The Wonderful World of Kelp

My kelp salsa is always a big seller in my veggie stand, well it would be if I made more. It’s always been the first tourists of the season who get the few jars I manage to share.

Selling garden greens and my unique and rare wild edibles at “Nikki’s Garden Hut”, though fun, just isn’t paying off for the workload involved, so I’ve decided to give up my kelp secrets, share a few of my favorite recipes, reveal its incredible health benefits and demonstrate some of its entertaining uses.

Drying Tips:

Dried kelp can be broken into small pieces and added to any dish; sauces, stir-fries, soups, stews and nut trail-mixes. It can be powdered in a coffee grinder and used as a healthy salt substitute.

If drying on clothes lines, boat railings or racks outside in the sun, it must be brought in at night, otherwise it reabsorbs moisture from the air.
When drying inside always put garbage bags, painters plastic or tarps under it as it drips heavily and will leave a salty residue on the floor.

I use thick fishing hand line as skinny line, even 40 lb test line will often cut the soft kelp fronds.
Keep checking the kelp and separate the sticky fronds from one another so the ends do not bunch up otherwise large salt deposits can form.
If you don’t want your home smelling like a tide line seashore I would suggest waiting for a couple of hot sunny days.
When the kelp breaks in half easily it is ready for packaging. Glass jars are the best if you are doing a small batch, but I mostly use large Ziploc freezer bags with a packet of silica gel in each and suck the air out as best I can.

I have no problem storing it for a full year. Store in a dry dark place.

Fresh Kelp

The whole plant is edible. The long stipes or stems are harvested for my favorite recipes below. Use your favorite pickle recipes and use the peeled bull kelp stipes instead.

Try stuffing the bulbs with a rice, green onion, rose hip syrup and prawn mixture and bake until soft.

You must soak the bulbs overnight or 6-8 hours and change the fresh water often to remove its salty taste. Do not soak so long that the bulbs start getting mushy.

Kelp Salsa

8 cups chopped bull kelp – 3 or 4 long stipes (do not peel, rinse or soak)

2 cups sweet peppers – 2

4 cups onion – 4

4 cups celery – 1 bunch

4 cups undrained canned tomatoes – 2 16 oz cans

3 cups fresh tomatoes – 5

2 small chopped jalapeno (none for mild)

2 bunches fresh cilantro

1 small can of tomato paste (not totally necessary)

2 cups vinegar 3 tbsp honey 1/4 cup cumin 2 tsp garlic

Cook all ingredients for about 1 hour or until celery and kelp are soft.

Seal in jars and process using a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Makes about 12 pints.

Kelp Relish

This is delicious in salmon or tuna fish salad sandwiches, on burgers or as a salad dressing

8 cups bull kelp ( do not soak or peel)

3 cups onions

3 cups celery

4 red and yellow peppers

1 quart of cider vinegar

3 cups sugar

2 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp turmeric

Heat the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and turmeric until sugar is dissolved. Add veggies. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Fill jars and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Article Source

Nikki van Schyndel (aka Daisy Crocket), ventured out into the wilds of British Columbia 12 years ago to live her childhood dream of surviving off the land with primitive tools, she was there for a year and a half completely immersed in the wilderness, since then she’s found her balance, now living in a cabin she built and having a few modern conveniences she is still living in the wilderness, she is blogging, vlogging and working hard to survive in a beautiful place that makes her happy.

She’s also the author of  the best selling book ‘Becoming Wild’ about her experiences learning to survive and ultimately thrive along the rugged, isolated rainforest of British Columbia.

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