Making Food from the Fireweed Plant

• 1). Shoots can be used as a vegetable. Cut the shoots early in the spring, when the leaves are still reddish. Wash the shoots off, and taste. If the shoot is sweet, mix it in a green salad and eat raw. If the shoot tastes a little bitter, blanch the shoot in boiling, salted water. Fireweed becomes more bitter as it matures. So the earlier you harvest it, the milder and sweeter it will taste.When cooked, firewood shoots taste similar to asparagus and are very tender. You can also cook or steam the leaves for a flavorfuly spinach-like green. Or use the cooked shoots in soup, in omelets or in stir-fry.
  
  
• 2). Use the blooms to make spicy fireweed honey. It's very popular in Alaska, where fireweed grows in many places.To make the honey, first wash clover and fireweed blossoms in cold water. Put blossoms, alum and sugar in pan. Pour three cups boiling water over mixture. Let mixture sit for ten minutes.Then, boil for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through cheesecloth. Pour honey into canning jars. Water process the honey before putting the lids on. You can place jars upright in a pot of very hot simmering water for ten minutes and then screw lids on. Store honey in a cool, dark place.
  
  
• 3). Make fireweed jelly. You'll need eight cups of firewood blossoms, one-quarter cup of lemon juice, four- and-one-half cups of water, two packages of powdered pectin and five cups of sugar. Put lemon juice, water and firewood blossoms into a pot. Boil mixture for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth, discard plant matter and return liquid to pot. Let it cool until it's lukewarm.Add two packages of powdered pectin to liquid and bring to a boil. Add five cups of sugar and bring to full boil for one minute.Remove from heat and pour liquid into canning jars.Water process the jelly by putting the jars in a pot of simmering water for ten minutes. Screw lids on. Store jelly in a cool dark place.