Which ferns are fiddleheads

Not that you would want to—they are quite bitter when raw. Cook them for at least 5 minutes. First, prep the fiddleheads by rinsing them and rubbing off any papery brown skin. Serve them simply dressed in a vinaigrette or a creamy hollandaise , as you would fresh asparagus. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map!

Fiddlehead ferns can refer to a number of young, unfurled ferns, but ostrich ferns Matteuccia struthiopteris are the variety of ferns harvested and eaten. As part of a landscape design, however, ostrich ferns, hardy in U. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 7, make for a pleasing green backdrop for perennial plants. Before picking fiddleheads in the wild, ensure you have permission to do so -- that the ferns are not on private property and are not growing in a protected area, such as a nature preserve.

Eat fiddleheads only in small quantities. Although other ferns such as the lady fern Athyrium filix-femina; USDA zones 3 through 9 and the bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum; USDA zones 3 through 11 can also be harvested and eaten, only ostrich ferns produce true fiddlehead ferns.

Identify young ostrich ferns shoots by the U-shaped groove on the interior of the stalk and the papery brown covering at the curled portion of the fern. A gentle stream of water is also invaluable to remove bits of dirt or sand, which are easily picked up in the ornate structure of the fiddlehead as it emerges from the soil. Fiddleheads keep well in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks or so.

For longer-term storage, they are often frozen. To freeze them, blanch your cleaned fiddleheads for two minutes in boiling water. Then cool by plunging into ice water and freeze. They will keep for up to a year in your freezer. They should still be subjected to the proper amount of cooking time when finally prepared for the table. Fiddleheads may also be canned or worked up into pickles.

In the kitchen, fiddleheads may be used like many other green vegetables, including asparagus. They are superb in vegetable medleys, properly cooked and then chilled as a salad, or on toast. They are such a delicacy; the best way may simply be to steam and serve immediately with a dollop of butter, salt and pepper. Nothing could better showcase their honest flavor.

Most ferns make fronds that look like the edible fiddlehead, but not all ferns are edible. It is vitally important to make a correct identification when harvesting. Some ferns are poisonous, including the ubiquitous Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum.

Each region has its own preferred species for fiddlehead harvest. It is highly recommended that any would-be fiddlehead gatherers familiarize themselves with the appropriate local species, and do not collect fiddleheads until you are positive of the identification.

Fiddleheads are harvested in the spring as they emerge from the fern crown. They are best harvested at about two to six inches tall when a portion of the tasty stem can be harvested, but while the fiddlehead is still tightly curled.

Fiddleheads should only be harvested from healthy crowns that can sustain picking. Such crowns will have at least four fiddleheads, rather than one or two. The presence of only one or two fiddleheads in a crown indicates low fern vigor or a newly established fern. Harvest fiddleheads by snapping them off by hand or cutting them off with a knife.

When cutting fiddleheads, take care not to damage the remaining fiddleheads. Research conducted by the University of Maine suggests that picking all of the emerged fiddleheads on a crown every year over a series of years results in the decline and often death of the fern.

The four-year harvest study compared the effects of harvesting fiddleheads from three groups of ostrich ferns. One group had all of the emerged fiddleheads in each crown removed, the second group had one-half of the emerged fiddleheads removed, and the control group had no fiddleheads removed.

The control group and the half-harvested ferns were able to keep producing nearly the same amounts of fiddleheads in subsequent years, while the all-harvested crowns produced very few or no fiddleheads after four years. Picking no more than one-half of the emerged fiddleheads from each crown, with no follow-up harvest of later-emerging fiddleheads in the same season, appears to be sustainable. When picking fiddleheads, make sure to harvest them into clean containers. Use potable water when cleaning the fiddleheads, not water from streams or rivers.

Refrigerate your harvest as soon as possible to maintain freshness.