Dulse Preparation Tips
Click on the photos to the right for enlarged views of each of these techniques. Be sure to scroll down to see all the pictures!
Uncooked, "au naturel"
Naturally tender and tasty, try dulse as a snack right out of the bag anytime.
Enzyme active, low temperature dried in the sun, and packed with phytonutrients, you can use dulse as a medicinal herb anywhere.
If you prefer even more tender and less “salty” dulse, lightly rinse before use.
Marinate dulse in your favorite dressing (or simply lemon juice or vinegar) for a zesty taste.
Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on your dulse for a heart healthy snack.
Inspecting Dulse
Begin with a careful inspection for the small shells we call “hitchhikers”, then proceed with:
Rinsing Dulse
Quickly rinsing to tenderize and reduce salinity before cutting to bite size. Dunk dulse fronds into a bowl of water and remove quickly. The longer the rinse, the more minerals are lost. Wet dulse is instantly tenderized. Once rinsed, the fronds are easier to cut to size for salads. For zesty sandwiches, lay on a layer of rinsed, tender, uncut dulse.
Chopping Dulse
After inspection, stack a bunch of dry fronds, holding them securely to the cutting board as you slice through with a sharp knife.
Dulse Snipping
Pull apart, inspect and organize 6 to 8 dry fronds in one hand, then snip off the desired size onto a cutting board or into a bowl.
Marinating
Marinate chopped dulse in oil and vinegar (or any dressing) a few minutes or longer before dressing your favorite salad.
Roasting Dulse for Garnishes
Crumble it on to anything (or everything!) for a low sodium “salty” taste.
First separate pieces of dulse and spread them thinly on a cookie type sheet.
Preheat your oven to 200° F and leave dulse in for 3–4 minutes or until it gets brown and crisp. Watch it carefully to avoid burning.
With a toaster oven, one minute on low (200° F) should be enough.
Pan Frying Dulse
- Unfold individual pieces of dulse
- Lightly oil skillet; place on burner over medium heat
- Press the dulse down into the hot oil
- Watch for color change to “brownish” in a few minutes or less
- Do not over cook as burned dulse is bitter
Kids really love this preparation of dulse: salty, oily, crunchy and a little “weird”.
Dulse StirFrying
Stirfrying with dulse is easy, colorful and nutritious. Simply slice your favorite veggies of the season, sauté them with some cubed tofu and sprinkle on some chopped dulse.
Using Flakes and Granules
Dulse Flakes (4oz bags) and Dulse Granules (1.5oz shakers) are ready to sprinkle on anything: salads, popcorn, pasta, potatoes; or mix into smoothies, tapenades, sauces, granola, hot cereal.
For more information click on the compass to go to the Maine Coast Sea Vegetables website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License by Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, 2006.
You may reuse or share this work with attribution for non-commercial purposes.









