Where we come from the blancmanges are all this size

Today in botany, we had the opportunity to make blancmange - a traditional Irish pudding made from Chondrus crispus, more commonly known as Irish Moss. Although you may not want to make it in a beaker like we did, here's a traditional recipe from lovetoknow.com so you can make it at home.

Ingredients

• 1 quart milk
• 1/3 ounce (a small handful) Irish moss
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Prepare the moss by soaking and washing it in four changes of cold water, allowing it to soak about fifteen minutes the first time and five or ten minutes the succeeding times, picking it out of each water into the other with the fingers, carefully looking it over, and removing any sand or dark spots.
2. Put the milk into a double boiler to heat.
3. When boiling hot, put the washed moss into the hot milk and cook thirty minutes.
4. The milk will not seem much thickened, but it will be solid when cold.
5. Strain through a fine sieve, stirring the moss to allow all the milk to drain out.
6. Add the remaining ingredients to the milk.
7. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
8. Pour into a mold wet with cold water or pour into individual molds.
9. When cold, turn out of the molds, and serve with cream or with sliced bananas and cream.