Carrageen milk and cinnamon dessert recipe

For more information about Carrageen moss click here

A very nutritious and easy to digest dish and extremely easy to prepare.

What you need:

Carrageen moss (14g)

Milk (1 pint)

Cinnamon (very generous sprinkling or to taste)

Pepper (pinch)

Honey (1 tbsp or to taste)

What you do:

• Prepare the carrageen moss by soaking in cold water for half an hour and then cleaning thoroughly under running water.



• Place in pot with milk, honey, cinnamon and pepper



• Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes

I prefer to leave the Carrageen in the mixture and eat it to obtain the full nutritional benefit but alternatively you can strain the liquid. If you intend to strain then more milk should be used as the seaweed is a potent thickener. Try 2 pints of milk. Vary the amount of milk according to desired viscosity.

Furthermore you can replace cinnamon with e.g. nutmeg, ginger , lemon rind (when straining) or use a combination.

I, along with one of my aunties who popped round at right time, found this delicious and filling, not too rich or sweet and with the added piece of mind that it is hugely beneficial to my health.

Carrageen drink recipe for recovering health

Carrageen moss is a seaweed that grows around the coasts of Ireland and is a popular ingredient in many recipes both traditional and contemporary.

There are numerous beneficial qualities to this seaweed. (Click here to read about them), and one of the most traditional ways to use this is as a remedy for 'flu and chest infections/coughs.


What you need:

Carrageen moss (approx. 10g)
Water (approx. 700ml)
Whole lemon (1)
Cloves (approx 3)
Honey (to taste)


What you do:

• Prepare seaweed by soaking for half an hour in water and then thoroughly washing under running water removing any roots
  
• Put the carrageen moss into a pot with water and boil.


• Add juice of 1 lemon together with the rind (basically whole thing but separated) and cloves


• Cover and simmer for half an hour


• Strain and add honey to taste
  

Coincidentally I had an upper respiratory tract infection and chesty cough when making this so made the trying of it all the more authentic. Unfortunately my taste and smell senses would have been compromised some what.
Initially I was struck by the smell when it was boiling, it brought me to the seaside with the unique algal smell and I was a bit anxious after what happened with the crubeens. My mother immediately recognised it even though the last time she had it was as a very small child.

The drink was very palatable. I never really liked hot lemon and honey but this I did like. Initially there is the seaweed taste, which is not horrible followed by the lemony tones neither of which are too overpowering. I happily drank 2 full mugs of the stuff but would probably use more Carrageen moss or less water next time for a stronger taste (so it seems more like medicine!). I can't say I was cured since it takes a sustained barrage of doses morning noon and night to be effective and 50g costs 3.30 (euros) so I would not really be tempted to use it nowadays whenever I get a sniffle. Still if I am ever stuck near the Irish coast in summer with no hope of getting to the chemist to treat my cough, I'm laughing!

Carrageen moss - more than just an algae

Algae is something I am familiar with. On a daily basis I drink the microscopic type of algae, Spirulina, and so I looked forward to trying it's macroscopic cousin in the form of seaweed or Carrageen moss (Chondrus Crispus). Also known as Irish moss, it is a dark purplish seaweed and is abundantly found growing on the rocks in the lower part of the Irish seashore, Carraig being Gaelic for rock.

The seaweed is dried out and bleached in the sun after being collected at low tide during the summer. After purchase the seaweed is usually soaked for about 15 mins to half an hour to rehydrate and then washed thoroughly under cold running water to remove dirt and much of the salt.

Carrageen moss is high in vitamins and minerals such as iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and others but also has a range of other effects such as being an antiseptic, digestive aid, blood thinner and it encourages phlegm to be coughed up while soothing dry mucous membranes. The latter explaining why it is traditionally used in Ireland for com batting chesty coughs or chest infections.

As well as it's traditional medicinal usage, it also has a traditional culinary usage in that it is a very good thickening agent for soups, stews and in making jellies.

Recipes

Carrageen drink for flu, chesty coughs or general malaise.

Carrageen milk dessert

Carrageen jelly