Stalking the Wild Fiddlehead
“Depending on weather, the fronds begin to appear around late April and by early May they can often be found growing in abundance on moist, fertile grounds. The best places to hunt fiddleheads are along river and stream banks, in open woodlands and at the edges of swamps and marshes.
Fiddleheads are the uncurled, deep green fronds of the graceful ostrich fern. They are at their prime for eating while young, firm and tightly curled. As the fern stalk reaches about six to eight inches in height, the frond begins to uncurl into a soft, feathery fern, losing its table appeal.”
“Fiddleheads grow in clumps and should be picked in a thinning-out fashion, taking several fronds from each cluster rather than stripping the whole clump. This is how my grandmother taught me to pick and I have been harvesting from the same bountiful patches for years. Since new roots are produced annually from the base of the current year’s fronds, harvesting in this manner encourages new growth for the following season. It also leaves fronds to mature into ferns that will live out the season and fall back to the earth to become rich fertilizer.
Some foragers use a small knife for cutting the heads but I find they break off very easily by hand — a safer method, especially for kids, and said to be healthier for the plant. When collecting fronds as they first emerge from the ground, work your fingers to the base and break the head from the cluster. Once fiddleheads rise on their stalks, they are much easier to gather. Just break off the fronds and leave stalks standing.
The fronds are covered with a brownish, onion-skin like coating that must be removed before eating. This can be done by shucking with your hands. After the chafe is removed, wash the fiddleheads well under cold running water to remove dirt before cooking.”