Can Sea Moss Gel Go Bad?

Sea moss gel, or Irish sea moss, has both nutritional and culinary benefits, and has become one of the latest superfoods of this decade. Irish moss is packed full of beneficial vitamins, minerals and nutrients - but can it go bad?

Yes - like any natural product made from organic matter, sea moss has a shelf life. Depending on the type of gel you buy, you might get up to 2-3 weeks out of sea moss gel before it goes bad.

If you make your own sea moss gel from dried seaweed, you could choose to add chemical preservatives to increase its lifespan. If you've bought a sea moss gel, it's likely that the manufacturer has done this to make the gel usable for longer. 

However, not everyone wants to add chemicals to their natural products, and there are other ways you can keep your gel fresher for longer, which we'll discuss later in this article.

Let's take a look at the shelf life of sea moss gel in the fridge, how to know if sea moss gel has gone bad, how to extend the shelf life of your gel, and what might happen if you eat bad sea moss gel.

How Long Can Sea Moss Gel Stay In The Fridge?

You should get between 2 weeks and 1 month of shelf life out of sea moss gel when you store it in the fridge. 

If you'd rather your gel lasted 1 month instead of 2 weeks, store it in an airtight jar. This will slow down the oxidation process, preventing your sea moss from spoiling so quickly.

It's worth labelling your sea moss jar with a sticker date, so you know exactly when you made it, and when you need to use it by.

Otherwise, you'll have to use guesswork to figure out when your gel is no longer suitable for use. This means you'll find it harder to plan to use your sea moss gel within a given timeframe, and you may end up unnecessarily wasting some of your gel.

How Do You Know If Sea Moss Gel Has Gone Bad?

It's usually fairly obvious if your sea moss gel has gone bad. You may smell an unusual aroma when you open your jar, or notice a light gray slimy or watery layer over the gel. Even worse, you might even spot mold.

If you do find mold, it goes without saying that you need to throw out your sea moss gel immediately. Any sort of taste can also be an indication that your sea moss gel is going bad, as this gel usually has no taste at all.

The best way to prevent such an unpleasant discovery is to make sure you store your sea moss gel in the fridge and use it within at least 2 weeks.

How Can You Extend the Shelf Life of Sea Moss Gel?

There are several things you can do to extend the shelf life of your sea moss gel:

• Keep the gel refrigerated (see earlier in this article)    
• Store the gel in a sealed, clean container or jar, preferably glass     
• Use clean utensils to scoop gel out of the jar; never your fingers     
• Eliminate the risk of cross contamination when storing the gel     
• Keep the gel away from heat or direct sunlight

Remember, sea moss gel is a natural, perishable food product, and should be treated like one. Like any vegetable, sea moss gel will degrade over time, but the above tips can help you get longer out of your batch.

Can Old Sea Moss Make You Sick?

Thankfully, expired sea moss doesn't quite have the dangerous health effects of expired chicken, seafood, or milk. But, like any food past its use-by date, old sea moss could still make you sick.

Common symptoms you may experience after eating expired sea moss include nausea, stomach upset, dehydration, headaches, vomiting and weakness. These symptoms will usually present themselves within 24 hours, and last for between 24 hours and several days. 

It's highly unlikely that you will experience any life-threatening side effects from eating expired sea moss. If you do get sick, give your body the bed rest it needs to recover, and you should be feeling better within a few days. Contact your doctor if your symptoms are unusually severe or persistent.

What Happens If You Eat Bad Sea Moss?

Exactly what events unfold after you eat bad sea moss depends on a number of factors: how 'bad' the moss is, how much of it you ate, and the strength of your immune system.

You might eat bad sea moss and get away without any side-effects. However, it's probably not something you should take a risk with. If you wouldn't eat brown, gone-off or moldy fruit or veg, you shouldn't eat bad sea moss, either.

Conclusion

Sea moss gel is a highly nutritious, versatile natural product - but it's also a perishable food, and should be stored correctly to prevent it from spoiling too soon.

If you follow the tips in this article, you should never have to deal with moldy, bad sea moss gel - and you certainly won't eat it when it's gone off by mistake.