• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » Preservation Recipes » Pickled Fiddleheads

Pickled Fiddleheads

By Hank Shaw on May 1, 2014, Updated April 2, 2021 - 16 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
4.80 from 5 votes
pickled fiddleheads recipe
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Fiddleheads ferns are the most whimsical of spring’s bounty. Very few cooks are not captivated by their shape, which is among the most mesmerizing in nature — think of the nautilus shell, a hurricane, or the Milky Way.

But fiddleheads are ephemeral, their season is short. So making pickled fiddleheads is a great way to preserve them for the rest of the year.

Pickled fiddleheads on a plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

But you need to know that a fiddlehead is a shape, not a species. A great many ferns begin each year by sending up fiddleheads, but only two are generally eaten in this country: The ostrich fern in the East (and, oddly, British Columbia), and the lady fern in the West.

If you gather your own, you need to know the difference between these edible ferns and their inedible cousins, like, say, the sword fern. There is also the bracken fern, which is edible, but doesn’t produce fiddleheads.

The good news is you can buy them. Many markets sell fiddleheads, such as Whole Foods and Nugget here in NorCal, and you can sometimes find them at good farmer’s markets. You can also buy fiddleheads online.

Once you have your fiddleheads, what to do with them? I’ve cooked them with morels and ramps, in a simple fiddlehead stir fry, and sautéed with freshly caught trout. Fiddleheads need to be cooked, at least for a few minutes, and are great sautéed, stir-fried, batter fried, steamed, blanched, baked in casseroles, grilled… you get the point.

I always start by blanching my fiddleheads when I get them home. Boil in a large pot of salty water for 2 minutes, then plunge them into a bowl of ice water to cool. Cook briefly from there.

Fiddleheads will last about a week in the fridge, lightly wrapped in paper towels, which will turn brown for some reason while they’re in contact with the ferns. After a week, however, they get icky and slimy.

Pickled fiddleheads are the best way to preserve them, to my mind. You can of course do a regular vinegar pickle, but I prefer the old-style brine pickle: I like the tang that lacto-fermentation adds to fiddleheads. Lacto-wha? Don’t be scared. It’s just a brine pickle.

Closeup of pickled fiddleheads on a plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

All you need to know is that you need the salt-to-water ratio that I give you in the recipe below, and you want to ferment below 75°F — above that temperature, weird things can happen. Let the pickles ferment for a week or two, and you are good to go.

What to do with your pickled fiddleheads? I just eat them, mostly with charcuterie like fromage de tête. Langdon adds them to a Sichuan stir fry, and I bet they’d be good in an omelet or Spanish tortilla. They last a year in the fridge, so you’ll have plenty of time to experiment.

Pickled fiddleheads on a plate
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Pickled Fidddleheads

This recipe makes 2 pints and can be scaled up or down, and you will notice not everything is exact; pickling is like that because one fiddlehead might be twice as large as another. Also, I like these seasonings with the fiddleheads, but feel free to use your own. The only thing you shouldn't mess with is the salt-to-water ratio. This protects the vegetables from bad bacteria.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 13kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fiddleheads
  • 1 quart water
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

  • Trim the browned ends off each fiddlehead. Discard any that are mushy or crushed. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Boil the cleaned fiddleheads for 2 minutes, then plunge them into a bowl of ice water.
  • Dissolve the 1/4 cup of salt in the quart of water. Fill a glass jar (I use a Mason quart jar) 3/4 of the way up with fiddleheads, which should be the whole pound. If not, use more jars and brine. Cover the fiddleheads with the brine by about an inch. Weigh them down. I use a narrow jelly jar set into the larger wide-mouth Mason jar, but a plastic bag filled with brine works well, as might a clean rock.
  • Keep the jars in a cool, darkish place away from direct sunlight, which can rob the fiddleheads of their color. Let them ferment for at least a week, and up to 2 weeks. You might notice a little mold on the top of the brine: This is perfectly OK, just skim it off.
  • When the fiddleheads taste crunchy and tangy, which I noticed after about 10 days, you are ready to store them. I fill pint jars with the spices -- split 50-50 -- and then repack them with fiddleheads. Pour over the brine from the original jars and screw on lids. Keep in the fridge indefinitely, although they will get tangier as time goes by.

Notes

Fermentation time is up to you. The pickles should be ready after about 5 days, but they will get tangier as time passes. I put mine in the fridge after two weeks, which gave them a sourness like a kosher dill pickle. Once the pickles are in the refrigerator, they will continue to ferment, but very slowly. I've held similar pickles for a year and they were still good.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1772mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1032IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

336 shares

Filed Under: American Recipes, Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Foraging, Preservation Recipes, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for SuzanSuzan says

    April 22, 2021 at 9:38 am

    I made these according to your recipe May, 2020 with the addition of lemon peel. Just opened them, they are fantastic! Crisp with a slight lemon tang. Will be doing more of these!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Louis PorterLouis Porter says

    May 20, 2020 at 10:45 am

    Most lacto fermenting I have done includes an air lock. This recipe does not, just a weight. Why is that? Is it because the boiling necessitates the addition of bacteria from the air afterwards? Would it work with an airlock?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 20, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      The weight keeps the fiddleheads under the brine. No need for an airlock, but if you have one, go ahead and use it.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for RoyRoy says

    April 28, 2020 at 10:41 am

    I’d love to add the fresh taste of lemon, as in your pickled pike recipe. Not sure it would come across or be the same in this straight-up brine though. What do you think? Fiddleheads are just coming up around here; can’t wait to make this for the first time

    Reply
  4. Avatar for WilmWilm says

    May 2, 2019 at 7:42 am

    Tried this recipe last year with just a few minor tweaks. I put the spices in at the beginning and fermented them with the fiddleheads, and I also added 5-6 ramp tops for some added flavor. Resulting pickles were delicious!
    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for SueSue says

    February 12, 2018 at 5:03 am

    Dont you kill the LABS with boiling?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      February 12, 2018 at 2:50 pm

      Sue: Not at all. The bacteria you want are in the air. You MUST boil fiddleheads, as they are toxic raw.

      Reply
      • Avatar for PetePete says

        May 8, 2020 at 5:01 am

        But they are LAB fermented – doesn’t this achieve the same effect as blanching/boiling? BTW the LAB’s are not at all in the air – they are on the veggie skin and not all veggies have them – Nightshades (like tomatoes) don’t. I always add cabbage leaves and shredded to assure a good LAB culture starts fast, no matter what the other veggies are – cabbage is the super-star here! Also, calculate your salt according to the total weight – solids and water together – I go with 1.5% to maximum 3% kosher or sea salt. DO NOT USE TABLE SALT! the iodine will kill the LAB’s.

        I’ll be doing a ferment without boiling / blanching and will get back here later with the results…….SDP

  6. Avatar for Morgan FreemanMorgan Freeman says

    May 2, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Yes”’how to identify? I have ferns here in Maine. it’s just time to start harvesting soon. They charge $2-3 a pound tobuy. If found in the wild then…can they be divided and replanted?

    Reply
  7. Avatar for rasulrasul says

    April 13, 2015 at 8:32 am

    Having trouble finding identification guides for ferns. Can you please post or send me a link? Also, for lactic ferment do you cover airtight or with cloth like acetic?

    Thank you for your amazing work!

    Reply
  8. Avatar for JohnJohn says

    May 13, 2014 at 7:53 am

    Eastern ferns are readily available – at least in New England! Just got some from my parents’ property in Vermont. Many grocery stores around here carry them for the 4-6 weeks they’re in season.

    A question though: is there any reason not to add the spices before fermentation? I’ve had great luck with this pickled corn recipe (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pickled-corn) but noticed that they add the spices before, whereas this fiddlehead recipe calls for adding them after.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) says

    May 2, 2014 at 8:32 am

    What I meant to say is that ostrich fern fiddleheads also grow wild in northern Saskatchewan.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) says

    May 2, 2014 at 8:29 am

    Thanks for the recipe. I might try it this year. Also, fiddleheads are in northern Saskatchewan, which is where I buy mine from.

    Reply
  11. Avatar for KevinKevin says

    May 1, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    Any other edible ferns in the East? Cant say that I have ever seen Ostrich fern.

    Reply
  12. Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

    May 1, 2014 at 7:24 am

    Nossif: It’s about 34 grams, or about 1 1/4 ounce of salt, to the quart.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for nossifnossif says

    May 1, 2014 at 7:01 am

    what would you say the weight ratio of water:salt would be, in case i want to scale up/down.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
pickled pike recipe
Pickled Pike
Slices of smoked venison roast on a cutting board.
Smoked Venison Roast
Conejo en adobo on a plate
Conejo en Adobo
A platter of fried walleye with lemon.
Fried Walleye
A plate of pine nut cookies.
Pine Nut Cookies

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

336 shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • 202Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
336 shares
  • 202