by Mike Ondrovich

Fiddle Heads are soon going to be blossoming so now is the time to talk about them.   Fiddleheads are the early stages of a fern coming out of the ground.  They appear in early spring, and are unique in their appearance.  Fiddleheads have been eaten for many years by native and non native North Americans.  They are a great source of antioxidants as they’re a great source for iron, fiber, and omegas 3 and 6.

Much like Morel mushrooms, fiddle heads are not cultivated and are only available seasonally.  As you can imagine they have quite a following in certain areas of the country.  Most of these areas are in the northeast United States stretching up into Canada.  Some towns even have festivals dedicated to them.

Fiddle heads do need to be prepared somewhat of a special way.  You’ll want to boil them before cooking them in any sauces as they’re heavy in tannin – the bitter taste you’ll have if not boiled.  Coming out of the ground as they do, you’ll also remove any nasties that are hanging on for a ride that could create some real problems for you.   After initially boiling them for a few minutes, change the water and boil a few minutes longer. Once boiled, you can prepare fiddle heads any way you want.

Mike Ondrovich

(When picking fiddleheads, three tops per plant is the recommended harvest. Each plant produces seven tops that turn into fronds; over-picking will kill the plant. Maintaining sustainable harvesting methods is important in the propagation of any non-farmed food species.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead_fern)