Evernia prunastri, also known as oakmoss, is a species of lichen. It can be found in many mountainous temperate forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of France, Portugal, Spain, North America, and much of Central Europe.
Oakmoss grows primarily on the trunk and branches of oak trees, but is also commonly found on the bark of other deciduous trees and conifers such as fir and pine. The thalli of oakmoss are short (3–4 cm in length) and bushy, and grow together on bark to form large clumps. Oakmoss thallus is flat and strap-like. They are also highly branched, resembling the form of deer antlers. The colour of oakmoss ranges from green to a greenish-white when dry, and dark olive-green to yellow-green when wet. The texture of the thalli are rough when dry and rubbery when wet. It is used extensively in modern perfumery.
Like all the mosses, this plant is ruled by the Element Earth and so is especially suited for work involving the Crone or other permutations of death/birth. It helps us connect to Elemental Earth energy. Others like to use this magick herb for money spells, seeing the Elemental Earth connection to wealth. It is a good addition to potpourri, helping to fix the scents and to add a forest-like smell, and it makes a great base for vegetable musks, especially when combined with labdanum and patchouli. Try it as an incense base, too; grind it together with resins or hard spices.
Try in combination with other Earth scents for a grounding oil or as an ingredient in Druidic or Celtic oils.
Oakmoss absolutes and extracts, derived from the lichen, have a distinctively woody, sharp and very sensual aroma that combines very well with floral and green notes, and makes a great addition to oriental type fragrances. A special type of oakmoss which grows on pine trees has a slightly different, turpentine-like smell, which makes it highly valued among perfumers.
For many years, oakmoss has been known as a potent dermal sensitizer that should be used with extreme caution in order to prevent adverse dermatological reactions. However, it has become very controversial in recent times, since the IFRA, a body that regulates the guidelines for safe usage of fragrant chemicals and essential oils in perfumes, has listed oakmoss as a restricted ingredient. IFRA regulations state that oak moss extracts obtained from Evernia prunastri should not be used in consumer products if their quantity exceeds 0.1%. Moreover, if the formula already contains tree moss extracts, the levels of oakmoss and tree moss extracts should be reduced in such a way that the total amount of both extracts doesn't exceed 0.1%.
Edible Oakmoss
You have to cook oakmoss before eating and use as an ingredient with other dishes.
Clean the oak moss to ensure there are no bits of bark still attached
Prepare two pans of salted boiling water.
Boil the oak moss for 5 minutes in the first pan then strain and transfer to the second pan for a further 5 minutes.
Strain the water and lay each piece of moss out on the kitchen towel to dry out lightly.
Meanwhile heat some sunflower oil for deep-frying the moss to 160 C.
Drop small amounts of the oak moss into the oil and fry for between 5 and 10 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some more kitchen towel.
Once its all been fried, place in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle about half a teaspoon of flavoured oil, a squeeze of lemon and gently toss to coat the lichen with the flavoring ensuring not to be too rough and break the delicate structure.
IMPORTANT notes on ingredients – and a warning
PLEASE exercise extreme caution when consuming wild foods that you have collected and remember that you do so entirely at your own risk. Most lichens contain varying amounts of indigestible polysaccharides and lichenic acids which may be toxic in large quantities, so conduct very, very careful research to identify and decide on the safety of any you collect.
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