Every summer we clean out our freezer and process the uneaten filets from the past year. My favorite preparation is simply salt and salmon. This lends itself to great fish that is ready for sandwiches, dips, and pastas. 

Here is the UAF publication for a more thorough explanation of the process. 

Sterilization is essential from here on out. Our kitchen literally turns into a fish processing plant. Clear all counters to give yourself more room now and less to clean up later. 


Check the rims and jars for cracks. 

While we can reuse the jars time and again, we must buy new lids every time. Even though they are from the factory, check the seals to see that they are smooth. Defects in the lids and jars can cause problems during the canning process. It's worth your time. 

Add the lids to a pot of nearly boiling water. This makes the rubber soft, and sterilizes lids and utensils. Be sure to place the lids seal down in the water. This allows you to pick them up more easily.  

Think assembly line when setting up for this part. 

Pack the jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space for half-pint jars. 

If we cut them just right, we can pack the jars full with minimal dicing. Cut filler pieces from a filet and pack them tight. 

Add 1/4 tsp of salt to each jar. 

With a wet paper towel soaked from the hot water in the pot, wipe the rim of each jar to ensure a good seal. 

Using a magnetic wand that comes in canning kits, pull the lids out of the water and place on the jars. Screw the ring on just barely tight. 

The ring is meant to hold the lid in place when the jar contents expand during the canning process, but it needs to be loose enough to allow steam and liquid to release or the jar can explode. 

We can outside on our back deck when the weather is good because I don't love the smell of boiled salmon, which hangs around the kitchen for a while after canning. 

Load the canner with water halfway up the first layer of jars. Stack the jars exactly on top of each other. 

Place the lid on the canner. Tightening it like lug nuts to get the lid evenly and snuggly screwed on. Check to see that the gap between the canner and the lid is equal all the way around. Turn on the flames.

Once a steady stream of steam establishes itself, the canner is venting. Vent the canner for ten full minutes. 

After ten minutes, place a ten pound weight (dependent on elevation) on the vent and adjust the heat so that the weight rattles every 60 seconds. 

Set the timer for 90 minutes. 

As the jars cool, they seal to the sound of the lid making a popping noise. It is the single most rewarding step (aside from eating the fish) in this process. Wipe down the lids before they dry.

Let the pressure release naturally, waiting for the pressure dial to read zero before opening the lid carefully. Extract the molten jars and place them on a rack. Sometimes we find that jars cracked/exploded, no big deal. We just save the jars that make it.

The canned salmon will be good for a long time. Always inspect the jars before eating. Bulging lids, strange smells and colors, or cracked jars make the salmon inedible. When in doubt, throw it out. 

I have three recipes that I love to cook with this canned salmon.

• Salmon Salad Sandwiches
  
• Salmon Dip
  
• Pasta Puttanesca
  

On Saturday, August 3rd, we originally set out on a 15 mile hike to loop Williwaw Lake, but once the weather turned we decided to take advantage of some of the most vibrant fireweed patches I have ever seen.

Jason, Shane, and Laura had fireweed fever and picked a ton. At some point, I knew we were going to have more than we needed, so I sat back and took advantage of some good photo opportunities. In fact, we could have all sat back and watched Jason's Iowa farming efficiency go unmatched by the three of us combined. 

With a couple of gallons of flowers collected, we headed down to Midnight Sun for a beer and a snack and then went home to make juice. 

The first step is to rinse the flowers and buds of dirt and bugs. We do this by submersing them in water. The dirt and bugs separate from the flowers easily. 

To make juice the cooperative extensions office calls for 4 cups of packed flowers to be added to 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Every year, I have always doubled this recipe to yield about 6 half pint jars of jelly. This year, Laura's and Jason's enthusiasm yielded so many flowers that we made 3 1/2 gallons of fireweed juice. 

2 1⁄2 cups fireweed juice
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon butter, margarine or oil 3 tablespoons powdered pectin

Sterilize canning jars and prepare lids. Combine fireweed juice, lemon juice, pectin and butter, margarine or oil in a large saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

To test, drop 1⁄2 teaspoon of jelly on a cold saucer and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. If the mixture does not set to your satisfaction, add 1⁄2 cup sugar to the jelly in the pot and boil hard for 1 minute. Retest. During the test, the rest of the jelly mixture should be removed from the heat.

When test mixture gels to your satisfaction, ladle jelly into hot jars, add two-piece lids and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

Yield: 3 cups 

There is nothing more reminiscent of summer than opening a jar of Fireweed Jelly in January. The color, flavor, and aroma is the distillation of an Alaskan July.