Bracken Fern: A Walk in the Woods of Maine Inspires a Meal

Edible souvenirs whose collection does not harm the landscape are a part of almost any walk’s pleasure. Bracken fern fiddleheads—known as warabi in Japan—are a popular spring forage in that country, and also in China and Korea.  Just like the more familiar ostrich fern in the United States and Canada, bracken’s fiddleheads should be eaten in moderation as a seasonal treat, and never raw. Following East Asian preparation traditions, I first soak, then boil tender bracken (ptaquiloside, the toxin they contain when raw, is water soluble). To preserve the fiddleheads I like to souse the cooked bracken in a shoyu-warm brine.

Pickled Bracken Fern Fiddleheads

These supple fiddlehead pickles are a delight. Add them to hot or cold noodles, to soups, to steamed rice, to steamed eggs, or just slurp them straight from the jar at midnight. For the brine I like an unpasteurized organic shoyu, but any soy sauce will work well.

• 1 lb bracken fern fiddleheads
• 2 ½ cups white wine vinegar
• 1 ¼  cups shoyu (I use Ohsawa nama shoyu)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Maldon flaky salt

To Collect and Soak: Collect only still-furled, tender bracken fiddleheads that snap very easily between your fingers. At home, fully immerse them in a large bowl of cool water, because they wilt fast. Leave them to soak for 24 hours, changing the water once. If any ferns have wilted and lost their firm texture, discard them.

To Blanch: After soaking for 24 hours, drain the ferns. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and add the ferns, covering the pot to bring to a boil as fast as possible. When the water begins to boil again, cook the ferns for 4 minutes then drain. Immerse them in cold water to cool quickly. Drain, and roll up the fiddleheads in a clean kit hen towel to dry.

To Pickle: Mix together the shoyu, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir very well until all the sugar has dissolved. Pack the now supple fiddlheads into a clean glass jar or jars, and pour the prepared brine over them. Transfer to the fridge. The pickles are delicious after a few hours, but keep well for months.

See also:

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)