Fiddleheads unfurling in early spring, at a good stage for harvesting.
Matteuccia struthiopteris
EDIBLE fiddleheads
From late April and on into early May, the ostrich fern’s small and coiled fiddlehead fronds push up through the soil and offer up one of spring’s classic foraged foods. The fiddlehead can be cooked as a green vegetable for salads, pizza, pastas, and stir-fries.
The ancient-looking ostrich fern grows in dense colonies in woodland areas with rich, well-drained soils. About five to nine fronds per plant begin as fiddleheads in early spring, and each fiddlehead will have a brown, papery sheathing. The plant produces both sterile and fertile fronds. The sterile fronds are green and grow up to 36 inches tall, and the fertile fronds are smaller, brown, and unfurl in late summer.
Fiddleheads unfurling in early spring, at a good stage for harvesting.
Seek out unfurled fiddleheads in late April and early May in the moist, rich soil found in mixed hardwood forests. The fiddleheads coincide with other delicious spring edibles including morels, spring beauties, trout lily, and wild leeks.
Stems grow from the center crown. Note the brown papery sheathing over the fiddlehead, as well as the U-shaped indent or groove down the middle of the stem.
Using clippers, a sharp knife, or kitchen shears, gather only a few fiddleheads per fern to ensure the plant’s viability later in the year. Once in the kitchen, wash the fiddleheads. Remove any brown sheathing from the plant. The fiddleheads can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Compost any that turn soft or brown.
First, cook the fiddleheads in boiling water for at least 10 minutes to neutralize compounds that render them inedible when raw. Then the fiddleheads can be frozen for later use in the season. Failure to cook the fiddleheads in water first can cause stomach upset.
The remnants of last season’s fertile frond are good ways to seek out unfurling fiddleheads in the early spring.
Fiddleheads will remain remarkably crunchy even after boiling, with a taste and texture similar to crunchy asparagus. They can be sautéed in butter and garlic, tossed into Italian pasta dishes, and are superb with cream sauces. Fiddleheads are also versatile in Asian dishes, with soy sauces.
Habitat loss is a threat to the ostrich fern, as is overharvesting of this popular spring edible. Gather with a discerning eye and do not cut more than one or two fiddleheads from each crown.
