Preserving the Fiddleheads

The second of the three veggies that need preserving right now are fiddleheads.  I've never preserved fiddleheads, but know they marry well with vinegar, so pickling seems like an ideal way.  I also froze some in a ziplock bag.  I imagine I'll use the frozen ones in stir fry or in a fetticini alfredo.  I'm not going to lie to ya ..... these take a while to prepare.  I dumped them all in the sink full of water and then had to cut a little bit from the end of each fiddlehead.  Bet it'll be worth it!

Pickled Fiddleheads

• 4 LBS fiddleheads (Ont)
• 6 green onions (Ont)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 TBS pickling salt
• 4 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups water

Prepare the fiddleheads in clean water and trim the ends.  Bake three 1 L jars in the oven at 500 degrees for twenty minutes to sterilize, but allow to cool for for twenty minutes before filling the jars with two green onions each and fiddleheads filled to the top.  Place all the other ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil for five minutes and then pour over fiddleheads.  Sterilize the lids in boiling water and process jars on a water bath for 15-20 min.  I made one jar that didn't get processed, as I don't want to wait, so it'll sit in the fridge for a few weeks and then we'll eat it as a side.  Can't wait to try it!