If you have never used sea moss gel before then you will not be familiar with the smell that comes with it. When you use sea moss gel you will be greeted by a smell similar to a fish tank. That’s right, the clue is in the name! Sea moss gel smells similar to algae.
Due to this, we do not recommend digesting sea moss gel straight from the container. Although it doesn’t have much of a taste, it will not be too pleasant to digest. Many people who want to reap the rewards that sea moss can give, do so by adding to food items as a thickening agent.

Sea moss gel can be known as the vegan substitute for gelatin. This is due to its thickening properties. Some of the best ways to add sea moss gel to your diet are by mixing them into your smoothies, soups, or desserts.
We absolutely love adding sea moss gel to smoothies. It is delicious when added to a banana and strawberry smoothie.
For even more health benefits, why not add in some chia or hemp seeds? Not only will you get a super tasty smoothie but also some serious nutritious vitamins and minerals!
How do you get rid of the bad sea moss smell?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much that you can do to get rid of the smell of sea moss. Your best bet is to mix it in with some other flavors as we have suggested above. If you blend into soups, smoothies, or desserts, the other flavors from them will overpower the smell of algae coming from the sea moss.
Another good tip to reduce the smell of sea moss is to properly prepare it. This is especially true if you are making your sea moss gel from scratch. To ensure that you get the best out of your sea moss, just follow the below steps to prepare it correctly.
- Rinse - place your sea moss into a colander and rinse under cold water. Doing this will remove any debris or salt that may be lingering within the sea moss.
- Soak - next, place the rinsed sea moss in a bowl of filtered water and leave to soak overnight. If you really can’t deal with the smell, we recommend that you add juice from half a lemon or lime. This will calm the taste and smell of algae whilst the sea moss soaks. As your sea moss soaks, it may expand, so keep topping up the water for the best results.
- Rinse - once the sea moss has soaked overnight, put the sea moss into a colander and rinse again in cold filtered water. Make sure that the sea moss is evenly rinsed under the water. At this stage, the sea moss may have turned a lighter color.
- Boil - this step is where you can start to soften the sea moss so it is easier to blend in the final step. You will need to place filtered water into a pan and bring it to a boil. Add in the rinsed sea moss and boil for approximately 25 minutes. At this point, you can add more lemon or lime into the water. This will help to eliminate the scent of the sea moss further.
- Blend - Let your sea moss cool and then pour it into your blender. Aim to blend at a medium to high speed for the best results. The finished product should be a thick gel-like consistency. Pour it into airtight containers and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
What does sea moss smell like when it goes bad?
If you forget to properly store your sea moss gel, then you will be greeted by a bad smell. Sea moss gel is made from natural ingredients that will go bad just like any other fruits or vegetables. Sea moss already smells like algae when it is fresh, so the smell will be a lot worse than that.
The smell of bad sea moss will be quite rancid and fishy. If you’re unsure whether your sea moss gel has gone bad after trying the smell test, there is one more test to try.
Take a small teaspoon and taste your sea moss gel. If you added lemon or lime juice to your sea moss, then you may taste that at first. Wait for the after taste of the sea moss in that case. If it is overly fishy, then you may need to put the sea moss in the trash.
If you haven’t added any lemon or lime juice to your sea moss gel, then the taste will be fishy from your first teaspoon full. Fresh sea moss gel doesn’t have a strong taste, so if it tastes bad, then chances are it is not suitable for consumption.