Irish Moss Recipe – The Drink to DESTROY that chesty cough

“Ahoy!  Sailor! What is that gunk hanging on your line?”  

“Why sir that is Irish Moss! And it is no more gunk than that fine thing hanging from your chin that you call a beard!  And one may make a fine trifle from its gelatinous nature when boiled!”

…what a strange conversation.  Indeed Carrageen is a strange thing.  Not especially edible in and of itself, yet when boiled, its qualities come alive, as it releases a jelly like substance that has a powerful affinity for our immune systems whilst battling winter weather in this damp climate of ours.

The real beauty of it is that carrageen is cheap, available, and literally THE most effective mucolytic tonic one can apply to ease a heavy, phlegmy, Irish bound set of lungs.  A mucolytic essentially thins the mucus that sits in the lungs long after an initial respiratory infection takes place, weakening pulmonary function and providing a home for secondary bacterial infections to start taking out long term leases, and in some cases even hire purchase situations can occur.  Sorry. That rental analogy simply went to far. But basically the mucolytic affords your lungs the chance to expectorate (verb transitive: to clear, through the action of coughing) and get your breathing back to rights so you can get a proper night’s rest.

When we mention this to our mildly more wisened customers, they all go misty eyed, but not in a good way, as they recount violently visceral accounts of having milk boiled carrageen preparations forced down their gob, chased with spoons of castor oil, cod liver oil and molasses…they just don’t make them like they used to.

For our more delicate constitutions we have a new approach, mildly more trendy and socially acceptable, but with the same if not more benefits for your bod.  What we’ve done is stack a relentless bunch of anti-microbial, immune tonic and anti inflammatory botanicals on top of the carrageen that should give your lungs the shot of adrenaline that they need to hoist the rigging, unfurl the main sail and generally get themselves back in ship shape.

Have a look at our recipe below, and please try to source all the items organically produced, especially as you’ll be boiling and concentrating constituents.  And nobody but nobody needs to go around concentrating pesticides to include in their hot drinks –

Our Super Sonic Sea Veg Winter Tonic

Simple stuff this.  All you need is half an hour, a saucepan and a sieve.

• Carrageen 20 grams

• Turmeric 20 grams fresh, 2tsps dried

• Ginger 30 grams fresh, 2 tsps dried

• Cloves 10 whole

• Honey 2 tsps

• Lemon 1 whole juiced

• Any other herbal tea your heart desires

First up – rinse the moss. Then stick it in 1 litre of nice water.  

Chope up the turmeric and ginger.

Bring to the boil.  Simmer for half an hour.

Remove from the heat, then add in the other ingredients (you don’t need to add any herbal tea, but whatever it takes to enjoy the brew.  If you want to make it even more functional, add in some nervine like chamomile, lemon balm or holy basil to relax your poor bod and you’ll get better, quicker).  Leave to infuse for a good 10 minutes.

Pour the whole lot through a sieve.

Drink up to 4 cups per day, store in the fridge and heat up cup by cup as needed.

You can also add the the jelly-like stuff to a smoothie, or into porridge orrrr….you get the picture.  Play with it. Make it into ice pops. Whatever you like.