Which seaweed is edible

Early spring is the best time to pick — the young leaves, stalks and broccoli-like flower heads are all edible but become a bit tough and bitter later in the year.

Treat sea kale pretty much like purple sprouting broccoli — wash well and cut away any tough stalks, steam or boil in salted water for minutes until tender then toss in butter and season with black pepper and sea salt. Now this is the mother of all spinach! The ancestor of our cultivated forms of beet from Swiss chard to beetroot. The thick, leathery leaves are even more succulent than those of cultivated spinach varieties; leaves can be picked all spring and summer from about late March.

Early year stalks may be tender enough to cook with the leaves but usually should be cut off and discarded. Like any spinach, wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any grittiness. Basically, fresh sea beet can replace spinach in any recipe! Email address:. Our products are available from our online shop , our eBay shop , our Amazon shop or simply give us a call and we can take orders and payments over the phone — whichever you prefer.. Please call us anytime - Home Seaweed Foraging.

Seaweed Foraging Veggies of the Sea. Coastal Safety Guide. Laver Probably your best bet is Laver, which is basically the Welsh name for red sea weed. Brown Leafweed Usually referred to as sea spaghetti, this most closely resembles spinach tagliatelle in appearance. Gifts for Foodie Read more. Sea Kale This is a cabbage-like plant growing close to the sea in shingle or shingle and sand.

Laver Porphyra umbilicalis Location: Intertidal to subtidal, on rocks and ledges and other seaweeds. Season: Early to mid-spring Taste and texture: Mild and chewy; nutty. Works well in: Rice dishes, savory stir-fries, soups, and marinades. Amount: Lower in iodine and higher in protein than the kelps, laver can be used freely in any dish.

Simmer to soften, or toast and then crumble and add to any dish. Works especially well in savory dishes. Irish Moss Chondrus crispus , a red algae Location: Lower intertidal on rocky substrate, usually found on ledges at low tides. Taste and texture: Mild and chewy.

Works well in: Typically simmered in water or milk to extract the natural phycocolloid carrageenan, a thickening agent for foods and drinks. Amount: A handful added to a pot for thickening soups, stews, and other liquids. Winged Kelp Alaria esculenta Location: Subtidal to lower intertidal on rocky, exposed ledges. Look for it at the lowest tides. Season: Spring and early summer. Taste and texture: Similar to Japanese wakame, which is traditionally used in miso soup and seaweed salads.

Mild, pleasant, and nutty. Works well in: Light, mild, and chewy, winged kelp — also commonly called alaria — is perfect for salads. Soften by soaking and simmering. Use as a mild vegetable in any dish. Sea Lettuce Ulva lactuca , a green algae Location: Found in both sheltered and exposed environments, on rocks, ropes, buoys, and on other seaweeds, usually in nutrient-rich waters. Taste and texture: Salty, strong ocean flavor. Amount: Sprinkle to taste.

We recommend getting your seaweed from a certified purveyor. Harvesting yourself can pose risks to your health and the environment and is not endorsed by Down East. Where in Maine? Photography Workshops Birdwatching. If you're interested in the process of harvesting there are a number of courses and books available that will guide you through sustainability, identification and cooking.

We strongly recommend that you take expert advise by joining one of these courses before venturing out. Dulse Dulse is an elegant and beautiful looking seaweed with dark red or purple blades of varying widths, on occasion growing up to half a meter in length! These blades often split into sections that start to look like fingers on a hand, hence its name Palmaria.

With a salty taste some say a little like bacon, dulse is a source of plant protein and potassium along with many other minerals.

It is a key ingredient in all of our dried Seaweed pouches. Sea Spaghetti Sea Spaghetti is a particularly striking seaweed that grows in long ribbon-like blades, of up to several meters in length.

Sea Spaghetti grows in abundance on our stretch of the Devon coastline and, due to its mild taste and nutritional impact, it's a favourite of ours. Sea Lettuce Sea Lettuce is a lovely pale green with beautifully fresh-looking broad leaves, looking a little like what you'd expect from homegrown garden lettuce - hence the name. Sea Lettuce particularly when dried has a delicate, soft texture but a strong taste, which is why at Seaspoon we used it sparingly in our blends in order not to overpower the subtle flavours of its companions in the blends.