A Natural Connection

The fireweed is blooming now, just a short distance from the hives where the bees are hard at work making honey for the year. It’s a humbling reminder of how connected everything is—how the blossoms feed the bees, and in turn, the bees create something healing and that we enjoy.

A few years ago, I set an intention to invite more pollinators into my yard, especially with declining bee populations in mind. I began planting more flowers and herbs like the Maltese Cross that bees and hummingbirds are drawn to, and later, I connected with a local honey farmer who placed hives on the land. In exchange for hosting the bees on the property, I’m gifted each year with delicious, unpasteurized honey—a true taste of the land and a beautiful example of reciprocity in action. An added benefit is having the bees actively pollinate my garden and flowers throughout the season, while they also enjoy the abundance of wildflowers in the surrounding area.

Earlier this summer, I harvested fireweed leaves and blossoms to make Ivan Chai tea—a traditional fermented tea with grounding, earthy notes. I decided to make a second trek through the dense underbrush of wild raspberries and stinging nettle to gather just a few more fireweed blossoms—this time with the intention of blending them with the honey being made nearby. Both fireweed and honey hold nourishing, natural properties, and bringing them together is a fitting pairing.

This gentle infusion is perfect for sweetening tea, drizzling over toast, or adding a subtle floral boost to your favorite recipes. It pairs beautifully with smoked salmon for a sweet and savory flavor combination. After collecting only what I would need to make the infusion and leaving the rest of the blossoms for the bees to enjoy, I headed home to start the process of wild crafting the honey infusion.

How to Make a Fireweed Blossom Honey Infusion

Step 1: Dry the Blossoms

Dry the fireweed blossoms in the sun or use a dehydrator. This process usually takes 2 to 3 days to fully dry the petals. 👉 Dried blossoms ensure a longer shelf life for your infusion.

Step 2: Remove Blossoms off Stems

Carefully remove the dried flowers from their stems. I ended up with about 2 cups of dried blossoms.

Step 3: Prepare the Instant Pot

I use my Instant Pot Duo SV to make the infusion. Select the Yogurt → “Less” setting, which maintains a temperature range of around 33–36°C. This is perfect for a slow infusion, as you want to keep the temperature below 40°C to prevent pasteurizing the honey. Pasteurizing affects the natural healing enzymes and flavor. To prepare the Instant Pot, place a metal trivet in the bottom of the metal insert so the filled jars can rest on it, then add water up to the bottom of the trivet. With this setup, I was able to fit three pint-sized jars. I made sure everything would fit inside the Instant Pot with the lid on before proceeding.

Step 4: Fill the Jars

The suggested ratio for infusing a delicate herb or flower like fireweed is about 1/4 of the jar filled with blossoms. Put the blossoms in the bottom of a clean jar, then fill the rest with honey, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top. 💧 Important: Do not add any water to your infusion. Even a small amount of water can introduce moisture that may lead to mold growth. Keeping the infusion water-free is essential for shelf stability and safety.

Step 5: Seal the Jars

Make sure the rims of the jars are clean, then put the lids on—but don’t tighten them too much.

Step 6: Infuse in the Instant Pot

Place the jars into the prepared Instant Pot. Using the yogurt setting, I toggled mine to the “Less” setting to keep the heat at the right temperature. Once the lid is in place, make sure the vent is set to open, and the timer will start counting down from 24 hours.

Step 7: Check the Water Levels and Jars

Throughout the 24-hour period, I check the water level twice and add more water to ensure the pot doesn’t go dry. Opening the lid of the Instant Pot lets the heat out so I kept this to a minimum. I also use a wooden chop stick to stir the blossoms back into the honey, as they naturally migrate to the top of the infusion.

Step 8: Taste and Decide

Infusing a delicate herb like fireweed into a thick, viscous liquid such as honey takes time if you want to preserve the nutritious benefits. After the 24-hour infusion, check the taste to see if it’s reached the flavor intensity you desire. If not, let it infuse longer.

At this point, you have two options:

• Strain out the blossoms, or
• Leave the botanicals in for a rustic, natural look and continued flavor development.

Step 9: Finishing the Infusion

I left my infusion cycling through the Instant Pot yogurt setting for 4 days. I would have left it longer but I was heading out for a road trip. Infusing a delicate herb into a thick liquid like honey takes time and patience. The low, steady warmth of the yogurt setting gently draws out the floral notes of the fireweed and will speed up the process.

In the end, I decided to leave the blossoms in the honey—they add a whimsical and rustic charm to each jar. I transferred the infused honey into 125 ml jars, perfect for gifting or daily use. The blossoms will naturally rise to the top, adding visual beauty and continuing to flavor the honey. When added to tea, they create a little extra magic in each cup. Additionally, leaving the blossoms in the honey will allow the infusion to continue developing until use.

If you prefer to remove the blossoms, strain the honey through a non-metal mesh sieve. Keep in mind that unpasteurized honey is naturally cloudy, so it won’t appear completely clear. Straining can be a slow process due to the thickness of honey, and applying heat to speed things up may risk pasteurizing it—something we want to avoid to preserve its natural benefits.

Final Thoughts

Wildcrafting is a creative outlet that blends intention, connection, and respect for the land’s gifts. Fireweed and honey are natural companions in my yard. They develop side by side and now preserved together in a jar. The result is a subtly flavored infusion that reflects the season, the landscape, and the pollinators who helped make it possible.

This process can be used for other delicate herbs and flowers. Popular infusions include lavender, pineapple weed, and wild rose. Each one offers a unique way to honor what’s growing around you and to preserve a little piece of the season in every jar—adding a touch of summer to a lovely cup of wintertime Ivan Chai tea or another flavor or recipe of your choosing.

Try It Yourself!

I encourage you to give wildcrafting a try and create your own honey infusions using local blossoms and herbs. Whether it’s fireweed, lavender, or something else growing nearby, there’s something deeply satisfying about capturing the season’s flavors in a jar.

If you make your own infusion, I’d love to hear about your experience! Feel free to share your stories, photos, or questions in the comments below.

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Be well!