Fresh Irish Moss

[veganman]

Has anyone worked with non-dried Irish Moss? Any suggestions of where to get it? I found it HERE (http://www.purejoylivingfoods.com/), but was wondering if anybody had seen it elsewhere.

Any suggestions or secret tips on how to work with it?

[BlueKiss]

Hey there. I am looking for this product as well. I never realized this was used so frequently even in mainstream production of foods. I have another link I will send you tommorow. It is where our local raw resteraunt purchases their Irish Moss that apparently grows on the coasts of Jamaica.

[Lunar*Fey]

I was wondering, what would it be used for? I have seen the dried stuff sold online. is it good plain or?

[razzleberry]

awhile back i tried to create a raw version of my mum's favourite sad dessert:lemon meringue pie. i did some research and found that cafe gratitude makes a lemon meringue pie using a macadamia nut crust, and to get the meringue type topping they use a mixture that NEEDS FRESH irish moss to get it's meringue-like texture. go figure!! i live in New Zealand, there's no way i can get my hands on that stuff :P

go explore your options with lemon meringue pie!!

oh and ps. they now have a recipe book out which happens to include: LEMON MERINGUE PIE!!
http://www.amazon.com/Am-Grateful-Recipes-Lifestyle-Gratitude/dp/1556436475/sr=8-1/qid=1166813553/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2056072-4131162?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Lunar*Fey]

Sorry if this is too off topic, veganman...I didn't mean to refocus your thread. But can anyone tell me what irish moss tastes like???
thanks :)

[luckitri]

I don't remember the taste but I know that it grossed me out and the gelatinous hardy texture was gross to me as well. I was a kid when I had it but you know I had already eaten raw kelp and lots of dulse and nutritional yeast and Irish moss definitely was yuck to me. I have the idea that it requires much cooking to become palatable which to me would lose the nutrition?

[sbaker]

cafe gratitude also makes a "cheese" that is just cashew, white miso and irish moss, and its great! Whatever the moss tastes like it cant be too strong because the cheese is very mild.

[unbent]

Irish Moss is a ground cover type plant that you may be able to find at your local Nursery depending on where you live. I live in Michigan and was at the local Meijers Department store and saw some in the Home and Garden department. It is often used between paver in a patio or rock garden, which is what I was looking to do. I did not know about it's properties in foods. :rolleyes:

Andy

[laurabfig]

Just to clarify...Cafe Gratitude uses dried Irish Moss in their recipes...at least that is what they sell as an ingredient for their recipes in the retail part of their stores. You have to rinse it well and soak it for 24-48 hours to soften it before using it in a recipe. (I learned my lesson when my first pie came out rather salty and dense!!!) I haven't tasted it plain...kind of grosses me out, but you can't taste it at all in the desserts I've tasted with it. i think it is used to give the meringue and other desserts a mousse-y, fluffy texture. HTH!

[laurabfig]

Has anyone worked with non-dried Irish Moss? Any suggestions of where to get it? I found it HERE (http://www.purejoylivingfoods.com/), but was wondering if anybody had seen it elsewhere.

Any suggestions or secret tips on how to work with it?

I just checked the link...that is dried irish moss, not fresh...
I know cause that is the website where i bought my supply of it! :)

[veganman]

Hi Laura -

thanks for the update. Back when I posted, my understanding was that it was fresh.

Good to know!:)

[vegan1]

I also just got the Cafe Gratitude book and the lemon meringue pie looks amazing. I too thought it was fresh irish moss they were looking for.

So, do you just soak it and dry it and then it's ready to use? Do you need to know anything else about it? The book doesn't say much.

[veganman]

I have taken a couple of their wonderful classes. They specify in the classes to use fresh and say that dried won't work the same way.

[Tropigal]

Andy,that is a different kind of Irish moss...the land kind. ;)
this one is a seaweed.
i clicked the link veganman but it appears they are selling DRIED moss.
i too have the Cafe Gratitude book. I bought some dried and flaked at my local Nat Foods store. This did NOT work...at all.
leftitin the blender w/ water for a loooong time. did nothing.
I did NOT soak mine 1st.
I will try that next. But the plus side is I made the chcoclate mousse,left out the irish moss. it was unbelievable.
BUT it was liquid until it went in the fridge to set.....so that would NOT work for the raw terimisu....that is the best desert i have ever tried!!!
maybe someone can email the cafe gratitude people & they could let us know!!
i really want to make the key lime pie next & need the moss for the topping!!!

[unbent]

I didn't realize there was an aquatic version. Thanks for the update.

Andy

[vegan1]

Do you think this is fresh irish moss?
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/raw-irish-moss-whole-wildcrafted-8-oz.html

[Tropigal]

no. :(
has anyone figured this out yet?
do they want us to use fresh?
dried? soak it?
actually there IS an email addy in the book where they get theirs from.

[lonna]

this is my first time on this site. i joined because i wanted to answer your question about irish moss.
i took a raw foods class yesterday and we learned how to use irish moss. its used for desserts like mousse and meringue and the teacher said you could just use it as pudding. what you do is put a handfull irish moss in a jar and fill with cold water, rinse and drain. do this 2x more then fill the jar with water and cover and put in fridge. it should soak overnight. if it's still tough the next day then soak it in lukewarm water for a little while. never soak in water above that temperature as it will start to dissolve and lessen it's gelatinizing effect. leave unused moss in its soak-water and refridgerate. should last several months or longer. when you weigh out the proportions you need for recipes, wash it thoroughly under running water. the better it's rinsed the less likely there will be any ocean flavor. so now here's how he used it:
1 oz. irish moss (after soaking) blended up in 1/2 c. water til it's well broken down. then add 4 c. almond milk, 1/2 c. date paste, 3/4/ c. agave nectar, salt, vanilla, 3/4 c. raw cacao powder - still blending. when it is well blended add in lecithin (3 T.) and 1 c. coconut oil - keep blending. set in fridge and wait about 40 min. and you'll have delicious raw cacao mousse.
for meringue which is good for an white creamy topping or as a dessert with berries:
blend 1 oz. irish moss with 1/2 c. water. for at least 30 seconds. add 2 c. coconut milk, 1/2 c. coconut meat, 1/2 c. soaked cashews, 6 T. agave nectar, salt, vanilla, blend blend blend and then blend in 1 1/2 T. lecithin and 3/4 c. coconut oil.

also irish moss is supposed to be great as a detox for lungs.

[Tropigal]

THANK YOU lonna!!!!!!
BUT, was this DRIED???
I am actually soaking some now, since this morning. I decided to do a test run.
so hard cause the ingredients are SO expensive for what i am making.
i will do that exactly as you described.
Those recipes sound good. I have the Cafe Gratitude book & some of the deserts are similar to those.
I am going to make the key Lime pie....which i had at the restaurant & was really too good to be true!
Tiramisu next...that one blew my mind...it did NOT taste like a raw desert,let alone vegan...WOW!!!

[vegan1]

I'm bumping this up. I too am wondering if you used dried or fresh. I ordered some dry online, but have had no luck with fresh.