I was out in the woods last weekend checking out one of my favorite areas. Its getting to be that time of the year and with the unseasonal cool weather that we had here for the last couple of weeks, I was a bit skeptical. But when I got to that secret spot, things looked good again. There were not a lot of them yet, but there were a few starting to sprout up. It's Fiddlehead time.

Each spring, not long after the snow melts and before the bugs are problems. Besides fishing, foraging for fiddleheads is a favorite spring activity of mine. Fiddleheads are the young coiled fronds of the ostrich fern. Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but the ostrich fern is very distinct. The Ostrich fiddlehead is about an inch in diameter.  As the ferns start to push their way up through the forest floor, it can also be identified by the brown papery scale-like covering on the uncoiled fern. It also has a deep”U”-shaped groove on the inside of the fern stem.

It's at this moment just before they uncurl that it’s time to harvest them.  They are usually available for about three weeks.  Last year, I started picking here in Southern New England on April 12th.  Either way, the window of opportunity to enjoy fresh fiddleheads is a short one. If you’re interested in trying these spring delicacies out, it would be well worth the adventure. Or you can buy the overpriced fiddleheads that will soon be sold in the gourmet grocery stores.

To prep the fiddleheads, any leftover papery scale-like covering should be removed. The scale is a thin, brown, papery covering that resembles a peanut casing. You can place small bunches of dry fiddleheads in a paper bag first and shake them vigorously. You will find that most of the brown papery flakes will have fallen off the fiddleheads and they are significantly cleaner. Now place them in a large container of cold water. You can wash off the remainder of the silk with your fingers in a bath of cold ice water. Drain the water and then rinse them again in a bowl of cold water, gently agitating them with your fingers and pouring off the water until it is free of particles. Drain well and pat dry.

It is recommended that you cook them for at least 10 and up to 15 minutes before you eat them. Fiddlehead ferns contain a toxin that causes stomach pain in humans when ingested. The toxin is destroyed by the heat generated during the cooking process.

These springtime delicacies have a taste reminiscent of asparagus. If you cook the fiddlehead like an asparagus, you really can’t go wrong. Their flavor is mild and they are pleasantly crunchy.  They can be cooked in many different ways, from steamed, to boiled, or dipped in beer batter and fried. I like them sautéed with some garlic, lemon juice and mixed with olive oil and butter. There are a lot of good recipes that can also be found on the internet, and they will also freeze well. 

If you have never tried canning them before and want to give it a try, head out to the store and buy a case of canning jars for less than ten dollars. You will also need a good set of tongs to remove the jars from the boiling water pot during the water bath canning method. If you enjoyed it, there are a few more goodies that can be purchased later to make the job easier. 

 “Good Diggin"

For those of you that are into canning, here are a couple of my canning recipes.
Spicy Fiddleheads
3 pounds fiddleheads                                                                                                                            
3 large red onions, thinly sliced                                                                                                                                                    
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon Oriental Five spice                                                                                                                                             1/2 tablespoon black mustard seed
1/2 tablespoons pickling spice
1/2 teaspoon of ground juniper berries
7 cups cider vinegar

Makes about 6 pints.


Bread and Butter Fiddleheads
3 pounds fiddleheads                                                                                                                                                                       3 large red onions, thinly sliced
5 cups sugar
7 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

Makes about 6 pints.

Preparation:
1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cleaned and trimmed fiddleheads to the water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and lightly pat dry.
2 Mix the brine…..sugar, vinegar, spices and seeds. Over high heat, bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3 While the brine is cooking, with a slotted spoon place fiddleheads into jars and fill up to 1/2 inch from the top.
4 Now ladle the hot brine over fiddleheads.  Process 10 minutes in boiling water process canner. Remove jars from water, and let sit on a towel and to cool completely and insure the tops of jars have popped. 
Check for seals (the middle of the caps should have made a popping sound while cooling and will stay depressed. Wait at least a week for the flavors to develop before sampling (they will be even better after a month). The pickles will keep, unopened, at room temperature for at least 1 year (they are still safe to eat after that but the quality will decline). Once opened, store in the refrigerator.