I’m guessing that some of you will have the same experience as I do when it comes to fireweed. Its a plant that is all over the place, but I never really knew what it was until much later in life. In my late 20’s, I moved to the Yukon, where fireweed is the territorial flower, and it is a widely used symbol. You see images of it everywhere, and its nearly impossible to go there and not find out about it.
The next time that I was here in Newfoundland after having lived in the Yukon, I started seeing it everywhere. I had never really noticed it before that, and honestly, I think had you asked me if it was here before that, I would have said no, unaware of its actual existence.
But am I ever glad that I know about it now because it makes a wonderful jelly that is very easy to make. It takes just a few simple ingredients. Some fireweed flowers, water, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin. This is a great chance for many of you in to increase the amount of wild food that you are eating.
In the video below, I will show you how to make some fireweed jelly at home, and I even will give you a few tips around safe canning procedures, as well as a few tips about some tools that you might want to have if you intend to do canning at home.
To make the fireweed jelly you will need
8 cups of fireweed flower petals
4 cups of cold water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
5 cups of sugar
2 packages of pectin
Here’s another tip for you (and this is something that I talk about in the video), there is a very simple ratio that you can utilize to make this and other jellies using the metric system and a kitchen scale. You can use a ratio of 1g of sugar for each millilitre of liquid that you have (i.e. 1L of liquid means 1kg of sugar). And you can add one package of pectin for each 500ml units, so do you best to get a nice round volume and you will have yourself a very tasty treat for yourself.
So, get out there and start picking some fireweed and make yourself some jelly. You will probably be as glad as I am to have this sitting in your pantry in the middle of the winter.
Hi, is there any way to decrease the amount of sugar or a substitute and still get a good jelly texture?
To be honest, I am not sure. I think you could probably increase the amount of pectin, or possibly try using some agar agar, but I have never tried before. I will do some research and see what I can come up with.
Excellent video..enjoyed watching you ….i also do lilac jelly and rose petal jelly…mmm so good!
I am hoping to make some clover jelly soon. And I will be making a rose hip jelly in the autumn.
Hi! Thank you for this helpful video. Can you let me know if the 8 cups of flowers are packed or not? Hoping to make some this summer.
I didn’t pack mine too tightly.