SIZE : From 10 cm to 20 cm.
LIFE EXPECTANCY : Up to 4 years.
LIFE CYCLE : Mature at 3 to 5 years of age.
Reproduction can take place all year round, but summer and autumn are more favorable.
Although Irish moss tolerates dynamic environments, it grows faster in calmer sites.
In the moss fields of Ireland, three stages of algae coexist: the female stage, the male stage, and the spore-producing stage. Whatever the stage, the algae will have the same appearance.
Reproduction takes place through fertilization between male and female cells, followed by the release of spores by the female, which will germinate to form new algae.
Irish moss grows from its tips. If cut, it can quickly grow back from its holdfast.
Credit : Éric Tamigneaux, photo taken in 2021.
Irish moss is a small seaweed that looks somewhat like a bunch of parsley. Its fronds are curly, with rounded tips. Its color is very variable: from violet-red to brown or yellowish-green, with iridescent highlights. High exposure to the sun makes it greener, or even white if exposure is too intense. At the end of its life, it becomes whitish. Its stipe is short and flat. It has a strong, disk-shaped holdfast.
A multicolored salad
Today, Irish moss is grown on a large scale in land-based ponds by Acadian Seaplants of Nova Scotia. By adjusting the cultivation parameters, the company is able to obtain Irish moss of different colors, resulting in a colorful salad.
Coastal zone, up to 10 m deep, in cold waters.
Temperatures that are too warm and freezing are lethal for Irish moss. However, it tolerates brackish waters.
Irish moss prefers calm environments, on flat rocks. It forms dense colonies that can look like a thick carpet when found in abundance.
It often coexists with rockweed. In the southern Gaspé Peninsula, it can also be found among fields of kelp, between 1 m and 5 m deep.
Credit : Éric Tamigneaux, photo taken in Maine, in 2012.
PREY :
CO2
Solar energy
PREDATORS :
Herbivorous molluscs
Grazing fishes
MACHINES : Hand harvesting.
REGULATIONS :
Permit required. Cut the algae with a sharp object to avoid tearing the holdfast.
Quite the fleet for Irish Moss
After the Second World War, Irish Moss was widely harvested. On foot, on horseback or by boat, the people of the Maritime provinces harvested it in large numbers. Until the end of the 20th century, this algae was the main source of carrageenan, a substance with gelling properties widely used in the food industry.
BENEFITS :
Source of protein, fiber, minerals, and carrageenan (gelling food agent).
LET’S COOK :
Mild iodized, marine flavor.
Irish Moss can be used as a clarifying agent during the brewing of artisan beers, or as a thickener in soups, jams, stews, etc.
OUR CULINARY ADVICE :
- Use Irish moss for milk-based desserts. Boil it in milk, strain the mixture, then add your choice of ingredients (chocolate or vanilla, for example).
The waters of the St. Lawrence are known for their good quality. However, as algae absorb the elements present in the water in order to grow, it is preferable to make sure that the harvesting site is clean before eating them fresh.
An algae at the origin of pudding
The word “carrageenan” comes from the village of Carragheen in Ireland. It was here that Irish moss was boiled in milk to produce the first pudding. The interaction of carrageenan and the casein, a milk protein, promotes gelling.
And to prevent the algae pigments from turning the milk green, the algae was traditionally left in the sun and rain after harvesting, until it had dried and whitened.
