How to Pick Fiddleheads

The arrival of Spring brings fiddleheads to the eastern coast of the United States and Canada. These tightly coiled croziers, of the Ostrich fern, later uncoil into magnificent ferns that blanket the river and stream banks. It earns its name from the tightly coiled head that resembles the head of a fiddle. But it is not the beauty of the mature fern that excites the natives; it is the delicate flavor of this natural vegetable.

Things You'll Need

• Small bucket
• Plastic bags
• Large paper bag
• Bowl
• Colander

Instructions

1. Look for fiddleheads along stream and river banks. If you are unsure which ferns are fiddleheads, ask a friend or neighbor to show you.

2. Pick fiddleheads on a sunny day when fiddleheads are dry. Dry fiddleheads are much easier to take care of and tend to be cleaner and free of debris.

3. Choose large fiddleheads that are growing on stalks six to eight inches from the ground. Fiddleheads that are loosely coiled or have begun to unfurl should be avoided. Young fiddleheads that are just emerging from the ground are often wet and difficult to clean.

4. Grasp the fiddlehead in your hand and snap it off at the stalk. Be sure to leave at least one to two inches of the stalk attached to the fiddlehead. Not only is this stalk tender and delicious, it will make cleaning much easier, too.

5. Toss picked fiddleheads into a small bucket carried in the left hand. Although some people prefer to pick into a plastic bag, using a small bucket is actually faster and easier. Once you get into the rhythm of picking and dropping them into the bucket, it's a breeze.

6. Empty the bucket into a clean plastic bag each time it is filled.

7. Pick entire clusters of fiddleheads at one time by grasping them below the head; quickly snapping off several stems at once.

Cleaning Fiddleheads

1. Open a large paper bag and set it beside your cleaning area.

2. Grasp the stems of several dry fiddleheads. Hold the fiddleheads over the bag by the stem so that the heads are in the bag. With a twist of the wrist, sharply snap the fiddlehead against the inside of the bag. This will remove the brown papery covering on the fiddleheads. Remove any excess flecks of brown by hand and place cleaned fiddleheads in a large bowl. If ends have turned brown, simply snap off a small portion of the stem and discard it.

3. Pour fiddleheads into a large bowl of cold water and mix with your fingers to remove and remaining debris. The water should completely cover the fiddleheads with an additional inch of water beyond the fiddleheads. Scoop any floating debris off the top of the water and discard. Drain and repeat, if necessary.

4. Pour fiddleheads into a colander and run under cold water for a final rinse.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not pick fiddleheads if you are unsure which fern you should pick. Seek the assistance of friends or neighbors to help you identify the proper fern. Not all ferns are edible and some are dangerous.

• Always cook fiddleheads before eating. Uncooked fiddleheads may contain bacteria from flood waters and may cause illness if not properly cooked.