How to Harvest Fireweed Shoots with Recipe for Fireweed Shoot Omelet

After the Fire: Destruction Bay, Yukon Territories, Canada

Photograph by Teeny Metcalfe

Fireweed shoot season is upon Southcentral Alaska.Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) grows along Alaska’s roadways and waste areas (and throughout North America as far south as California in the west and the Carolinas in the east). Spreading rapidly on underground runners, fireweed is one of the first plants to reestablish itself after forest fires.

Fireweed’s brilliant magenta flowers brighten Alaska’s summer landscape and, in the kitchen, are an attractive salad garnish. The flowers are also the source of fireweed honey, a popular Alaskan sweetener.








Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to

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(Coming Soon: I just checked the woods and, as of today, the Devil’s Club is ripe for picking.) UPDATE: My post on harvesting and preparing Devil's Club is here.


Fireweed Shoot OmeletServes 2
For 2 people, I prefer making 1 omelet in a large pan and cutting it in half, but you can also make 2 individual omelets in a smaller pan. To clean fireweed shoots, trim off any browned or damaged bits, and cut into 1” lengths. Taste, and if the fireweed shoots are bitter, blanch them in boiling, salted water before starting the recipe.


Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to

http://www.laurieconstantino.com/how-to-use-and-harvest-fireweed-shoots/


Please click on over and visit my new site. Thank you!