and really recommend using it. It a great emulsifier to bring the fats and other liquids together. If you can find it in yourself to try it, you will find it to be a great ingredient for so many wonderful recipes in the raw world.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the Mud Slide pie… scrumptious! I will post back here once I make this pie again with the agar. Have a blessed evening. amie sue
Amie thanks for the quick reply! I used the lecithin and have no problems with it I agree it is a great emulsifier. What i meant to ask was if you could use more lecithin in the recipe to thicken it instead of using the irish moss/agar agar? I can’t wait to try this recipe and can’t wait to hear your feed back on how the agar agar/ kelp noodles work.. Have a great day!! Lyndsey
Hi Lyndsey… to answer your question… No, the lecithin and irish moss play different roles in this recipe. The lecithin is an emulsifier and the irish moss helps make the a dessert firm, gives it the body. I hope to play around in the kitchen this weekend. :)
Ok thanks!!
hello mam.I am a student. I want to use Irish moss for DNA isolation. can i use as a gel?
thank you………….
I am afraid that I don’t know what you mean by DNA isolation?
Hi Amie-Sue,
I love your recipes and your site and everything you do! I use Irish Moss in my raw desserts and recently had a customer send me this link about Irish Moss
http://www.rawmazing.com/irish-moss-health-concerns/
What is your take on this? I value your opinion.
Thanks!
Pam
Good evening Pam…
I am aware of this posting that she did regarding Irish moss. I have done a lot of reading on-line about this and there is tons of confusion out there about it. But then I have looked up sea salt and find conflicting writings on that as well… shoot any ingredient you Google can give you many many opinions. For me personally, I don’t have a problem using it. It is not an ingredient that I eat on a regular basis. Like everything else, you have to keep things in moderation. I suggest that you do more reading about it and hear what others have to say about it and decided how it resonates for you. Have a wonderful evening. amie sue