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Seaweed foraging on the CA coast

5 years ago

Great read:

Sea foraging for kombu on California's Central Coast

SFGATE by Freda Moon May 16, 2021

Sea foraging for kombu on California's Central Coast

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Comments (8)

plllog
5 years ago
Thank-you! That was very interesting! My first and persistent thought was that I wouldn't eat the seaweed around here because of the state of the bay, so I was really glad that the guide brought up the ick that's in the water up there. Foraging in general makes me nervous about what's not supposed to be in it but is. Personally, I'm kind of indifferent to the stuff, about on the same level of shrug for me as cabbage. ;) OTOH, as the article said, seaweed just washes up on the shore. Probably not nearly enough to feed the whole state, though, so cabbage, which is supposed to be easy to grow and hardy, isn't being threatened. :)

Still, it's a great read, and I will never forget seeing a documentary on TV in Australia where some Aborigine leaders recalled a couple of American or English WWII airmen who had to ditch their plane and ended up on the beach in an undeveloped area. They starved before they reached a town. One old man shook his head in sympathy and dismay, saying the forest along the beach was like a grocery store brimming with good food, but that he also understood that if he landed, unsupported, where they were from he might not know what was food there, either.

Foraging is a good and basic survival tool.
nancyofnc
5 years ago
Envy Envy Envy!
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If this is an old specimen, you may want to touch base with one of the nearby American Camellia Society Chapters in California. They can guide you and, if located near you, they could stop by and give you some personal one-to-one suggestions. See the link below. Hints: An old specimen will have a large and heavy rootball so consider getting some help when moving it. The rootbal should be wetted the night before, which adds weight, so the roots and the soil be moist. Use burlap to keep the rootball intact (some times this is impossible but try at least). The plant should not be transported unprotected in an open bed vehicle because it will dry out the leaves so look for a way to protect the leaves. Yes, have the hole in the new location already dug (you do not have to be exact of course); plan on tweaking the hole once the plant gets to the new location... Do not fertilize at first; use weak fertilizers such as liquid seaweed if you must fertilize. Mulch well in the new location; 3-4" of mulch will conserve soil moisture. Some people use SuperThrive to reduce transplant shock but I have not so I am just passing this on in case you are either familiar with the product already or want to use it. Keep the soil moist and water when it feels almost dry to a depth of 4". Good luck, Luis Here is a link that might be useful: ACS Chapters in California
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I'd like to point out that I add seaweed for a few reasons based on scientific fact but maybe more of my own intuition: 1. the seashells are made of calcium carbonate and release calcium carbon and oxygen into the soil when they break down from rain. 2. the bacteria and plant matter helped improve the soil structure around plants that I used seaweed as mulch. Biodiversity of soil is increased from breakdown of seaweed 3. potassic and sodic salts are deposited into the soil. because I add a tremendous amount of compost to my beds each year i don't rinse off the salts from the seaweed so that they can be incorporated into the compost's biogeochemistry. The plants I used seaweed with grew better. I was able to till into the soil what ever hadn't broken down during the season. Next year I'll be using seaweed again, but I think I will partially compost and then top dress the beds with seaweed. The seaweed was collected in Harwichport, MA, but this year I will try to get seaweed from a closer locale (i.e. Buzzards or Narragansett Bay).
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It seems like there are 3 types of possible books - general beach guides (the first three), general seaweeds of our area but not limited to edible ones (the next 2) and seaweed cookbooks that might have guides (the last book.) Salem Coastwatch lists these 3 general coastal guides for our area: Eastern Tidepool & Reef: North-central Atlantic Marinelife Guide. Harvey-Clark, Chris. 1997. Hancock House Publishers. Blaine, WA. Marine life of the North Atlantic: Canada to New England. Martinez, Andrew J. 2011. Aqua Quest. Peterson Field Guide: A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore. Gosner, Kenneth L. 1978. Houghton Mifflin Co. New York, New York. I also found references to: Seaweeds of Cape Cod and The Islands. John Kingsbury & Philip Sze. Bullbriar Press, RR1, Box 332, Jersey Shore, PA 17740 CJ Hillson. Seaweeds: A Color-Coded, Illustrated Guide to Common Marine Plants of the East Coast of the United States. 1977 Sea Vegetable Celebration. Shep Erhart and Leslie Cerier. ISBN 1-57067-123-0 Bookn Publishing Co. 2001 is a cookbook written by folks who work at a commercial seaweed producer in ME. I also saw some online guides to edible seaweed such as this one. I wonder if it would be most useful if you chose one with good photos and had the pages printed on individual flip cards to be put into a notebook or a ring or printed on a large double-sided card and then either option could be laminated/plasticized at somewhere like Staples.
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GTKY-it's been a while!
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1. If you were given a $100 bill to spend on yourself-what would you do with it? Probably buy Lego set for my grandson 2. What is your favorite brand of dish soap? Palmolive 3. What is your favorite brand of laundry detergent? BioKleen Free and Clear 4. Favorite candle scent? Don't use anything scented and don't burn candles since a friend's house burned down because of one. Also don't think they are safe in earthquake country. 5. Have you ever met a celebrity? If so, who? I'm the worst celebrity conscious person ever - I just don't know who anyone is. I can't recall meeting anyone, but on my frequent trips to Santa Barbara and Montecito, I've had some crossed paths over the years. I wouldn't have known, but for the awareness of my friends there: Ate sushi next to Rob Lowe (many years ago, my first sushi experience). I didn't realize who he was (West Wing years) but when my friend quietly made me aware, I realized he was just as beautiful as on TV. Had breakfast next to Harrison Ford (who I did recognize). Stood in line at a store behind Kenny Loggins (had no idea, but my friend again filled me in). Sat on a plane next to a young man the flight attendants were going gaga over, getting autographs, etc. I had no idea who he was, but his name was Shaun or Sean and was in a famous boy band (this was probably 20 years ago). My son figured it out, now I can't recall. (I just looked it up...Boyz to Men). Maybe not a big celebrity, but I did meet Roy Yamaguchi once at Pebble Beach and was treated to dinner at his restaurant there. 6. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Close but no cigar. 7. Have you ever ridden a)horse b)motorcycle c)helicopter? Yes, yes, no. 8. What is your favorite 'odd' food combination? Peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches. 9. What is the last movie you watched? The Book Club - I am not a fan of movies at all, so seldom see them. 10. If you could go on Antiques Roadshow, what would you bring? Nothing I can think of. 11. Do you like Pina Coladas? No, I hate coconut. 12. Getting caught in the rain? No, no, no. 13. Or the smell of the ocean? Yes, yes, yes. 14. Or the taste of champagne? Yum, yum, yum! (and now you have that song as an earworm!) And I guess I don't know the song, lol.
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l pinkmountain
5 years ago
That soup looks delish to me!
Lynda (Zn9b/23 - Central CA Coast)
5 years ago
Thanks for sharing! I bet my family (of sushi lovers) would enjoy that soup.

That is my neck of the woods, and I know both parks mentioned well. I had never thought of doing that, but it makes so much sense.
Gooster
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I found the history of the particular park fascinating. I'd think the waters of the park would be OK, if there were no discharge points nearby. I think you need a permit now in Washington state. I was researching permits for shellfish and crabbing for an upcoming visit to my sister and saw it listed (she lives on an island). Kombu would be a great addition to the meals. I've had the fresh red seaweed -- it is common up there but you have to wade in.

I didn't realize that nori strips are a playground snack? Or is that a Bay Area specific thing.
Lynda (Zn9b/23 - Central CA Coast)
5 years ago
In CA, you may recreationally harvest up to 10lbs per day - https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Kelp/Recreational-Harvest no permit required. It is a good point to check on nearby sewage discharge. The area referred to is very remote, with no discharge points nearby. However, it would make sense to check, especially in more built up areas.

My son, who is 12 loves nori and often took it as a snack in his lunch.
plllog
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Generally, nori strip snacks are seasoned—think kale chips. I think red pepper (chili de arbol/szechuan) goes better than wasabi, but if you like wasabi peas, you'd probably like it on nori. ;)
savren
5 years ago
I would be cautious.

DDT dump found.

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