Horns, Ropes, and Whips (Fun with Kelp)

Posted on March 9, 2007, by kiliii.
Filed Under Pacific Coast |

Our kelp pickling adventure was slightly slimy and filled with friends. Sound like fun?

One Kelp

It began with a lovely spring day that broke the grey Northwestern fog ceiling. We strode out onto the beach with legs jelloey from the drive, and felt the unfamiliar earth and sand under our toes. And in a quick moment, I noticed a large black streak laying on the beach in the distance, looking for all the world like a beached sea serpent.

But no, it was a couple of stipes of bullwhip kelp, that wonderful sea vegetable that often washes up on shore during the winter on our Oregon Coast. It lives offshore in protected waters and often forms reefs or forests underwater. It long stipes, or tubular and groovy trunks connect it from its ‘roots’ which anchor it on the ocean floor. The top end is a large gaseous bladder that floats upwards and from it waves all the lovely long fronds that we think of as seaweed.

So we gathered a few, and frolicking commenced. Pete grabbed one end of the thirteen foot stipe and began to work it as a lariat, only hitting himself once before stopping, so of course the rest of us joined in. We converted the lasso into a jump rope and then eventually cutting off the anchor and bulb ends to save for halibut fishing line. We also saved the fronds to fry for seaweed muchies and the large end of the stipes to pickle the the next day.

Adria’s Horn

Brian cut one open and tried out its use as a musical instrument, and with a few more horns involved, we managed a sort of seaweed marching band. Here’s Adria playing the digeridoo.

Well, kelp aside, we hiked up to Ekkoli State Park and munched on the spring greens, which are here in hordes: wood sorrel, miner’s lettuce, and then delicious peeled horsetail shoots. The horsetails aren’t good for long, so we ate as many as we could find.

Comments

6 Responses to “Horns, Ropes, and Whips (Fun with Kelp)”

  1. Ungrateful hole on October 18th, 2007 12:09 am

    Humor is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood — Mary Hirsch

  2. common-kissing piece on October 18th, 2007 2:15 am

    Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen to be dressed for it — Woody Allen

  3. Respected textbook on October 20th, 2007 4:37 am

    I’m trying to see things from your point of view but I can’t get my head that far up my ass — Unknown

  4. pox-marked violation on October 21st, 2007 7:23 pm

    Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction — Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

  5. samantha on November 16th, 2007 9:39 am

    i think this websit is wak it
    dosent even show me or tell me wat i want to kno i relli dont like it…the pictures are pretty tho

  6. samantha fleming on November 16th, 2007 9:40 am

    i dont like your web sit
    dosent tell me the info i want or need to kno
    the piks r nice tho

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