Pickled Fiddleheads

Name: Pickled Fiddleheads
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Maritime Canadian
Ingredients: 700 g fresh fiddleheads; 500 ml White vinegar; 250 ml Water; 2 tbsp pickling salt; 2 tbsp Sugar; 6 whole Garlic cloves; 6 sprigs Fresh dill; 1 tsp Black peppercorns

Spring-harvested fiddleheads packed into jars with a hot dill and garlic vinegar brine, preserving the short foraging season.

🇨🇦Canada· New Brunswick

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 40 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Large pot
•Canning jars
•Water bath canner

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 40 kcal
fat: 0 g
carbs: 6 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 40

Instructions

1
Rinse the fiddleheads thoroughly in several changes of cold water to remove all brown papery husks and debris.
2
Boil the fiddleheads in fresh water for 15 minutes to cook them fully, then drain.
3
Pack the hot fiddleheads into sterilized jars with a garlic clove, a sprig of dill and a few peppercorns in each.
4
Bring the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil in a saucepan.
5
Pour the hot brine over the fiddleheads, leaving 1.5cm headspace, and remove air bubbles.
6
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes for 500ml jars, adjusting for altitude.
7
Cool on a towel, check seals after 24 hours, and refrigerate any unsealed jars for immediate use.

Chef's tips

Fiddleheads must be boiled thoroughly before pickling, not just blanched briefly, and pickled jars still need a full water-bath process; never rely on raw-packing or the vinegar alone for safety.