Pickled Fiddleheads

With luck, I was the last person to get the remaining fiddleheads from the Ballard Farmer's Market. Next week, the fresh morels should be in! Check out the fresh butter too! I am trying to get one of the dairies at the farmer's market to sell cultured butter. Maybe, if enough people ask for it it they will start making it.

1 lb fiddleheads, cleaned
½ a clove of garlic per jar
1 sprig of fresh dill per jar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 pinch of red pepper in each jar
1 pinch of whole black pepper in each jar
1 pinch of pickling spice in each jar
1 pinch of whole allspice in each jar
1 small cube of fresh ginger
1/2 lb shallots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
4 pint jars with lids and screw caps, sterilized


Pack fiddleheads tightly into canning jars, layered with shallots, garlic, ginger and spices.
Bring to boil water, vinegar, sugar and salt.
Pour over fiddleheads so that liquid reaches to within a 1/4 inch of rim, then secure lids and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.



You now must wait about 6 weeks for them to cure. I have had pickled Fiddleheads with Gravlax and creme fraiche and it is delicious. But, really any cured dish would be an excellent accompaniment to these pickles.