Ferns can be found growing all over Wisconsin. Once the ferns
Fern
A fern is a member of a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissues that conduct water and nutrients and in having life cycles in which the sporophyte is the dominant p…
Where do fiddleheads live?
Fiddleheads have been part of traditional diets in much of Northern France since the beginning of the Middle Ages, across Asia, and also among Native Americans for centuries. They are also part of the diet in the Russian Far East where they are often picked in the wild in autumn, preserved in salt over winter, and then consumed in spring.
When are fiddleheads harvested?
As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground. Fiddleheads have antioxidant activity, are a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and are high in iron and fiber.
What is a fiddlehead fern?
Fiddlehead ferns. A chicken dish including fiddleheads. Fiddle heads growing. Fiddlehead sculpture at the Saint John Arts Centre by sculptor Jim Boyd in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable .
Why are fiddleheads so expensive?
Fiddleheads' ornamental value makes them very expensive in the temperate regions where they are not abundant.
Where is fiddlehead fern found?
In the Indian subcontinent, it is found in the Himalayan states of North and Northeast India . In the state of Tripura, it is known as Muikhonchok in the Kokborok language. As part of the Tripuri cuisine; fiddlehead fern is prepared by stir frying as bhaja served as a side dish.
Do fiddleheads have to be cooked?
Although they did not identify a toxin in the fiddleheads, the findings of that case suggest that fiddleheads should be cooked thoroughly before eating.
Can fiddleheads be frozen?
Pickled and frozen fiddleheads, however, can be found in some shops year-round. The vegetable is typically steamed, boiled and/or sautéed before being eaten hot, with hollandaise sauce, butter, lemon, vinegar and/or garlic, or chilled in salad or with mayonnaise .
Overview
Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable.
Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new frond (circinate vernation). As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground.
Varieties
The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cooked leaf vegetable. The most popular of these are:
• Bracken, Pteridium aquilinum, found worldwide (Toxic if not cooked fully)
• Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, found in northern regions worldwide, and the central/eastern part of North America (Health Warning)
Sources and harvesting
Available seasonally, fiddleheads are both foraged and commercially harvested in spring. When picking fiddleheads, it is recommended to take only one third the tops per plant/cluster for sustainable harvest. Each plant produces several tops that turn into fronds; repeated over-picking will eventually kill the plant. Maintaining sustainable harvesting methods is important in the propagation of any non-farmed food species.
Culinary uses
Fiddleheads have been part of traditional diets in much of Northern France since the beginning of the Middle Ages, across Asia, and also among Native Americans for centuries. They are also part of the diet in the Russian Far East where they are often picked in the wild in autumn, preserved in salt over winter, and then consumed in spring.
Constituents
Fiddleheads are low in sodium, but rich in potassium.
Many ferns also contain the enzyme thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine. This can lead to beriberi, if consumed in extreme excess.
Further, there is some evidence that certain varieties of fiddleheads, e.g. bracken (Pteridium genus), are toxic. It is recommended to fully cook fiddleheads to destroy the shikimic acid. Ostri…
See also
• Boyi and Shuqi: two Chinese princes who were said to have famously survived exile in the wilderness for a long while on a diet of fiddleheads
Further reading
• Barrett, L. E. and Diket, Lin. FiddleMainia. WaveCloud Corporation: 2014. ISBN 978-1-62217-164-4.
• Lyon, Amy, and Lynne Andreen. In a Vermont Kitchen. HP Books: 1999. ISBN 1-55788-316-5. pp 68–69.
• Strickland, Ron. Vermonters: Oral Histories from Down Country to the Northeast Kingdom. New England Press: 1986. ISBN 0-87451-867-9.
External links
• Facts on Fiddleheads, University of Maine, 2018