How to tell if Sea Moss Gel is bad?
You're probably here because you're not sure if your sea moss gel is still good to go or has expired. If that's the case, you've landed in the right place. Let's find out if sea moss gel can go bad and how you can prevent it from expiring.
Many people notice that the color of the sea moss gel changes after a while. It's when they start to think that their gel has expired. The color of the gel starts to get darker with each day, compared to when it was originally bought in a much lighter color. Also, there appears to be a slightly sour smell that the gel starts to emit. And sometimes, small green mold circles start to appear. That's when it starts to get fishy. Those are the signs to back off.
Sea moss gel is usually made using dried seaweed. If you have bought your gel from the online market, it may last a little longer. Depending on what’s added to the gel of course. There are a few ways to increase the shelf life of your sea moss gel. Here are some tiny efforts that can help your gel last long:
- Keep them refrigerated.
- Ensure storing the gel in a clean jar (preferably a glass jar or container).
- Make sure that the container is airtight.
- If not, the jar must be properly and tightly covered.
- Use clean utensils to take the gel out.
- Do not expose the gel to any substance that can cause a food product to expire or go bad.
Sea moss gel does expire.Like all vegetables, sea moss is a perishable item as well. With time, it will go bad like just any other vegetable even when kept in our refrigerators. If the pack or the jar has not been opened, the gel usually lasts around a year.And once you break the seal, most gels last around 3 months. Some manufacturers claim that the gel lasts up to 6 months if it's kept frozen.
It’s important to remember that while being packed, the wetter the sea moss is, the shorter its life is going to be. So the key is to dry the seaweed well enough before its gel is being prepared. Of course, the expiration dates vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from product to product.
The other factor is how you handle the gel after you have opened it. Keep in mind the above-mentioned tips. So how long your gel shall last, kinda depends on you. In short, it is recommended to store the gel in a cool and dry place. Storing it in a damp and warm place, the gel might not even last a month. So it’s advised to use the gel before it’s too late. Who would want to keep their gel ‘safe’ for so long that it gets rotten and can’t be put to use again? No one.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5387034/