I have always loved fireweed. When I found out a jelly could be made from this wonderful wildflower, I started to make plans for this jelly making activity even before the blooms were available. These flowers grow abundantly in many areas, and offer nutritional benefits. Learn how to make fireweed jelly, an extra special jelly from the wild.
This summer we went foraging for fireweed. The purpose of this adventure was to collect fireweed petals for a sweet batch of Fireweed jelly. Fireweed is easy to find if you know the flower and are on the lookout for it.
What Is Fireweed Jelly?
Fireweed jelly is made from fireweed wildflower blossoms, freshly picked while in season.
The jelly is bright pink in color, and glows in the sunlight. It also tastes absolutely delightful.
This jelly is a popular one in areas where fireweed grows freely and abundantly, such as in Alaska and in the Yukon.
While this may not be the most common type of jelly to make in most places, it is definitely worth the effort.
Thus my special foraging trip to a location where I knew fireweed was growing. I was determined to make this jelly this season.
Where Do I Find Fireweed?
To make a batch of fireweed jelly you will first need to pick some fireweed flowers.
They are pretty common here in the northern hemisphere temperate zones, and many may be familiar with them or have seen them growing in the wild.
You will find it growing in open fields and along road sides and highways in dry soil. It will often grow in stands or groupings as it spreads by underground rhizomes and seeds.
Fireweed is a flowering herbaceous perennial and a wildflower which blooms from July to September.
Fireweed is the common name for this flower. It is also known as willow herb.
The scientific name is Chamaenerion angustifolium. It is also known as Epilobium angustifolium and Chamerion angustifolium.
Fireweed is commonly seen growing in areas that have been disturbed, such as land burned from forest fire, thus the name-fireweed.
In the United Kingdom it is known by a different name. There it is called bombweed, due to it's growth in the disturbed areas post bombing in World War II.
Fireweed is a member of the same family as evening primrose. Both of these plants grow wild in our area.
Fireweed is very common in our province of Nova Scotia. It abundantly grows throughout most of the Atlantic provinces.
Choose A Safe Spot For Harvest
When picking fireweed for making fireweed jelly, make sure that you choose a patch that is free of chemicals such as herbicides or pesticides.
As well, consider any possible exposure to chemicals if picking near a roadway.
What Does Fireweed Look Like?
The flower stalks have masses of pink petalled blossoms at the top of each stem. Each flower stem can grow up to three meters or nine feet tall.
The plants we picked our flowers from were about four to five feet tall.
These plants remind me a bit of delphiniums, though the flowers grow more sparsely on the stem.
If you look closely at each individual blossom, you will see that each flower has four petals and four sepals, with four stigma that curl back, and eight stamens.
Is Fireweed Edible?
- All parts of the fireweed plant are edible.
- The leaves can be used to make tea.
- Young tender shoots can be eaten in spring.
- Fireweed honey is made from the rich nectar of fireweed, giving this special honey it's unique taste.
- For the purpose of making fireweed jelly, you will be harvesting the flowers.
How To Make Fireweed Jelly
- First find yourself a patch of fireweed blooms.
- Harvest enough to provide for four cups of flowers for the jelly recipe.
- I just cut the flowers at the top of each stem, leaving behind the side shoots for later flowering.
- Place the blooms in a bucket of water to keep them fresh for transport back to the kitchen.
- After harvesting, rinse the blooms lightly to remove any bugs or dirt. We certainly had a few of those.
- The next step is to separate the individual blossoms from the stem, and place into a bowl for steeping.
Ingredients
Fireweed jelly is made from:
- 4 cups of fireweed blossoms
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- 1 tablespoon butter (to eliminate foaming)
- 7.5 cups sugar
- 2 envelopes of liquid pectin
We used the liquid pectin as this was the only available pectin in our area. To reduce the amount of sugar you can use a powdered pectin, and follow the package directions.
Directions:
Steep The Blossoms
- Pour boiling water over fireweed blossoms, and allow the blossoms to steep in the hot water for at least ten minutes.
- You will notice that once the boiling water touches the petals, they lose their vibrant purple color, turning a muted beige or light lavender color.
- Not to worry however, the color will return when you add the lemon juice.
Strain The Flowers
- Once steeping is complete, strain the flowers from the liquid using a fine sieve.
- We used a coffee filter for this step. Strain the fluid from the flowers, and then discard the flowers.
- If you are a little short on fluid add some water to make the total amount equivalent to four cups.
Add Ingredients To The Pot (All Except Pectin)
- Add the liquid to a pot. Then add the sugar, butter, and lemon juice.
- The mixture will immediately turn a bright pink color when the lemon juice is added.
- Bring to a boil.
- Allow the mixture to boil in a rolling boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.
- Add the 2 packages of liquid pectin.
- Stir for five minutes to skim.
- I generally find that with the addition of the butter, there is almost no foaming at all.
Pour Into Sterilized Mason Jars
- Pour into mason jars that have been sterilized in the oven at 225 °F for 10 minutes.
- Make sure that the bottles are still warm from the oven, when pouring the jelly into them.
- Pour the jelly to within one quarter of an inch from the top of the jar.
- Wipe the rim of the jar and put the lids on and tighten.
- Add to a water bath canner for 10 minutes, to further sterilize and prolong shelf life.
- Allow the jelly to set at room temperature prior to storing. Allow some time to set, and avoid shaking the mason jar to check the set, although it is tempting.
- It can sometimes take up to 24 hours for floral jellies to set.
Storage
- Store sealed containers of fireweed jelly which have been processed using a water bath canner, in a dark room, at air temperature.
- As long as the bottles remain sealed, the jelly should be good for up to 12 months.
- Once the jars are opened, store the jelly in the fridge, and use within several weeks.
Fireweed Jelly Recipe
Fireweed Jelly Recipe
Fireweed jelly is made from fireweed wildflower blossoms, freshly picked while still in bloom. The jelly is a bright pink colour, and glows in the sunlight. It also tastes absolutely delightful.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of blossoms
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter to prevent foaming
- 7.5 cups sugar
- 2 envelopes of liquid pectin
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over fireweed blossoms, and allow the blossoms to steep in the hot water for at least ten minutes.
- You will notice that once the boiling water touches the petals, that they will loose their vibrant purple colour, turning into a muted beige colour.
- Not to worry however, the colour will return when you add the lemon juice.
- Once steeping is complete, drain the flowers from the liquid using a fine sieve.
- We used a coffee filter for this project. Squeeze the fluid from the flowers, and discard the flowers.
- If you are a little short on fluid add some extra water to make the total amount equivalent to four cups.
- Add the liquid to a pot. Then add the sugar, butter, and lemon juice.
- The mixture will immediately turn a bright pink colour when the lemon juice is added.
- Bring to a boil.
- Allow the mixture to boil in a rolling boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.
- Add the 2 packages of liquid pectin.
- Stir for five minutes to skim.
- I find that with the addition of the butter that there is relatively no foaming at all.
- Pour into mason jars that have been sterilized in the oven at 225 °F for 10 minutes.
- Add to a water bath canner for 10 minutes to further sterilize and prolong shelf life.
- Allow the jelly to set at room temperature prior to storing. Allow some time to set, and avoid shaking the mason jar to check the set, although it is tempting.
Notes
~Make sure not to skip the lemon, as it helps with the set and also helps preserve the jelly due to it's acidity.
~You can also use different types of pectin. If you do, make sure that you follow the directions inside the box, as your ingredient measurements may change.
~We often use liquid pectin as that is often all that is available in our area. The sugar amount required increases with liquid pectin significantly.
~When using liquid pectin the timing of adding the pectin is different than when using the powdered pectin. Liquid pectin is added after the boil.
~powdered pectin is added before the boil, and boiled before the sugar is added.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 118.34 Serving Size: 1 tbspAmount Per Serving: Calories: 51Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Fireweed Jelly Benefits?
Fireweed is high in vitamins A and C (source).
This plant has also been used traditionally for medicinal purposes around the world.
For a thorough review of fireweed's therapeutic potential, consider this article from Montana State University: Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols from Epilobium Angustifolium (Fireweed).
Is Fireweed A Weed?
A weed is an unwanted plant growing in the wrong place.
Fireweed tends to grow in wild spaces, and most often is appreciated for it's showy presence. It colonizes on damaged landscapes and helps to protect the soil.
I have always been in awe of fireweed patches. We have them growing in our national parks, and I always stop to admire the unusual pink flowers shining in the sunlight.
The flowers are tall, statuesque and striking.
Fireweed has been the floral emblem for the Yukon, in Canada since 1957.
In my opinion fireweed is fabulous, and probably not a weed. It is an interesting and showy wildflower.
What Does Fireweed Jelly Taste Like?
- Fireweed jelly tastes slightly citrusy and tangy with a slight floral edge.
- The flowers of fireweed don't have a strong scent.
- The steeped fireweed flowers smell slightly like spinach.
- Once the jelly is complete the flavours blend just right.
- The jelly is the perfect blend of sweet and tangy.
Can You Make Fireweed Jelly Without Pectin??
Pectin is an important part of the setting process for fireweed jelly.
As with most flower jellies, even with the addition of pectin, the setting time may be prolonged, and up to 24 hours from finishing the jelly.
If you want to try the benefits of fireweed, and want to avoid pectin, consider making a fireweed simple syrup instead.
Conclusion
Fireweed Jelly is easy to make.
The jelly has a light floral taste, and is truly a gift from Mother Nature, packaged into a delicious jelly.
Most often you will have to forage for your fireweed flowers, so be sure to use proper foraging principles, and leave some flowers behind for natural propagation and wildlife.
You can also collect some fireweed seed pods and seeds at the end of the season, and start your own fireweed stand, from which to harvest your flowers.
This is what I have done last season, and can't wait until the plants are a blooming size!
Have you ever made fireweed jelly or any other recipes from fireweed? Be sure to leave a comment below to share your experience.
If not, I hope you get the chance to make some fireweed jelly this season. It is definitely worth it.
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See the Web Story on Fireweed Jelly!
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