Yes, I really put that in there...

Irish moss.  This has been by far the most bizarre ingredient I have bought to date.  When I told my mom about it, she said, "Irish moss?  That's what I planted in along the pathway in the back yard last spring..."  Ha!  At that point, I knew I was obviously on the right track with this raw-vegan ingredient.  Although, what I bought was not the same "Irish Moss" my mom had planted, but one from the sea, instead.  Chondrus Crispus, also called "Irish Moss" or "Carrageen Moss," is a species of red algae which grows along the rocky Atlantic coasts of both Europe and North America.  What you really need to know is that once soaked, Irish Moss is virtually orderless, colorless, tasteless, and used as a raw-vegan substitute to animal gelatin.  Didn't know gelatin was an animal product?  Well, yes, it is.  Gelatin is derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones.  Ever boiled a chicken carcass to make chicken stock, put in the fridge, and then discover it's turned into chicken stock jell-o?  Yep, that's the basis of gelatin.

At any rate, I have been WAY pumped about experimenting with this little jewel of an ingredient.  Fortunately, it's Jim-dawg's big 46th birthday this Saturday, so I finally had a reason to make a pie so I can use the Irish Moss.  I just couldn't wait 'till Saturday, though, so I decided to embrace the "birthday week" theme, and grace him with a raw vegan coconut cream pie.  The cool thing about raw "baking" is that there's not as mush science to the ingredients as there is in regular baking.  In raw "baking" you basically make something taste great, and then choose a way to thicken it.  Lecithin, Irish Moss, Coconut Oil, and avocados are usually used to achieve a pie-like texture.  Irish Moss was my choice this time around.  I know it looks scary, but give it a shot!  I promise it does NOT taste or smell like anything. 

 Preparing Irish Moss

FYI, I simply followed the directions on the bag.  Here I've taken a handful (I should have weighed it, but I didn't), soaked it in water, "massaged" the moss to release the sand/salt/whatever is on it off, dump that water, covered it with clean water again, and repeated this process about three times throughout a 14 hour period.  Once it's soaked that long, the moss will have swollen, become transparent, and pliable.    

 

At this point, the moss is ready to use.  If using it immediately, you can use it as is by blending it THOROUGHLY in the food processor with the wet ingredients of your recipe. 

As for me, I was not ready to use it immediately so I opted for the "storing route."  To do this, simply put the soaked moss in your food processor with a little bit of water, and blend thoroughly until it forms a loose gel.

 

Store the gel in a container, and place in the fridge until ready to use.  Once refrigerated, it will become very stiff and jello-like.  When ready to use, simply scoop out the desired amount and blend with the wet ingredients of your recipe. 

 

There you have it!  Irish Moss!  It was so exciting to prepare (yes, I'm that big of a foodie dork)!  As for how much to use, that depends on your recipe.  I used half this container (which was a small plastic container that sandwich meat comes in), and it was not quite enough, as I would have liked my pie to be stiffer.  It takes more than I thought.

Have fun with Irish Moss!  It can be used to make puddings, cakes, ice creams, pies, etc.