Foraging Fiddles

     Spring has sprung and with its arrival comes my first real meal making harvest: fiddle heads. Please remember to always do your own research BEFORE consuming any wild edible, blogs like this can give you clues on what to look for but ultimately your safety is in your own hands.

      Ok sorry for the doom and gloom but I don't want anyone croaking unless you're a spring frog! So, fiddle heads! Fiddle head is not an actual identification but rather a stage of growth in the life cycle of ferns. What is really meant when speaking about edible fiddle heads is the spring growth of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). There are many things out there right now that look like the scroll of a fiddle but they are not the fiddle heads being referred to here and many of them are toxic and even carcinogenic. Ostrich fern fiddle heads also need special preparation before utilizing them so as not to cause food poisoning.

    If you're still here and haven't noped away from the idea of harvesting fiddle heads you are in for a real treat! While the ID and preparation of fiddle heads sounds scary it really is very simple! My six year old can rattle off the identifying features and the features of other ferns that indicate they are not what we are looking for.

 This is not an ostrich fern, note the fluffy white hairs.

 Neither is this but it was about six inches away from ostrich ferns! 

 Ahhh here we go! See the copper colored foil? That's an important identifying feature. Also note the smooth jade green stems. They really are quite pretty! During the early spring preforaging season you can note the location of the old fern clusters so you know where to check later.

 This is ostrich fern as well... it just got a little wierd! You'll find fiddle heads in moist but not wet places. They also enjoy shady places and slightly acidic soil.

 The "celery groove" is another very important identifying feature. Uncoil your fiddle head a bit and look for a smooth u shaped stem. 

 The perfect age to harvest the fiddle heads. It's still fairly tightly coiled but has started to shed its foil.

This cluster is too mature to harvest. Please note however that not all the fronds mature at the same pace, there may still be a few immature fiddle heads hiding in a more mature cluster. If you leave two or three fronds alone to grow the plant will be just fine for the season and will grow back next year!

   Once you have collected your emerald treasures bring them home and wash them in cold water, some people pick the foil off but I've found it comes off by itself during the wash and precooking process. You can store your fiddle heads wrapped up in the fridge for a few days but they will start to lose their firmness so they are best enjoyed shortly after harvest. Bring a pot of water to a boil and dump in your washed fiddle heads. Sources vary on how long to boil them, anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes. I usually do around ten. DISCARD THE BOILING WATER. It has all the potentially harmful chemicals in it. But now your fiddle heads are ready to be used in stir fries, soups, or just sauteed with a little salt and butter! 

     The taste ranges from a sweet asparagus or pea flavor to more of an artichoke flavor. They are especially good when cooked with the other spring time favorite, morels! Or maybe some ramps...or cattail shoots... or...excuse me, I need to get back out to the woods and find more tastey treats!!!