Make seaweed pudding!
Irish moss is a good source of carageenan, a thickening agent used in ice cream,
salad dressing, toothpaste, and paints. It's also great for puddings. Try out this
recipe for Irish moss pudding:
Ingredients
1/2 cup of dried Irish moss (or one cup fresh, washed Irish moss)
Three cups of milk
1/3 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of vanilla
If using dried Irish moss, soak it in water for fifteen minutes. Add the moss to three cups of milk in the top of a double boiler and cook over boiling water for twenty-five minutes. Strain the milk to remove the seaweed. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir the mixture and pour it into individual molds. Chill and serve plain or with berries on top.
Note: To make chocolate seaweed pudding, melt a square and a half of unsweetened chocolate, add a half cup of sugar and a third of a cup of boiling water, and stir until smooth. Add this to the above recipe after straining (excluding the one-third cup of sugar).
(Adapted from Nature With Children of All Ages, by Edith A. Sisson.)
Other edible seaweed ideas:
Kelp blades can be ground up and used as a salt substitute. They're also a good source of vitamins and minerals.
Dulse is a rubbery, salty type of red algae that can be eaten raw, dried, or used as seasoning in salads and soups.
Go to algae article.
Go to more activities for parents and educators.