Getting to the Root of it All
Fireweed is a plant that can be used for many different things. Here is a small list of things that can be done with the Fireweed Plant.
Fireweed Jelly Cheesecake with Lady Finger Crust
8 cups of fireweed blossoms
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups water
2 pkgs pectin
5 cups sugar
Pick, wash and measure 8 cups of fireweed blossoms. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 1/2 cups water. Boil 10 minutes and strain. Take the strained juice and heat to lukewarm. Add 2 pkgs powdered pectin and bring to boil. Add 5 cups sugar and bring to full boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Pour into hot clean jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
50 pink clover blossoms
10 white clover blossoms
25 fireweed blossoms
3/4 tsp alum
5 lb bag sugar
3 cups boiling water
Wash blooms thoroughly in cold water. Put all ingredients except water in pan, then pour boiling water on. Let sit for 10 minutes. Bring to boil and boil for 10 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth. Put in canning jars and water bath process for 10 min. before sealing lids.
Fireweed Shoot Filling:
2 cups (1/4 pound) cleaned fireweed shoots (raw or blanched) or asparagus, cut in 1” lengths
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup water
For the Omelet:
4 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup grated fontina or other mild cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Make the Filling: Sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Add the fireweed shoots and stir until they are thoroughly coated with oil. Add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, and cook until all the water has evaporated. Keep warm while you make the omelet.
Make the Omelet: Whisk together the eggs, cream, hot sauce, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet (or other pan suitable for cooking omelets). Pour in the egg mixture, cover the pan, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the eggs are nearly, but not quite, set; the top of the omelet should still be moist. Sprinkle the fontina over half the omelet. Cover and cook until the eggs are set, about 1 minute.
Put the cooked fireweed shoots on top of the omelet’s cheese half and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Flip the plain half of the omelet over the fireweed shoots.
(Source: Laurie Constantino, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska - http://www.medcookingalaska.blogspot.com)
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 1/2 Cups fireweed petals only, no stems, no stamen
2 large eggs
3/4 Cup fine sugar
2 tsp. honey
1 cup milk
Put the cream, milk, and petals in a saucepan and bring to just below the boil***. Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 25 minutes until cool. Whisk egg yolks in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk the sugar and honey a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended. Strain the rose-infused milk into the egg mixture and return to the sauce pan or a double-broiler. Cook very gently until slightly thickened, but do not let it boil. Chill this mixture (custard now) and then freeze or process in an ice cream maker. Store in the freezer.
***An alternative to adding the petals full to a saucepan with the cream and milk is to place the sugar and the fireweed petals in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and make paste. Then, place the heavy cream, milk and sugar/fireweed paste in a medium sized saucepan with the honey and completely blend, then place on medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and turn off heat then continue by adding the egg mixture as above.
Fireweed Jelly Cheesecake with Lady Finger Crust
1 lb. Marscapone cheese
1 lb. Sour Cream
1/4 c. butter
4 eggs
1/4 c. fireweed jelly
1/2 c. raw cane sugar
3 1/2 c. coarsely ground Lady Fingers
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. fireweed jelly
To make:
Combine in a bowl Lady Fingers, melted butter and sugar for the crust. Press crust mixturee firmly into a 9" spring form pan evenly. Bake crust 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven and let cool on a wire rack. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer whip the marscapone, sour cream, butter and cane sugar until light and fluffy. While continuing to mix on medium speed add one egg at a time, after eggs are combined add the jelly and continue mixing until is incorporated. Pour batter into springform pan over the crust and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely then cover top with the jelly and let set for 1 hour. Slice and serve garnished with fireweed flowers.
6 cups sugar
1/2 pound raisins
2 oranges, juice and rind
8 cups fireweed blossoms (lightly packed)
1 teaspoon nutrients
2 campden tablets
1 package wine yeast
water
Boil the sugar in 1/2 gallon water. Pour into primary fermentor and add chopped raisins. Add 1/2 gallon water. Let sit overnight.
Specific Gravity should be 1.100. Add Fireweed flowers (make sure there are no stalks/leaves or other green parts) and all other ingredients including yeast. Stir daily for 4 days.
Strain and put liquid in secondary fermentor. Attach an airlock.
For a dry wine, rack in three weeks, and every three months for one year. Bottle.
For a sweet wine, rack at three weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old. Bottle.