Balsam Fir Jelly
Balsam fir jelly is made from the ground needles of balsam fir trees, which grow in a belt stretching from northern Alberta to northern Quebec and Labrador. It has a resinous and minty taste with a subtle note of citrus, which is as distinctive as the tree's perfume. Its sweet, fresh woodsy flavour is particularly good in a sauce for such freshwater fish as whitefish and lake trout and in a gravy for stronger-tasting meats like lamb or game. In a vinaigrette, it adds a vibrant, almost fruity taste to a tomato and cucumber salad. It pairs especially well with cheeses, and it can also be brushed on the top of a homemade apple pie before warming it. It should never be cooked at a high temperature or cooked for long as that would destroy its oil. You can flavour a whole fish by wrapping it in balsam fir twigs, then in foil or a natural substitute, and cooking it on a barbecue or in the coals of a campfire.