Friday, July 20, 2012

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So Thursday was hot and sunny, the whole day .. once the skies warmed up in the early morning.

Perfect day to dry all the seaweed that I’d collected a few days ago.  It was now or never.  So I spent the whole day fluffing and turning and unfolding the sea lettuce, Turkish towel, a few pieces of Iridea and 2 battered pieces of bull kelp.  I knew that there were only a few hours of pure heat before the day started to turn chilly.

This batch was my final collection for the year and so I just had to dry it all.   I’ll use some of it in the compost .. some for bath soaks.   And again, some I will soak in a container of water so that I can water the lawn and garden with it.

I’ve taken a workshop on seaweed, and we learned the importance of gathering seaweed respectfully, how to clip growing leaves and not to rip the seaweed from their growing sources, so that the plants may continue to grow.  Mostly, I take the seaweed that is floating near the shoreline.

I’d collected a variety of seaweed during the late spring and early summer with my friend D.  Such fun outings!   She showed me the “weed” Lambs Quarters and now I know the plant very well and that it contains lots of minerals and is very good for you!  I’ve used it in lasagna, instead of spinach.   And tossed it in salads and in sandwiches!  I do want to go and collect some seeds so that I can grow it in my back yard .. so maybe I can convince her to go to the beach again in a month or so and we can collect the seed.

Hmmmm .. seeing as I’ll be at the beach .. perhaps I can gather more seaweed that is tossed upon the shore .. and dry that for the garden.

I like using the fresh seaweed on my veggies .. but really, I’ve found out the hard way . .that one must use the seaweed right away.   I learned that in the springtime .. when I had left the seaweed filled containers in the yard .. for days and days!  Then when I came to use in the garden .. peeeeyeouwwwwwww.

So, next time, I put some on the garden and the rest I dried in the sun.   And that, really, is the best way that works for me.

Anyway, at the end of the day, yesterday, I’d crumbled as much of the dried seaweed as possible into airtight containers.   Then I dismantled my temporary work area, which consisted of 2 worktables, interspersed with framed lattice panels, propped up on up-ended Rubbermaid containers.

These things provided me with lots of surface area to dry the seaweed and when I was finished, all was put neatly away and it was as if I feng shui-ed the yard .. all was tidy.

DH just lets me be .. he’s wonderful!

So . .yesterday .. was quite a sea-weedy kind of a day.

🙂