Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

sea

Browsing
Food

Sea Buckthorn: The Trendy “Lemon of the North”

The sea buckthorn now shines bright orange from the meter-high bushes. The sour berry is also known to many as the “Lemon of the North”: It has earned this nickname because it is full of vitamin C. EAT SMARTER explains here why sea buckthorn is so healthy and which products you can use it for.

Sea Buckthorn: “Lemon of the North”

Sea buckthorn belongs to the willow family and also goes by the names red sloe, willow thorn, or lemon of the north. On the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the small berries are mainly found on the coastal strips – or in local gardens. Only female shrubs, which can grow up to five meters tall and four meters wide, bear the bright fruits. Therefore, two female and one male sea buckthorn bush must always be planted together in order to be able to harvest plenty of berries.

Harvest sea buckthorn

Autumn is the perfect season for sea buckthorn harvesting. From mid-September, hobby gardeners and harvest workers have almost four weeks to harvest the lemon of the north. Because the precious, orange-colored berries quickly become overripe: the valuable vitamin C content then decreases rapidly and butyric acid is produced, which makes the sea buckthorn inedible. The harvest itself is manual work. The hard-working helpers separate the supporting branches from the bushes, strip or shake off the berries and transport the harvested crops to the freezer: the sea buckthorn is frozen to minus 120° degrees, making it more durable.

Process the “Lemon of the North”

Thanks to the strong sour taste of the sea buckthorn, the berries are not only eaten pure, but also processed in large numbers. As a juice, sea buckthorn jelly, sea buckthorn smoothie, or sea buckthorn jam, the sea buckthorn is then available in the supermarket or homemade in the kitchen cupboard. The combination of sea buckthorn with, for example, apricots, oranges, or apples ensures a great taste experience.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Irish Moss: This is Behind The Superfood Sea Moss

Irish moss is a type of red algae that was originally found mainly in northern Europe. Recently, the traditional remedy Irish moss has become increasingly popular as a superfood. Here you can find out what’s behind it.

Irish moss is also known by the names sea moss, seaweed or the Latin name Chondrus crispus. The red alga is widespread along the coasts of Northern Europe and is a traditional remedy in some coastal regions.

In recent years, Irish Moss has also gained popularity as a dietary supplement away from the coastal regions.

strengthens the immune system
promotes digestion
improves the complexion
strengthens the joints
has an anti-inflammatory effect
boosts metabolism

For example, you can get Irish Moss online dried and ground as a powder, pills or drops. The powder is particularly suitable as an additive for pudding and the like, as it has a binding effect due to the thickening and gelling agent carrageenan.

Irish Moss: What is known about the health effects?

However, it has not been proven whether the promises are justified. There are too few studies on Irish moss for that – especially no clinical studies on humans.

Consequently, there is also no reliable information about

possible side effects,
the optimal dose of Irish Moss,
Drug interactions and
contraindications. A contraindication is a specific circumstance (e.g. pregnancy or an illness) in which you should not take the drug or food.
Basically, according to the consumer center, algae such as Irish moss often contain a lot of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, minerals (especially iodine) and fiber. However, depending on the location, time of harvest and processing, the content of these ingredients can vary greatly.

In this context, the consumer advice center warns that algae often have high heavy metal residues and sometimes a lot of iodine. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also warns of the latter. In a BfR study, some algae preparations contained many times the recommended daily dose of iodine. An overdose of iodine is particularly dangerous for people with impaired thyroid function: the consumer advice center recommends that these people completely avoid products made from algae such as Irish moss. Healthy people should only buy products that indicate the iodine content and recommended consumption.

Is Irish Moss recommended?

Since very little is known about the effects of Irish Moss, it’s best to avoid it. If you buy products with Irish moss, make sure that the iodine content and a consumption recommendation are given. However, this does not protect you from residues of toxic heavy metals.

As the consumer center writes, Irish Moss is grown for commercial use primarily in the Philippines. The way from there to Germany is very long and therefore associated with high CO2 emissions. However, there are also some seaweed farms in Northern Europe that grow Irish Moss. It is therefore better to use regional products.

In principle, you do not need any dietary supplements if you eat a varied diet – this is also how the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) sees it. If you suspect a nutrient deficiency, you can have it checked at a doctor’s office. If in doubt, doctors or nutritionists can then prescribe dietary supplements for you.

Vegans in particular like to use algae preparations because they contain omega-3 fatty acids and iodine. However, you can also obtain both substances from other foods:

Omega-3 fatty acids are found, among other things, in flaxseed and walnuts and the corresponding oils.
To absorb enough iodine, you can use iodized salt.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Planting and Using Sea Kale: Here’s How

Sea kale is a native plant that grows mostly along coasts. With a little skill, you can also plant and harvest the cabbage in your own garden.

Sea kale, also known as beach kale, is native to the coasts of northern and western Europe. It used to be plentiful, but now stocks have dwindled. Therefore, the wild sea kale may no longer be collected.

Sea kale grows between 30 and 75 centimeters high and up to 80 centimeters wide. The plants form clumps and can be easily recognized by their upright flower stalks.

If you also want to plant sea kale in your garden, you will find all the information you need below.

Sea kale: location and sowing

As with all plants, the same applies to sea kale: if you want it to thrive, you have to find the right location for it before planting. Growing wild, it prefers salty coastal soils, but it also adapts to garden soils. It is important that you plant it in a sunny location and that it has no direct plant neighbors. The location should also be airy and as free as possible. As for the substrate, sea kale feels most comfortable in sandy, well-drained soil. It also accepts stony, loamy soil – but only if you loosen it regularly.

Once you have found a suitable place, you can start sowing. The best time to do this is in the spring.

Obtain sea kale seeds from a garden supply store. Preferably use organic seeds.
Soak the seeds in water for a day.
Prepare a few seed trays and fill them with potting soil.
Press the seeds about an inch deep into the soil.
Place the planters in a light spot, but not in direct sunlight.
Keep the soil moist.
After about three to four weeks you can separate the plants and plant them outdoors. Keep each plant about 50 centimeters apart so that they have enough space to flourish.

Caring for sea kale properly: This is how it thrives

Overall, sea kale is a very low-maintenance plant. In the time after planting you should provide it with sufficient water. But make sure that it doesn’t get waterlogged, because it doesn’t tolerate that.

After about a year the plant has grown well. From then on, the sea kale can provide itself with water from the ground and you don’t have to water it additionally. You should only give it some water in extremely hot and dry phases.

The sea kale supplies itself almost exclusively with water, but not with nutrients. It has a relatively high nutrient requirement, which is why it is worth mixing some compost or manure into the soil every year in autumn or spring. If you want to harvest sea kale regularly, you should provide it with slow-release fertilizer.

Sea kale: How to use it properly

Don’t harvest your sea kale in the first year of planting. From the spring of the second year you can get started.

Sea kale is a so-called bleaching vegetable, so you must bleach it before harvesting it. Bleaching refines the flavor of the sea kale and makes it less bitter. To do this, put a large pot or something similar over the root base in February. Due to the deprivation of light, the plant does not form any chlorophyll and therefore does not turn green. About four weeks later you can harvest the first shoots.

You can cook them like asparagus and, for example, use them as a vegetable side dish, in salads or in lasagnes and casseroles.

After bleaching, remove the pots and let the sea kale continue to thrive. After a few weeks, you can then harvest the flower buds. You can prepare these just like broccoli.

By the way: It is best to leave a few flowering shoots. Not only the gardener’s eye is happy about this, but also the bees in your garden.

Keep Reading
By