Homesteaders Fireweed Honey Food

HOMESTEADER HONEY

Steps:

• 1. Use a strainer wash blooms in cold water (gently rinse and remove. Dry with the paper towels. Make sure that you do not have any leaves or green parts on the blossom. This will make the honey come out tasting wild or grassy.
• 2. Mix the water, sugar, Karo and alum in a large saucepan or pot, and boil for 10 minutes. Then remove from heat. NOTE: i have seen a recipe for this that just say use a 5 pd bag of sugar.
• 3. Add dry ingredients (blossoms) You can let this steep from 10 minutes to 3 hrs. The longer the steep the more flavor, I never went over an hour myself. If you are planning on canning the clover honey, for long term storage, then you should be sterilizing your canning jars during this steeping period.
• 4. Strain through cheese cloth. Make sure no plant matter goes into your honey.
• 5. Bring back to a boil in a large sauce pan. Pour into hot sterile jars. Waterbath for 10 minutes seal and store.
• 6. OPTIONAL: I add the Karo syrup as it helps stop the honey from returning to sugar. OPTIONAL: I would think you could use just clover blossoms if no fireweed is available. Optional you can also add a 1/3 of a cup of black berry's or other berries for a deeper color or flavor per friends who have made this (I have not tried this yet). Make sure you add when steeping.

FIREWEED JELLY

Steps:

• For fireweed juice: Harvest about 8 packed cups of fireweed flowers. Rinse thoroughly and put in 2 quart pot. Add just enough water to make water level just below top of packed flowers. (Juice should be a deep purple color when finished. If too much water is used in boiling process, juice will be a brownish color. More water can always be added after flowers are boiled to increase amount of juice.) Boil flowers in water until color is boiled out and petals are a grayish color. Ladle juice into jar through cheesecloth to strain.
• Warm fireweed juice, lemon juice and butter on stovetop.
• Add Sure-Jell, bring to boil and boil hard for one minute.
• Add sugar and bring to full boil for one minute. Skim top of jelly.
• Pour into pitcher(makes it easier to fill jars)and skim again.
• Fill sterilized jars leaving 1/8 inch space at top. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.